The Backcountry Shovel is engineered for fast deployment with robust construction to perform in emergency avalanche situations. In a chaotic environment where seconds matter, intuitive features allow for quick, self-locking deployment so you don’t have to fuss with small buttons. The aggressive blade is designed to efficiently cut into snow and easily switches between digging (shovel) position and chopping (hoe) position. A more compact size also allows the Backcountry Shovel to fit in a wider range of avalanche backpacks.