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G3 Spadetech Elle Shovel - Women's - 2008

2008 Model No Longer Available

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G3 Spadetech Elle Shovel - Women's - 2008 BCS

Item # GGG0076

G3 Designed the Spadetech Ell Shovel specifically for women who demand lightweight, low-volume and quality out of their shovel. This shovel’s compact, low profile design helps it fit easily into any pack and keeps the weight down. The Spadetech Elle features a smaller blade for female shovelers who rely more on finesse than brute strength. G3 added slots to the shovel blade for use as part of an emegency rescue sled.

Bottom Line:

The G3 Women’s Spadetech Elle Shovel matches its users: Sleek, strong and elegant.

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Does this shovel fit well in a Blackdiamond Bandit Avalung pack?

Does this shovel fit well in a Blackdiamond Bandit Avalung pack? It's between this and Deploy 7. I already have a shovel that fits so-so, I'd like one that fits perfectly in the pack.

By:
December 13, 2010

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Answer robotsthrowingrocks's question >

Rating for this product: 4

Decent shovel with small blade

By:
December 5, 2011

First, I'm not sure what makes this shovel women's-specific. I mean, the color's not even particularly girly and there aren't really and patterns on it or anything. Near as I can tell, it's just with a smaller blade than G3's other shovels though not smaller than the smallest of any other shovel maker. I'm not a woman so I'm not particularly concerned. It was on sale, so I figured I'd pick it up as a backup to keep in the car if nothing else.

This isn't the lightest shovel I've held, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; it is solid and confidence-inspiring. The shaft extends to a good length even for tall people (I'm 6'2"), and the blade is made of thicker metal than the CAMP shovels I have. The front edge of the blade is not particularly sharp, but it's enough to cut through pretty hard snow (ice really requires a saw anyway).

My one gripe is how small the blade is (~8x8"); it would require a lot of fast shoveling to move a lot of snow. Now, this may be where the "women's specific" comes in, figuring women can't lift as much weight per shovel. There's also the school off thought where a lot of small shovel loads is faster than a few bigger loads as it wears out your arms slower. Once our season starts here I will probably take this and another larger bladed shovel out into the snow and time myself digging two big holes, one with each shovel, and see how that actually works out. I like this shovel, it feels good in the hand, I just want to make sure the small blade isn't a liability.

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Comment on Scott Pendleton's review >

Can you completely remove the handle from the shovel? or does

Can you completely remove the handle from the shovel? or does it just collapse? what size does it collapse to?
Thanks

By:
November 4, 2010

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Answer Miguel Gonzalez's question >

How do you design a Shovel Specifically for women? Does it have

How do you design a Shovel Specifically for women? Does it have a tampon holder or something? I mean, just making it smaller doesn't really equate to female prone.

By:
January 13, 2009

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It's definitely not ultra-light, it just has a smaller blade than a lot of shovels. Maybe they figure that a heavier shovel load would be bad for a smaller female skier and she'd be more efficient lifting a lot off smaller loads instead. In any case, the shovel is still very solid (definitely more solid than my CAMP shovel), it's just small.

By:
December 5, 2011

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not sure if i want my female ski touring companions to be digging me out of an icy tomb with an ultra-light shovel...

By:
November 19, 2011

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From G3's video on their website, it seems that it wasn't originally designed for women. Rather the small size made it attractive to guides, ski mtneers ete. Perhaps they decided to market it to women as an afterthought??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ5D1a3FoCk

By:
December 2, 2010

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Ya, seems like G3 is trying to make some women specific backcountry gear, when it is nearly the same to all the other gear they make.

By:
January 14, 2009

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Answer Justin Latessa's question >

Change me.

Tech Specs:

Blade Material:
Post-production, heat-treated 6061 T6 Aluminum 
Extendable:
Yes 
Collapsed Length:
22in (57cm) 
Blade Size:
8in (20.5cm) x 10in (25cm) 
Weight:
22oz (630g) 
Recommended Use:
Backcountry travel, snow safety, avalanche rescue 
Manufacturer Warranty:
Lifetime