Avy Shovel Questions

I'm in the 3rd day of my 'Anti-Homelessness Campaign", trying to clear my vintage roof.  I was using a pulaski to chop up the 3-4' debris piles in order to replenish the woodbox, when I decided to test my BD avy shovel.  What an eye-opener!  It would barely penetrate an inch with each stroke & felt like it would bend or break if I levered very hard.  I'm just an 'uppity' XC skier who mostly relies on avoidance and 35 years experience at my normal MRNP stashes.

My questions for the pros out there: 
1)  Is this a realistic simulation of an avy rescue situation?  The piles sat for a couple days.  I don't think my probe would be much use in this stuff either.

2)  What are the strongest/best shovels & probes?  I'm on a small fixed income, so these would be a major purchase by my standards.

3)  Does anyone carry an ice tool for digging in addition to the beacon/probe/shovel triad?

While I've never dug anyone out of avy debris, I have tried to dig in day-after debris and I can testify that it's real tough stuff. You absolutely want a metal shovel, and do not attempt to "lever" the snow at all. Chop it up as best you can, then shovel the chunks away. Don't try to dig with the same technique you'd use to dig a pit in soft snow.

Shovel choice is, from some personal experience, underrated but important.

The doc attached to this thread ( www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=11673.0 ) puts it best:

This test was not conducted to systematically test
avalanche shovels. However, valuable observations
were made regarding different models of shovels. All
rescuers received detailed instructions in the correct
use of each shovel. Not one single shovel failed due to
incorrect use. Plastic shovels serve the purpose of merely
“having a shovel” but usually fail before reaching the
first meter of depth. Light metal-alloy shovels need to be
hardened by a metallurgical or temperature process, as
the majority of those metal-alloy shovels from prominent
manufacturers were seriously bent after little use. The
front edge cannot end in a triangle with one exposed
tip, since that will bend and deform the entire blade
after continued stress. Collapsible handles have a
clear advantage because of the increased length of the
shaft, but the two parts must sufficiently overlap in the
extended state. By creating a second hole this doubling
can be increased. A D-shaped (curved) grip proved to be
superior to a T-shaped grip. The Voilé Extreme proved
to be a very sturdy and ergonomic working tool.

Plastic shovels serve the purpose of merely "having" a shovel. ;(

Hedgie, Randy-
Thanks for your comments and the link.  Got to figure out which tube on this internet thingy works the search.      I suppose there must be reviews out there in cyberland?

I should have been more specific about my gear.  I gave my plastic prayer to my non-skiing brother for the trunk of his car.  The probe is a BCA 203 that I've only used for snowbridges.  The shovel an aluminum(?) Black Diamond with telescoping box-channel T-handle & a very slight point.  After today's epiphany, I realize generating something to shovel is an order of magnitude more difficult than moving it.  Not that I want to ever need to do either...more than ever, I believe an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure.

I turned in a lost Voile Extreme to the NPS a few years ago.  They used to give them to the finder after a few months, but now keep/sell all unclaimed items.   ???   Hope the owner got it back!

There's a great article on TT about shovels.

www.telemarktips.com/TeleNews69.html

I personally like the G3 Avitech shovel (it ain't cheap). I like the flat cutting edge and the flat back because the flatness is perfect for digging perfect pits and columns. In my opinion shovels with curved blades are harder to use when doing the various tests for snow stability. Ideally I'll be using the shovel primarily for testing and less for digging so this is an important factor.

Jan issue of Backcountry Mag has a good review on the Brooks Range- sharktooth Pro.
At only $50 it looks like a good deal.
It has a serrated aluminum blade for cutting into avy debris.

Check it out here!

www.brooks-range.com/StoreBox/shovel/sha...dnotpersonalized.htm



the rule of thub , is that if your partner turns up with a plastic shovel and you have a metal shovel, he has to carry the metal one. It's only fair, right!!!!!!