I've long loved my old avy shovel. How can one improve a shovel? Shovels don't have "features," they're shovels. So I thought.
Actually it turns out you can improve a shovel! When seconds matter, I love that the oval cross-section shaped shaft means I'm dealing with one less axis to rotate to align the buttons - and that the shaft receiver has ramps to accept the buttons, no fine motor skills required. I do wish it were pear-shaped so you couldn't accidentally insert the handle backward, but I stuck some red reflective tape on the back of the shaft and the insertion site to make for obvious correct alignment.
appreciate the lack of neck on the blade, makes it much easier to pack. Hoe mode definitely has a time and place. Overall length is great, the blade is a good size - this is a shovel that will let you let it do it's job
Mammut Alugator Pro Light Hoe Shovel
If the unthinkable happens and someone in your party is buried in an avalanche, speed matters more than anything. The quicker someone is found and dug out, the more likely it is that they will survive to thank you with a cold beer later. Knowledge, training, and practice are quintessential to a fast rescue, but having the right equipment can't be understated when every second counts. The Mammut Alugator Pro Light Hoe shovel was made for digging as fast and efficiently as possible, and it's easy to understand why. The tilt-resistant blade with stabilizing ribbing helps you move large amounts of snow with speed and stability. At a total length of 90cm, this shovel provides plenty of leverage for moving dense avalanche debris. This is due to a second attachment point on the blade that affixes the shaft at a 90° angle, turning the shovel into a hoe. This provides better leverage for driving the shovel in and allows for a more natural motion for pulling and jettisoning snow behind you. Pop the blade back into "shovel-mode" for clearing out your car when the powder dumps or for digging test pits - the straight back of the blade is useful for making the snow profile easy to read. If you are uncompromising with safety in the backcountry, then pick up some piece of mind with the Alugator Pro Light Hoe shovel and ski with confidence knowing that if the worst does happen, you are ready with one of the best tools available.
- Can be assembled as a shovel or a hoe for maximum efficiency no matter the task.
- The hardened, anodized aluminum blade won't let you down.
- Shaft collapses to 49cm for easy storage in your pack and extends to 90cm for better leverage.
- 675g of pure, snow-moving power.
| Specifications | |
|
Weight |
692g |
| Shaft Length | 49cm |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| Design | |
|
|
Aluminum |
| Blade Dimensions | 27.5cm x 24cm (660cm²) |
| Skimo Co Says | |
| Usage | Fast rescues in emergency situations |
| Notes | Can be assembled as a traditional shovel or as a 90° hoe for faster digging on an incline |
| Bottom Line | Intelligently designed to excavate avalanche debris as fast as possible |
| Compare to other Shovels | |
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Questions & Reviews
Comment on this review:
1/23/2024
Are all the mammut shovel handles the same diameter?
I dented the section of handle that goes into the blade the other day trying to knock snow out of the tech inserts of my boot (dumb move) and now the inner tube is really hard to extend. Im wondering if I could just buy one of the smaller cheaper shovel and then have two blades that would work with the same handle?
I dented the section of handle that goes into the blade the other day trying to knock snow out of the tech inserts of my boot (dumb move) and now the inner tube is really hard to extend. Im wondering if I could just buy one of the smaller cheaper shovel and then have two blades that would work with the same handle?
1/24/2024
Hi Zach,
They are not the same diameter, unfortunately. The Alugator Light shovel uses a slightly smaller handle diameter. It is not a secure fit in this shovel. Sorry!
They are not the same diameter, unfortunately. The Alugator Light shovel uses a slightly smaller handle diameter. It is not a secure fit in this shovel. Sorry!
Answer this question:
3/9/2022
Greg Parker
(used product regularly)
I wanted a BC shovel that has a D grip, converts to a hoe, fits into a 22L pack, and doesn't weight a ton. The 3 shovels I found that ticked all of these boxes were the Ortovox Kodiak, the BD Evac 7, and the Mammut Allugator Pro Light Hoe. I tested them all.
