Avalanche Safety

Featured review by Gary Leatham

I find the Snow Claw an essential item for backcountry snow play. I am going to disagree with it not being an effective avalanche rescue tool. I researched these long and hard before buying one. Some rescue crews report having tested them directly against standard $75 portal avalanche shovels. They were in fact surprised to find them more durable, faster at moving snow, and easier to carry. Furthermore they were found to be the superior tool at getting cars and trucks dug out of snow banks. Typical portable avalanche shovels are not strong enough out here in our heavy often icy snow! Those long handles cause leverage allowing them to be easily snapped off. In the summer I have found broken off avalanche shovel blades here in the PNW. Having said this, note that the Snow Claw does not effectively replace a well designed, quality avalanche shovel for snow that is wet and refreezing quickly after falling, as happens in many avalanche conditions. In avalanche country, I would pre-test equipment and talk with local suppliers familiar with your area! My main use for the Snow Claw is in snowshoeing for potential tree well rescue, snow shaping for seating, and for some help if I or someone else gets stuck in a snowbank or the parking lot when getting to the play zones. Might it be in your best interest to not go alone, and carry both kinds of tools on your outings? I think my Snow Claw should aways be with me, under my car seat, while driving in snow country, for roadside safety.

No rescue tool is perfect, but for coping with snow storm challenges, or fresh avalanche fall, this one comes closer than many! With their hard metal edges, and leveraged pressure made possible by the long handle, avalanche shoves can dig through icy settled avalanche snow. The blade shape and leverage effect of the handle also helps in forming snow bricks to make survival igloos. However, avalanche shovels are expensive, bulky and add significant weight to your pack. Thus, many do not carry them.

Read more: SnowClaw Guide reviews (6)

Reviewed by BackcountryJoe

The Lifeline Sport utility shovel may be sold at places like Fred Meyer and WalMart, but don’t let its cheap price fool you. This is an excellent shovel. It is often marketed for auto and snowmobile use. But don’t let that fool you. It is just as, if not more, capable than many shovels many times its price, not to mention a lot lighter. I would highly recommend this to anyone needing a good low cost lightweight backcountry shovel. Works excellent in making snow caves.

When I bought this I was looking for something lighter that my Voile Mini Shovel but not a compromise on strength. The funny thing is that I found it completely by accident. I was shopping for Mountain House meals at my local Fred Meyer. Then I noticed the bright red shovel with the vehicle safety accessories just down the aisle. The first thing I noticed was its super light weight and quality construction, then I noticed the price. At $15 I couldn’t pass it up so I grabbed the red one and took it to the snow that weekend.

Read more: Lifeline Alum Sport Utility Shovel review (1)

Featured review by Eric Billard

It's a great portable collapsing aluminum snow shovel, that definitely more than pulls its own weight, while still being very robust and easy to use. Advertised primarily as a lightweight avalanche rescue shovel, it also functions very well for a winter camping, shelter building, and as an emergency backup in a motorized vehicle. Would definently recommend, especially for those looking for an extremely light and compact shovel for backcountry use.

Included in this review is a short video of me constructing a one-man Quinzee with this small shovel. This should help illustrate just effective this small lightweight shovel really is at moving snow and building snow shelters. The Black Diamond Deploy 3, is a very easy to use, always works as expected, and can be deployed even with thick gloves on. The 3 in the name "Deploy 3" is used in reference to the overall blade volume with it being 0.3 gallons for the Deploy 3, along with 0.7 for the larger and heavier Black Diamond Deploy 7.

Read more: Black Diamond Deploy 3 reviews (2)

Featured review by Martin

I've been building with this each winter, 1-2 per season, since 2012 in Banff National Park. Great tool once you've learned the fine details!

Ideally you'd build this with three people—a form packer, form loader, and snow supplier/conditioner. I've done it solo, but of course it takes much longer and requires some innovation. Most important notes I have to offer users of this: Build the 7-foot model for your first attempt. You can ELIMINATE snow condition issues by making piles of snow and packing them with snowshoes before build day, and then breaking up this snow (removing all clumps fist-sized or larger) to build with. Makes for easy packing and a very dense/durable igloo.

