Snow shovel necessity.

[Lerenke]

... maybe even replacing your pack stiffener with it for zero weight gain. Useless for avalanche rescue, but better than nothing if you're not going to drop the $40 for a real rescue shovel anyway. Or if you're not in avalanche terrain and just want something in the unlikely event you need to build an emergency snow shelter.
Originally Posted by garlic08 http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/wb_style/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=970140#post970140)
...Or if you're not in avalanche terrain and just want something in the unlikely event you need to build an emergency snow shelter.

Question about this comment:

I am new to winter hiking (well not new, but still very novice) and I am researching the subject (future seasons), specifically snow shovels right now, and it seems that in Garlics experience that shovels are unecessary outside alpine-like climates where there are no avalanches.

So for my purposes let's say that I am solo hiking in New England in general, (that is all elevations and all points) in winter in general.

Will I typically need to shovel any snow?

I always assumed one would need a shovel for making camp. Say it snows all day and you need flat ground to sleep, or earth for a fire or it snows at night and you need to create ventilation or just dig your gear out.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

P.S. just realized now that this is in the UL forum, and while I'm not UL, I do try to get as light as possible and I feel my question is about weight so I think it is appropriate.

[garlic08]

(For those who missed the original thread, I was referring to modifying a cookie sheet as an emergency show shovel.)

Personally, the only reason I've ever used my avalanche rescue shovel is to dig out the car when it gets stuck on the way to the TH. That alone is a great reason to always have a decent shovel with you.

In camp, I just stomp a tenting platform with my skis. All my gear is under my shelter, and if it snows heavily I shake it off and stomp it down again. I don't build fires. That's just my style.

As noted, the thread originated in a UL forum. If your style is more aggressive and equipment-intense than mine, you'll want and use a shovel more than I do.

[lucky luke]

...If your style is more aggressive and equipment-intense than mine, you'll want and use a shovel more than I do.

high garlic,


no, i don´t think so. a shovel stays in basecamp. its good if you need a big platform, but not needed in steeper terrain where you carry a smaller tent anyway. i have an iceaxe and boots to create a platform. if skiing, its flater anyways and the skis will do. i did a denali and a aconcagua traverse and also a lot of alpine climbs in the usa and europe without one. never missed it, except for digging out the car:D

happy digging
lucky luke