Lifeline Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel - Olive

Lightweight, sturdy, compact, and even cool looking! Great little shovel that's strong enough to break through compacted snow and ice. I ordered this one to try it out and after use, I've ordered another. Weight is about the same as a plastic shovel but with the aluminum build, it'll last.The only negatives I can see, which were not enough to knock it down a star, are the aluminum and the price. $20 is a little high for a shovel that sits in the trunk. However, would you pay $20 to know that you will be able to get out of a pinch during a snowstorm? I would!So what's wrong with the aluminum? Answer: not much, but when you're on asphalt and you continuously scrap the bottom while breaking through ice, the aluminum slowly wears away. Even after one use, it seemed to develop a jagged sharp edge. Now, this will only add to the breakthrough capability, but I just wanted to mention it as after every use, it may continue to wear down. Regardless, the plastic shovel I was using rarely cut well enough to even reach the road and when it did, it broke down the shovel way quicker than this aluminum shovel that is being sold here.So as you can see, my negatives were spun into positives because let's remember what we are buying here... A shovel you keep in your car. Don't expect this thing to change your life, but rest assured you have a fighting chance of getting unstuck in a snowstorm on your way home from work. That's all I needed to know before I ordered another.

I purchased this to replace one of the small collapsible plastic shovels, which broke some time ago. It is so small and light, it sat in my trunk all winter, without being noticed, until I needed to use it today.After parking along the curb, in a slushy, snowy pile, my car got stuck. I took out the shovel and muttered to myself "I wish I had brought a bigger shovel."Anyways, the shovel easily extended to its full length, which is much shorter than a full size show shovel. The blade of the shovel is also much smaller. However, unlike the plastic ones, this is made completely of aluminum. So, once it was extended, it felt very solid and sturdy in my hands, despite being very lightweight.The sturdy shovel made short work of the slushy mess, and the small size of the blade was a nice asset, since it allowed me to maneuver the shovel neatly around my car's tires, and to nimbly scoop out the slush mound underneath my car, without touching my car's underside or the tires. The blade itself was good enough so I could dig down to the pavement. After about 10 minutes, my car was free, and easily left the pile of slush.The short size of the shovel did mean I had to stoop a bit more, but this is the perfect tool to get cars out of sticky winter situations. And, its small size means it can live in the trunk all winter.I recommend this shovel for anyone who drives anywhere where it can snow at least part of the year. The sturdiness is well worth the upgrade from the typical plastic portable car shovels.

I bought this to keep in my car and use it in winter time. Now that I have gone through two winter season with it, I think I have pretty good insight of what this thing can do. First of all, buyers must understand that what this thing is all about. It's all about being lightweight and portable. This should only be used as emergency tool when you don't have proper tools. This winter, NY was hit by wet snow and it quickly turned into ice. Unfortunately, I only had this shovel in my car.. so I used it to break through those thick ices and it snapped in half. BUT I am still giving this item 4-star rating because that is more of my fault. This shovel is made out of aluminum and it clearly says in the item name. While they are light, they aren't made to pick through ices. This shovel will have no problem digging through snows. Just understand that it will not move huge amount of snow at a time. For serious ice digging, this is not going to cut it. keep this in your car as emergency tool and use proper tool when the situation calls for it.Now the real reason, why I have deducted 1 star is more due to the fact that there are some areas where it could use some improvement.First of all, the entire body of the shovel is made out of aluminum and there is no grab provided for the fore-hand. It means, if you don't have a pair of gloves, Good luck not getting a frostbite. because it's like holding onto a block of ice.Secondly, while it does retract and expend.. the range is too small.Lastly, the handle is really uncomfortable but this is somewhat understandable as they wanted to make it as portable as possible. But D-Shape handle would have been really nice. but I might be asking for luxury at this point.

Haven't had the snow storm come in yet but bought this for my son to store on his vehicle. Packs away well & seems of great quality.

Bought 2 of these for our sleds, very sturdy and easily folds into it self or comes apart for compact storage on machine. Used on three occasions when got stuck and makes life a lot easier than kicking and stomping snow with your feet.

Its nice light weight & fancy looking but also completely functional . Its tough enough to work like any ordinary shovel . Some thing that can be kept inside all 4x4 vehicles & people living in desert & snow fall areas.

Pesima,

The Lifeline Shovel is a great winter addition to your car. As soon as the package arrived, I put the shovel together and put it in my car's trunk. It was a bit of luck, that it arrived when it did, because my car got stuck in the snow a few days later. With the help of this shovel, I was quickly un-stuck and on the road again.The shovel is compact and light weight, making it easy to use and store. The aluminum edge cuts through any type of snow quickly.The only thing to keep in mind, is the shovel's size. Since it's compact, it would not be great at shoveling out an entire driveway, since it would take so long. But, for shoveling your step or around your tires, it's great!

Nice and sturdy, I find some of the more compact forms too flimsy and ones with more features less efficient, I only give it 4 stars because I haven't had to use it, it seems great but has not been put to the test. It doesn't take up much room in my trunk at all (2007 lexus es350)