Read more: Grand Shelters IceBox Igloo Tool reviews (2)

Featured review by Tom D

If you are going winter camping and not carrying one of these (or a comparable model), you are not carrying an essential winter survival tool.

The Voile Mini is one of several small snow shovels that anyone winter camping on snow should carry. This is not a full size shovel, but for all that I have done with it, it was the perfect size. I would take mine even on day trips. It is fairly light, has a metal blade, and is well made. The handle comes apart and fits back together easily. It can be used wearing gloves or mitts. I strap mine to the back of my pack so it is easy to get at. You will see some shovels with Lexan blades; I would take the metal blade Voile over them any day.

Read more: Voile Mini Shovel reviews (2)

Reviewed by Skygenie

This is such a simple transceiver to use. I'd recommend it for any recreational user. It's also commonly used by ski patrollers.

This transceiver is very simple to use and that's what makes it so great. When I do practices with friends with other digital units, they seem to get hung up on other features and confused about how to interpret what the transceiver is telling them. This is due to not practicing enough, but with the Tracker 2, it is far more intuitive and even without much practice can be effectively used.  Some people express concern over multiple burials with this unit but Backcountry Access has good information about this on their website.

Read more: Backcountry Access Tracker 2 review (1)

Reviewed by Terry Cameron

Sturdy probe with quick lock.

The Mammut 320 Fast Lock avalanche probe feels very strong (13mm diameter) and is operable with gloves. The measurements on the side are easy to read. I haven't had a chance to use it in the field yet, but so far I like it more than the older Black Diamond Quickdraw that I used last winter as there are no pinch points. (Although it looks like the new BD's have a similar style to this Mammut) My first concern was hoping the locking mechanism and cable hold up. The inner cable appears to be made of a very strong cord (not metal) and so far it's working well and the segments stay together tightly.

Read more: Mammut Probe 320 Fast Lock review (1)

Reviewed by LAMike

We all know that when venturing out in the snow you must have a shovel... but which one? Are you going to be digging a shelter in soft snow, or clearing iced snow, or making a wind block? Plastic shovels are light and wide, but ineffective against ice or hard snow, and metal shovels can be heavy and or worthless when digging down through lofty drifts (I know of both!). Welcome then, the Glock e-tool! (yeah, the same gun company). It has a steel head for chipping through those iced over areas, yet with a lightweight polymer telescoping handle, multi angle adjustable scoop, and (for the mcgyver's) a steel saw in the handle.

Read more: Glock E-Tool review (1)

Reviewed by Mike Mineart

This is a good stiff avalanche probe that has all the basic features you would expect in a backcountry avalanche probe.

I have had the Ortovox 240 HD PFA avalanche probe for several years and carry it whenever I go into the backcountry here in the Cascades when avalanche conditions are present. The basic probe is 240 cm long (94.5 inches), 13 mm in diameter (.51 inches) and it weighs 12.5 ounces. The probe comes with a nylon case that has a unique closure system. The closure system is opened by squeezing the ends and has internal steel springs that allow it to snap open and closed. I think that this is a good design approach over something like a simple drawstring like you would have on a stuff sack because it always allows you to get the probe out of the case.

Read more: Ortovox 240 HD PFA review (1)

Reviewed by Tam McTavish

A great evolution on the airbag concept with terrific selection of features.

So I got to take this pack out for a spin the other day on a Ski Mountaineering objective. It was a pretty short day and we didn't get into any terrain that we felt was particularly risky, so I never felt the need for its key feature. The pack is accurate to the rest of the BD M/L sizing. It's surprising comfortable, and breathable for a winter pack. I certainly found it rather enjoyable to wear. The bag is burly, and feels super durable. The buckle was easier to operate then other avi bags I've seen.  The pack is much smaller than it looks due to the airbag taking up a lot of volume.

Read more: Black Diamond Halo 28 JetForce Avalanche Airbag Pack review (1)