SKU: 423-T Voile Hoback T Avalanche Shovel

This is a great shovel. It is very ergonomic to dig with, just the right size (big, but not too big), the T-handle is great, and the holes in the shaft are in the right places so snow doesn't get inside and freeze it together. Unfortunately, it has one glaring issue. The handle attachment to the blade protrudes a tiny bit behind the blade itself. This makes it very difficult to get perfectly smooth pit walls. It can make walls that are plenty smooth for stability tests and layer identification, but they're not picture perfect. As an avalanche professional that literally takes pictures of my pits on a daily basis and publishes them on social media this means that I'm back on the search for the perfect shovel. Which is unfortunate, because this shovel is so close.

Flat blade - check Bombproof construction - check Extending handle - check Hoe mode - check I've been using Voile shovels as long as I've been backcountry skiing. The low profile but large size of the Hoback blade fits nicely in the pack, the flat blade makes getting square pit walls a piece of cake, and the long handle and easy conversion to hoe mode make it easy to move a ton of snow really quickly.

With the traditional and hoe set up this shovel is extremely versatile. Combined with the flat blade and welded attachment I dont think I could ask for more!

The hoe function makes perfect walls in my snow profiles super easy. I've always had Voile Shovels because of their proven durability and the Hoback really adds some amazing functionality to an already awesome shovel design. Thanks Voile!