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 ...

The A-2 is a 1.9-pound combination snow saw and shovel from Backcountry Access. The shovel blade is made from strong 6061 aluminum. Assembled, it measures 30.5 inches, but packs down to 17 inches.

The shovel looks solid enough for doing work on the snow cave (it got plenty of help from more traditional shovels), but it doesn't look like a suitable replacement for an actual avalanche shovel ...

In what is believed to be a first for a Utah resort, Brighton’s ski patrol required anyone entering the inbounds terrain off of Milly Express to be carrying an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe.