It is also really great at moving huge amounts of snow very quickly. The aluminum is a bit heavier than other shovels made of carbon, but I never worry that it will break. I keep one of them locked-in so that it’s quicker to use if I need it to get it out, but it still fits in my pack well. There are also two areas of the shaft that can be disconnected to make it smaller. I carry it in my Patagonia Snow Drifter 20L backpack and it fits well in the internal pocket. Packability: This shovel is quite easy to pack.At 5’ 3”, I am a smaller individual so a larger shovel would be less efficient and more cumbersome for me to use in an emergency. I also looked at the Black Diamond Transfer Shovel, but this one was a bit bigger and heavier and the trade off for adding the extra weight to my pack did not seem worth it.

One was the BCA Dozer, which is a decent choice but the shape of the head is a bit flatter and seemed less efficient to me. On top of that, it even has holes in the head to be used as an anchor or sled. It is easy to use, can be set up in hoe mode, has a handle that feels easy to use, and is really durable.

I chose this gear because it fit all of the requirements of what I was looking for. Though it wasn’t a deal breaker, I also wanted something that had holes in the head of the shovel so that it could be used as an anchor or sled if need be. I preferred this because shovels with both of these functions are more versatile. I was looking for a dual mode shovel that could be used in either regular shovel mode, or in hoe mode where the head of the shovel can be locked-in at an angle similar to a hoe. I wanted something that wasn't terribly heavy and was both fast at digging and fast to set up. I was looking for an avalanche shovel to bring along on backcountry ski days.

Black diamond evac 7