This shovel works great for what it is made to do. It fits well in most backcountry packs, especially the BD packs, It deploys very quickly, and the blade although not the biggest, is larger than many of the other models out there today. The main aspect that I like about this shovel is that the handle is always attached to the blade. This eliminates the problem of possibly losing your handle because it is strapped to your pack which I have seen happen multiple times before. It is a solid shovel and digs quite well so check it out

This is a good shovel. It is very compact and easy to deploy. The shaft is short but if you are on a steep slope while using it and will ne up to your knees/waist in snow it will be the perfect height for quick-paced shoveling. There are other shovels that have bigger spoons but this one is fast, light, strong, and easily packable. Do not ever buy a plastic shovel, they will break in wet cement snow and avalanche debris.

After finishing multi-month long climbing class I've used quite a bit of shovels. I've used this shovel to build a snow cave and hauled it up Rainier. Pro's: It's a bit wider than most...but that doesn't help much. It's also relatively light. Cons: The construction is rather sloppy with lots of play in the handle. I've found that I prefer the narrower shovels as they work just as well and are easier to fit in your pack. Also, the handle is shorter than most, so you have to bend down a little bit more.

My plastic lifelink is weak but very extendable and light. My metal BCA Tour System is strong but very short and impossible to use. This BD shovel has a large strong metal blade and is just long enough to be the perfect compromise. The curved handle really helps when prying out blocks of snow for shelters. If you ever plan on stomping on your shovel with ski boots like I do, do not even consider something plastic. This has worked well for AVY needs and snow-cave building. If all you want to do is shovel the driveway or build kickers all day then maybe something longer would work better if you are a taller dude.

This shovel fits well in most packs. I have a Dakine Blade pack for day-trips and this easily fits in the dedicated outer shovel/probe pack. It is a burely design, but still light weight.

I think the shovel size is more than adequate for its intended use.

Only complaint would be that there is some play in the handle, but I do not think that it affects the use.

Obviously it is a short handle, but when shoveling you should be on your knees regardless!!

Definitely pick one up. You can't go wrong with Black Diamond.

I haven't used this shovel to extract any avalanche victims (thankfully), but I have no doubt that it's up to the task. This shovel is nice and light (though necessarily somewhat bulky), has a blade size that balances snow movement with portability well, and has a very clever handle design. No more taking off your gloves to search through your pack for your shovel handle then spending more time assembling everything together. Just pull the Deploy from your shovel pocket and yank on the handle, the shovel does the rest. The handle is fairly short, so you're not going to want to use this thing all day, but for a quick snow cave, trench, or wind break around your tent, it works great, even in crusty hard snow. Regarding the handle "slop" noted by other reviewers, I honestly think this is something you'll notice in your living room when you open the package, but isn't noticeable or detrimental when actually using the shovel. Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to say that this is the finest back country snow shovel on the market.

This shovel is great i've only used it so far and hopefully only to bulid booters and dig pits. It's up for the task at hand faster than my buddies two piece shovels. The handle is shorter but effective the only complaint I can think of if the shovel is on the outside of your pack you can hear the handle "clanking" off the shovel head that's the only down fall and it's not even a good one. Thanks black diamond.

Just spent a week in the Canadian backcountry, and this shovel was great for what I needed. Light, simple, easy to use, wonderful handle design. What more could you want?

Indispensible for me in the BC...Just pull out of your pack and your ready to dig. No messing around with different pieces, when time counts...Thanks BD, you guys rock...

This shovel is sweet!! It is super light weight, very fast to get out and extend. The blade is a little small, I would not use it to build a booter or shovel the driveway, but for safety and digging when you need to, it works great.

I loved the concept of a quick-deploying shovel -- imagining myself in an avalanche scenario and not having to stumble to get things together. The problem is that Black Diamond went and put a spring-loaded pin in the upper-handle which locks the blade in the 'compressed' position. To 'deploy' the shovel you have to pinch this button and than with a little bit of wiggling pull/extend the unit. The whole thought of putting the upper pin seems to go directly against the quickness - especially if you're wearing mittens as I do.

Also, as some others have mentioned: there is a considerable amount of play in the shovel. The lower spring-loaded pin is what keeps things secure, but it could do for a second to eliminate the wiggle all together. I'm going to see if I can relocate the upper pin beside the lower thus solving both problems in one solution.

This shovel is OK, but the small handle makes it difficult to really dig large amounts of snow with speed. It feels solid, is quite packable and is easily extended. I'd get a shovel with a longer handle for extended trips, but for first timers or those that just dabble in the side country/slack country, this works pretty darn well.