-The BD was the best at digging. In hoe-mode the blade forms a slightly accute angle with the shaft and you can move a lot of snow fast. Unfortunately the curved shaft and blade shape don't fit well in small packs and it's a bit on the heavy side.
-The Ortovox is a nice shovel. Has all the features I want, fits nicely into a pack, and is well made. In hoe-mode the blade forms a right angle with the shaft. It is more expensive and a bit heavier than the Mammut, however.
-The Mammut ended up being the winner for me. It's lighter, cheaper, and looks cooler than either the BD or the Ortovox. The only thing I don't like about it is that in hoe-mode, the blade forms a slightly obtuse angle with the shaft (roughly 110 degrees) and is thus not quite as good for pulling on snow as the BD or Ortovox. This is a minor nitpick however, and not enough to sway me away from ranking this as the best full-featured shovel for weight-conscious backcountry enthusiasts.
-The BD was the best at digging. In hoe-mode the blade forms a slightly accute angle with the shaft and you can move a lot of snow fast. Unfortunately the curved shaft and blade shape don't fit well in small packs and it's a bit on the heavy side.
-The Ortovox is a nice shovel. Has all the features I want, fits nicely into a pack, and is well made. In hoe-mode the blade forms a right angle with the shaft. It is more expensive and a bit heavier than the Mammut, however.
-The Mammut ended up being the winner for me. It's lighter, cheaper, and looks cooler than either the BD or the Ortovox. The only thing I don't like about it is that in hoe-mode, the blade forms a slightly obtuse angle with the shaft (roughly 110 degrees) and is thus not quite as good for pulling on snow as the BD or Ortovox. This is a minor nitpick however, and not enough to sway me away from ranking this as the best full-featured shovel for weight-conscious backcountry enthusiasts.
Comment on this review:
9/28/2020
Slim
(hasn't used product)
Just got a hold of this, no snow yet to shovel.
Basically, sum this up as Large and Light.
Comparing to the (previous) Alugator Pro, this has the same length shaft, and nearly the same size blade (660cm2 vs 670cm2). the D grip handle is actually taller, great on the big mitten days. Despite that, the shaft is actually a tiny bit shorter when packed.
As far as I can tell, this is actually their second lightest blade (weighed at 382g), even though it is far larger than their others (Ride, Guide etc).
The shaft is not as nicely done as the Guide and Pro, which have a ribbed, teardrop shape. This is a basic, symmetrical oval shaft. The only thing I don't understand, is why the locking button at the bottom is single sided, not double. If it was, you could insert the shaft in any orientation. As it is, you CAN insert it 'upside down" but the shaft will have a lot of play.
This shaft is larger diameter than the Alugator Light shovels I have.
Combine hoe mode, Large D grip, large blade and long shaft, and still under 700g, this seems a top contender.
Measured weight for the shaft was 307g vs 368g for the Pro.
Total measured weight was 689g.
Basically, sum this up as Large and Light.
Comparing to the (previous) Alugator Pro, this has the same length shaft, and nearly the same size blade (660cm2 vs 670cm2). the D grip handle is actually taller, great on the big mitten days. Despite that, the shaft is actually a tiny bit shorter when packed.
As far as I can tell, this is actually their second lightest blade (weighed at 382g), even though it is far larger than their others (Ride, Guide etc).
The shaft is not as nicely done as the Guide and Pro, which have a ribbed, teardrop shape. This is a basic, symmetrical oval shaft. The only thing I don't understand, is why the locking button at the bottom is single sided, not double. If it was, you could insert the shaft in any orientation. As it is, you CAN insert it 'upside down" but the shaft will have a lot of play.
This shaft is larger diameter than the Alugator Light shovels I have.
Combine hoe mode, Large D grip, large blade and long shaft, and still under 700g, this seems a top contender.
Measured weight for the shaft was 307g vs 368g for the Pro.
Total measured weight was 689g.
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