strong, smart, simple, small.

By Andy Jacobsen Ranked #62 - Shovels October 17, 2008

Great shovel. i really like the small size, it allows me to always leave the handle on the blade no matter what pack I am using. Shovels I have owned in the past have been too big to fit in an accessible area of my pack without taking the handle off of the blade. Putting the handle and blade back together is just another thing to fiddle with in the case of a burial. It seems that in terms of speed of digging a person out a larger shovel is only preferable in softer snow. Seeing as most avy debris is generally solid and dense I don't know how much a bigger shovel will really help. Maybe a little. If I was a ski guide and had to dig 10 pits a day I would definitely prefer a bigger shovel. One of the best features of this shovel is how the handle and blade extend and collapse easily into a tight little package. Cool design feels far stronger than other shovels I have used.

View Details: Black Diamond Deploy 3 Shovel

Helpful Votes: 4 Yes