Hi folks,

Am looking at picking up a snow shovel for the winter season. Sure, so there's not much to 'em, but if you've used good 'uns or bad 'uns I'd like to hear it. The one's I've seen are the lower end Optovox models (£29+) and the Black Diamond at about £35-39.

Cheers,
PB

Where and how are you going to use it? If it's an emergency item that you're hoping not to have to use, I would go with something ultra-lightweight and put up with the slight performance disadvantage. If you're planning to snowhole or similar, it's worth getting something more robust and versatile. I have a lightweight Ortovox one with telescopic handle, which I don't always carry, and a Snowclaw (handleless scoop) for stuff like day ski-touring when someone else in the party has a proper shovel.

Was hoping for a fair all rounder, for both emergencies and snowholing.. with a reasonable pack size/weight so its not a millstone. No probs with the Ortovox? The Black Diamond is in the gear section but no reviews...

Cheers, Paul

PS thanks for customs info - bow to your greater knowledge and smacked myself for speed scanning the thread..
PPS Can I say down the pub that I've seen Joan Collins' buttocks...?

Don't see why not.

Yo can even say they smiled at you!

Si(C)

Ortovox is a brand and they make several different models - not sure which one you've found. Looking at their site, I think the one I have is the Professional. I wanted a balance between light weight and robustness, comfortable working grip and a good shape/size for carrying (bearing in mind a shovel spends 99% of its life on your back). All Ortovox's shovels are marketed as 'avalanche' shovels, meaning they should cut through hard-packed avalanche snow without breaking, which was another importatant consideration for me. I'm not certain that the very cheap shovels could be trusted for this.

To clarify, I mean the very cheap shovels NOT made by Ortovox.

Hi, I've a couple of snow shovels one is an old metal blade jobbie with a wooden shaft I can't for the life of me remember what brand it is but for extreme conditions where ice chopping is expected it will do the buisness, the other with telescopic handle is a LIFELINK with a lexan blade both weigh in at about the 700 gram mark I do prefer the metal shovel it has a reasuring quality about it.

We went for Voile shovels, primarily for price/weight considerations as dirt cheap from the Co-op in Canada. One has the scariest looking saw down the handle (which I still haven't used!). The shovel shifts snow well and is relatively light; as Joan says unless you're planning on snow-holing go for lightness - except for off piste stuff when if the slope goes you'll want the best snow-shifter you can get...and beacons.

Thanks for the tips all,

My local store (http://www.the-outdoorshop.com/HTML/f_store_template.htm)stocks the Black Diamond models and Lifelink, and I've seen the Ortovox's on-line. Chances are I'll pop into the store, have a chat with the guys and pick one up from there.

Cheers,
PB

We stock the superlight Snow Claw (175g) at FurTech, which is marketed as an avalanche shovel, though I haven't had the oppotunity to test it myself. I'd be interested in others opinions of these.
It makes sense to me that they would save a lot of energy digging from a kneeling position or on a slope: With a normal shovel one hand is pushing down on the shaft (lever) while the other is pulling up (pivot) to lift the snow. They get good reviews in the states.

Black Diamond ones are good - I have the one that has an ice saw you can store inside the handle, then interchange that and the shovel. Nicely versatile for snowholing, and tough enough to do most things with (including using as a sledge!)
I was warned against getting a light plastic type, since avalanche debris sets like concrete, and they may not be strong enough.

I was bidding for an ortovox one on ebay, set myself a limit of about £20. It went for £31 plus postage. A new one from ortovox costs LESS.

I have a Voile metal one, having tried to dig a snowhole in very compacted icy snow with a Lifelink polycarbonate one and made very little headway. A friend had one with a snowsaw in the handle (also Voile I think) but the saw was far too flexible to be any use, so I carry a beefier separate snow saw.

I have now acquired a Snowclaw Guide for times when I don't want to carry the full metal shovel, but I haven't had an opportunity to evaluate it in action yet - possibly this weekend?!

Was recommended to buy a metal shovel - by the Lodge, yonks ago - because hard snow trashes plastic types. I've used the BD Lynx (which I own)and the BCA type (which I used on an avalanche course), I prefer the latter because it had a bigger shovel area; both handled hard snow with ease.

There was an article on shovels on a US Telemarking site and using them to digout avalanche victims - do a google or look on Andy Kirtkpatrick's site www.psychovertical.com for a link - the metal shovels were considered far and away the best for cutting through and shifting hardened debris.

Just so you can compare here's a video of th two different types of shovel i.e. conventional and SnowClaw.

<a href="http://www.snowclaw.com/video.htm">Snowclaw</a>

Thoroughly tested one of the snowclaw racer things last night. Moves a lot of snow very quickly, so long as you get your stance right. Got a good photo of my girlfriend on top of the team landrover shovelling away, trying to uncover the blue lights!

I use the Norwegian Rottefella shovel - under equipment at http://www.rottefella.no/

I had a Camp plastic effort that lasted one season! My friend has one of their aluminium shovels with wooden handle & the rivets popped on it. It's been beefed up with bigger rivets than original.

The Rottefella is very robust - hard aluminium head & wooden shaft with plastic T handle. It's had some hammer but I can't see it wearing out. Weight is 700gm

For emergencies, forget romantic ideas of digging yourself in. Get yourself off the hill.
If you want to do a bit of this then get down to the local builders yard and buy the type of shovel you would use to fill sand into a mixer with.

Don't get an ortovox. I've broken two 'unbreakable' avalanche shovels from them. Both, fortunately, were whilst snowholing rather than avalanche recovery.

On contacting Ortovox, they admitted that there had been a quality control problem and replaced them for free. However, for a vital item of safety equipment, I was disappointed that they did not issue a product recall if they knew there was a problem.

Reiver - thats the main thing my shovel gets to do, or digging the tent out. I'd say it's at least as tough as a builders shovel & easier to use in a confined space & travel with on a plane etc!

I don't know the context of the following link but it gives a good pic of the shovel.

http://www.moffett.me.uk/Albums/skis/Shovel.pdf