Probes & Shovel .. Which to choose??

[sledn]

thanks for your guys' input so far!

so with probes.. you said make sure the locking device screws not pulls.. therefore the ortovox carbon 240 would be eliminated from the option list??

also.. carbon vs aluminum tubing? 10mm diameter vs 10+mm?

seems 240cm and 10mm diameter is good for the average backcountry recreational user.. and iv been reading about carbon not freezing but aluminum does sometimes?

The small diameter probes that come in the shovel handles suck.They are too flexible for probing in my opinion.

 

[Modman]

I have always ridden with a beacon and shovel. I wont step on my sled without it in the mountains. But adding probes and avy bag to my arsenal this year. The better equiped i am the better I can help those and those can help me!

and i assume people say screw instead of snap because of the ease of potential unintended unlocking maybe? im not sure so i hope someone gives there thoughts on that

Try before you buy then make your own opinion. Screw types take longer to assemble, especially with gloves on. Some of the cheaper ones are junk. I bought good avy gear because I don't want to have to tell anyone's next of kin that my gear failed when I needed it to rescue their loved one. I know with the BD stuff you would have to intentionally unlock it because you have to pull and push at the same time on the locking mechanism in a very specific spot, using both hands. Virtually impossible unless you are doing it intentionally.

 

[OOC ZigZag]

where can i pick up one of those shovels?

SOS for both :d

 

[senorjeem]

For my $.02, I can tell you to get a shovel that has an oval handle, as opposed to a round one. That way you are not having to rotate the handle in the shovel to find the hole, and I am sure that you will find that the oval design is tougher, you know, if you wanna shovel cement instead of snow, or whatever.