Mammut Alugator Light

Packability We love the Alugator Light in its own right: At just a pound, you get a shovel that extends to 29.5 inches with a blade that’s the size of this magazine. (Credit the light aluminum head that’s milled to save weight.) But the best part? It telescopes down to just 14.5 inches, so it fit in the tool compartment of all packs we tried (even daypacks).

Durability It doesn’t feel hefty, but the shovel was fine moving wet, heavy snow in British Columbia.