Maybe you say, how can man spoil the selection of an avalanche shovel, but it is important to take care about some basic things. First, have a look at the material which is the shovel made from. It is true that most of them are made of high quality aluminium material but there’s also a couple of plastic, which aren’t so appropriate, because the plastic isn’t as strong as aluminium, so you could, when digging from a frozen snow, have a problem – it is possible that the plastic shovel breaks. Another important factor for selection of a shovel is well-fitting handle. This is pretty subjective thing, so first try the shovel in reality before you buy it.  Finally, there is important the storability of a shovel, to put it good in a backpack.