Gear Review: Seattle Sports Co. Snow Shovel

There’s something about having a shovel strapped to your pack when snowshoeing; it makes you look pretty serious about your shoeing experience.  It says, “That guy is going to a place where the snow is pretty deep.”  Well, yes, that’s the ticket.  As the publisher/owner of Snowshoe Magazine, I only go where the snow is deep.  Not really.  I consider myself lucky if I’m out in the backcountry with my trusty snowshoes…and now with my Seattle Sports Co. Snow Shovel.  

The difference with this shovel, versus other brands, is its durability and versatility.  Weighing in at a modest 1-pound, 5-ounces, the Shovel is made of a lightweight polycarbonate scoop with an adjustable anodized aluminum stock.  

So that’s the durable part, but what makes it versatile is the one-button release that moves the handle at an angle (as pictured) so it can be used as a fast-action snow scoop.  The stock adjusts from 16.5 inches to 27 inches and removes quickly and easily from the scoop.  

The scoop moves a lot of snow, with the stock at any angle.  My experience with the Shovel was near Jones Pass, Colo. (near Empire).  On that day, the snow was deep and crusty – kind of a bluebird morning. As I was trekking up a hill, the Shovel helped with climbing.  I used it as a crutch as I stabbed the snow with my Shovel at a steep angle – each step carefully placed as I trudged upwards.  It turned out to be a great way to help stabilize my body weight while ascending in snowshoes.  As most snowshoers know and understand, hiking up a steep hill in snowshoes is no easy feat.  

A packable snow shovel comes in handy during emergency situations, such as an avalanche.  When the stock of the Seattle Sports Shovel is set at an angle, the scoop’s versatility allows for quick snow removal.  

In fact, a friend could’ve used the Shovel during a recent snowmobile outing.  A recent dumping of fresh pow made it easy for the machines to become buried – hence a need for a quick scoop.  Some snowshoes were used as makeshift shovels.  Bummer!  Although they did the trick, the snowshoes could’ve been damaged during shoveling.  

Prepare for the unexpected: Get a shovel and make it a safe day of snowshoeing.  For more information on the Seattle Sports Co. Snow Shovel, visit http://bit.ly/9CGyXa.

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