Powder hunters and heli-skiers know very well the treachery and pain of avalanches. They gear themselves up accordingly, including a shovel. The Backcountry Access Arsenal Shovel System with Tour or Companion Blade is a 6061 aluminum shovel with an oval shaft and T-grip comes with either a snow/wood saw or avalanche probe that cleverly slots directly into the shovel’s handle. The Arsenal system comes in three setups: fixed-length shovel with 240cm probe (27 oz), extendable shovel with a 35cm saw (28 oz), or a fixed-length shovel with a 35cm saw (22 oz).
Editor’s Note: You’d expect for a company that makes avalanche shovels to know how to well, shovel out of an avalanche. Backcountry Access does and they’ve got a free guide to organize and excavate efficiently. Take a look (PDF).
Cost: $95-$100