BCA RS EXT Avalanche Shovel And Stealth 300 Probe 2020 – 2021 | Review
Why we chose the RS EXT Shovel and Stealth Probe: Reliable, durable, efficient
Shovel Weight: 947g
Probe Weight: 330g
Probe Length: 300 cm
Price: £70 (shovel, £70 (probe)
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Similar to avalanche transceiver technology, the best shovel and probe combination is going to be the one you’re the most tuned into using. This, in turn, will lead to efficient and fast rescue times.
With this in mind, it’s great to see avalanche safety equipment manufacturer Backcountry Access (BCA) create a shovel and probe combination that’ll last a lifetime in the backcountry – where familiarity and speed is a key component of avalanche safety.
Here at Mpora, we’ve been using the RS shovel and Stealth probe combo for the past few years and it’s quite simply faultless – that’s why they’re the only recommended shovel and probe double act in our Ski 100 buyer’s guide.
RS Shovel
A downside of many avalanche shovel designs and constructions is that they are frequently built with gram-counting in mind. The problem with this is that you need an extremely strong, and durable shovel head; one that won’t fold on you the first time you strike compact avalanche debris.
We’re big fans of the RS shovel head as it’s been built from tough Aluminium and designed with tonnes of reinforcement – this shovel head has simply never let us down.
Another neat feature on this shovel is the ability to turn the shovel into a dozer. With the shovel sitting at a right angle to the shaft, you’re able to excavate snow at a much quicker speed than a regular shovel layout – saving you and your companions some much needed time when it counts.
Stealth 300 Probe
The Stealth 300 probe features extremely fast deployment – just throw it out, yank on the top tab at the top, and the probe quickly and efficiently snaps into place.
Equipped with laser-etched markings down the length of the probe, you’ll be able to gauge how deep your companion is buried. Once it comes back to stashing the probe away again, a simple click on the two wings sitting at the top of the probe will release the cord and allow the probe to be packed away.
All in all, this is a pretty hard to beat shovel and probe pairing to take into the backcountry. Yes, there may be lighter weight offering, but these frequently sacrifice too much on the durability front. You want your avalanche gear to be reliable in case you do need to use it in anger. The Backcountry Access RS shovel and Stealth 300 probe can certainly be counted on when it matters most.
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