Planning a trip to the UP this winter and maybe I'll get to go out west too so I think I might want a shovel. Just wondering what kind of shovel you would recomend. Also if you carry it in your back pack or under the hood. We dont usually wear backpacks so I was wondering what a good way to mount it under the hood it is. Thanks!
Ryan

We have the BCA shovels and really like them, they are tough and have a oval shaft for stength, and also come with a probe.
http://a1072.g.akamai.net/f/1072/2062/1h/gallery.rei.com/largeimages/691640.jpg


Just make sure you get a shovel with a aluminum scoop, not a plastic scoop like the Life-Link shovels. If you put under the hood the plastic will not last long, plus breakage possibilities. Also do not recommend putting it under the hood if you go out west, only way is on your back in a pack. Most ways I have seen a shovel under the hood is with the handle mounted to the belt guard and the scoop just laying behind the pipes.

I realy like my Ski-Doo shovel. It is metal with a 12" saw blade..
The blade has came in handy a few times... :doh:

I used to clip mine to the side of the tunnel with the shovel head towards the back of the sled. It actually worked really well for me. It was easy to get to when your stuck because I didn't have to raise the hood or take off a back pack. Note: Regular clips don't work. You have to use clips with velcro. I sort of engineered it myself. You also need to have a little rope with a clip on it and attach it to a little screweye on the tunnel as a back up, just in case the clips and velcro come loose so you won't lose your shovel. It only took me one lost shovel to figure that out. Max

We use a shovel made by a company called SOS. It is metal aluminum and has the blade in the handle.
I would recommend carrying it in a back pack or on the side of the sled someway but under the hood can be a pain in the butt. If you get the sled on it's side it is hard to get the shovel out to use and the hood always falls down at the wrong time..
Check with Cabela's I saw some good ones there this summer and a good price on them.

I use a military shovel that folds up to about 8" and fits in my oversize fanny pack. Its not the biggest, but is light, small and works great. Got it from my dad many years ago, but I'm sure any military surplus store would have them. Oh, they are metal.

Thanks guys,
I am going home this weekend and I will check out Cabelas. My Dad has every catalog ever issued I think! Thanks!
Ryan

Try the Glock E-tool. Its a military entrenching tool with polymer handle\built in saw. It's very light and compact. You can find it at most sporting goods stores for around 45 bucks US. glock e-tool (http://www.glock.com/e-tool.htm)

The only downside to that shovel is the size of the blade, doesn't look like you can move as much snow as quick as a normal avy type shovel.... imo

I was wondering about that too. It would be nice if it fit in your trunk though. But if I am stuck, Im going to be in powder and then a bigger shovel would be nice. But Im not sure if I would want to wear a backpack all the time and if I didnt, a small shovel in the trunk is better than no shovel at all! Hmm decisions, decisions!
Ryan

I just happened upon a really cool shovel. INfo from an article on Dupont.com:

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 12, 2002 – A lightweight folding shovel made with DuPont engineering polymers promises both convenience and safety for winter sports enthusiasts. Snowboarders can use it to chisel out ramps and half-pipes in ice and snow, and backcountry skiers can take it along to use in avalanche emergencies.

The “Matrix” shovel from Salewa SpA, Bolzano, Italy, weighs just 21 ounces (600 g), and it folds up to allow attachment to a backpack or carrying within. As for durability, Salewa markets the Matrix with a five-year money-back guarantee.

The shovel’s shell is made of a toughened grade of DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin. The shell resists cracking upon impact with rocks or blocks of ice when digging, and it can support loads of up to 55 pounds (25 kg) of snow, according to Salewa. Also, it has excellent abrasion resistance and high strength, key advantages for tasks like ice-chiseling and scraping.

Folded, the shovel measures just 9 inches wide by 15 inches high (23 by 38 cm). It unfolds for use in two positions, full length (35 inches, 88 cm) for shoveling or with the shell locked at a 90-degree angle for snow profiling or chopping. The folding mechanism has parts made of three materials: Delrin®, DuPont™ Zytel® nylon resin, and aluminum.


here's the manufacturer link to buy: http://www.cham3s.com/ficheproduitgb.asp?i...?idproduit=1830 (http://www.cham3s.com/ficheproduitgb.asp?idproduit=1830)

SWRules

I agree that BCA http://www.bcaccess.com is the best site to get all of your Deep Powder gear.

Shovel is best kept on the backpack not on the sled. Speaking from personal experience.. When the snow breaks out from under your sled.. Well first thing to get tossed is you!.. I was told by a seasoned Powder Rider that the best place for a shovel and beacon
is to be in a good backpack strapped securly to your back...

Once i got used to having the pack on my back.. It made me feel a lot better...

Have backup shovel under my seat on my 900 1M. The new removable seat and slots for the shovel fit nice!.

Good luck and Happy Riding!

Does anyone else have a good shovel recommendation? I would like to find one with a saw in the handle. Also, if anyone has a pic of underhood shovel storage on a GenII Polaris chassis I would appreciate it. On a side note, what is a good backpack for storing a shovel/probe?

I have the convertible shovel from tnagear. http://www.tnagear.com/pages/shovels.htm
It's makes getting unstuck a snap when you can put the blade on the handle and clear snow out in a hurry.

I also wear a backpack made by North Dome from REI. It's light, waterproof, and I don't even notice it when riding.

Thanks Crazymtn :thumbsup:

Most everyone I ride with have the SOS (same as the doo shovel). The saw is nice but they are brittle (stainless steel) and we all have broke ours (they get used a lot). I woudn't pay extra for it again. I just carry one of those cheap small folding pruning saws. The metal handles also get snow in them and ice up making telescoping and lining the hole up hard sometimes, put big corks in the tubing to block the ends, which helps.

I was going to suggest one of those army shovels that folds up. Didn't know this other stuff was out there though.

I have a SOS from skidoo with the sawblade. It is already a bit warped after a dozen trees. No need for a probe here :(.

Dakine make an awsome back pack. It has a pocket on the rear most surface for the shovel head and the handle straps into a pocket on the side held in a upright position. You can also get a bladder bag to fit into yet another pocket that holds a large gatorade bottle and has a hose that straps to the shoulder strap. These are the only packs to have. They are avail at most sporting good stores that sell survival gear.

On the topic of shovels I made my own from a small spade a vacuum cleaner tube and a key hole saw. It is constructed the same as a sos shovel and breaks down the same but mine cost me less than 20 bucks Can..