Snow shovel

[barjor]

I am looking for a snow shovel for use on the cascade volcanos. Digging snow caves and clearing a spot for my tent in the winter. Looking for cheap, small and light. Do you have a shovel you could recomend? where did you buy it? how much did you pay?

Edited May 5, 2005 by barjor

[rock-ice]

I have a lifelink shovel like this one. Lighter than any others I've handled. It works well for the cascades. I've dug a couple snowcaves with it. Just don't plan on it surviving in tougher environs (alaska).

[catbirdseat]

I'll sell you one for $20.

[kurthicks]

I have a BCA Tour shovel system , with a probe. great setup and you can leave the probe at home if you want. Plus, with a metal blade you can put your stove on it.

[barjor]

I'll sell you one for $20.

Nah with S&H I could just buy a new one.

[Couloir]

Plus, with a metal blade you can put your stove on it.

Good tip!

[kenp]

SOS, metal blade...kinda wired T handle tho. I've used it to dig caves/igloo. no problem yet with ice

 

http://www.sos-find.com/pages/frameset.html

[fishstick]

The BCA system mentioned above is stunning (and very expensive).

 

Even with the probe, it's very light-weight. The probe helps you to determine that the area where you plan to dig a cave actually has enough cover (and no ice layers, etc)(as a climber you probably aren't carrying a probe normally). The blade is compact enough to carry in the lid of a big pack. The handle will usually fit in a pocket (I think I can get both in a lid in a crunch).

 

After using the BCA for a year I picked up my wife's voile and couldn't believe the weight difference. The former is worth every penny.

 

GB

[Dr_Crash]

If you want small and light, get the BCA shovel without the probe; it is cheap. You'll want to carry a real probe anyway, so why have the small one in the handle? Extremely light, metal; it is lighter than some plastic shovels. Do not get a plastic blade! Or be ready to have to hand it to one of your partners in exchange for his/her metal blade shovel before crossing avalanche terrain.

 

I own both the BCA one and an SOS shovel with the light silver blade and a snow saw in the handle. Whenever we practice avalanche rescue or dig a snow cave, the SOS is the envy of everybody because of the bigger scoop and the huge handle. Of course, this (size, as well as the extra weight) is what makes me leave it home most of the time, except for backcountry skiing where I cross more avalanche terrain.

 

drC

[fear_and_greed]

I posted a picture of my shovel on my blog.

http://hydrogenplusstupidity.blogspot.com/

As you can see I used a 1 1/4" hole saw to lighten it up. The shovelling performance is unaffected in any snow conditions. It works great to level tent platforms as the holes act like a cheese grator, or use as a dead man, stove platform and is easy to strap onto your pack. It is lighter than any shovel I've picked up. Keep the holes away from the edges and spaced out or the blade will lose too much rigidity.

Edited May 6, 2005 by fear_and_greed

[sobo]

I posted a picture of my shovel on my blog.

http://hydrogenplusstupidity.blogspot.com/

As you can see I used a 1 1/4" hole saw to lighten it up...

 

Now that looks like smart idea. Is that a Voile' blade?

 

Barjor: All tips about getting a shovel with a METAL blade are spot on. Polycarbonate will (one day) leave you hanging out in the cold.

[Dr_Crash]

His blade looks like an SOS blade.

 

Polycarbonate leaving him/her hanging out in the cold is one thing. But leaving him/her not able to dig someone from an avalanche is a tragedy easy to avoid. Go to an avalanched zone someday (checking that it is safe to do so, duh; a good place is in a resort after avalanche control) and try to dig through debris: it is very solid. A metal blade will not only not break like polycarbonate can, it will be better for digging through that compacted snow.

 

drC

[sobo]

Been there, done that. Hence my comment dissing the PC blade.

[Dr_Crash]

I liked your comment. Just wanted to emphasize to others the main reason why it is bad if one travels in avalanche terrain, where that shovel could help save a life.

 

drC

[JoshK]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess if drilling holes in a shovel actually maintained its full strength one of the companies would have done it already.

 

I'm think if shit came to shove and you needed to go toe-to-toe with some really icy crap that shovel would bend, but who knows...i sure don't.