BCA Shovel + Probe Set: Dozer 2H (C2116005010/5020) + Stealth 300

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

2026 lineup note: Both current and in production as of September 2026. The Dozer 2H is BCA's "granddaddy" hoe-mode shovel ($94.95); the Dozer 2H-S ($129.95) is the same shovel with an integrated 6" snow saw. The Stealth 300 is the aluminum 300 cm probe; a Stealth 300 Carbon (290 g, $124.95) exists as the lighter sibling. This file covers the aluminum Stealth 300 as specified.

Version lineage (2023–2026)

• Dozer lineage: inspired by BCA's legendary D-2 EXT "Dozer"; the current Dozer line (1T, 2H, 2H-S) introduced the ovo-concave (oval + concave) shaft, low-profile stompable blades, and cored-out handles. No redesign 2023–2026.
• Stealth probe lineage: BCA's Stealth quick-lock probes (nesting bundle, no loose cable) are the long-standing standard; current generation adds dual-sized laser-etched depth markings (5 cm rescue side / 1 cm snow-study side). No redesign 2023–2026.
• Buyer's advice: Buy new — shovel shafts and probe cables take hidden fatigue damage, and this is rescue gear. The 2H-S's integrated saw is genuinely useful for snow pits and costs only ~$35 more; skip the carbon probe unless you're counting grams for skimo.

Overview

This is the classic North American backcountry rescue pairing from Backcountry Access (a K2 Sports brand, Boulder CO): the Dozer 2H shovel — medium blade, hoe mode for "paddling" debris without lifting, flat stomp edge for punching through hard snow — plus the Stealth 300 probe, the 3-meter aluminum standard for deep snowpacks and pro use. Together with the Tracker S they form BCA's complete rescue kit. On Shasta and any glaciated volcano travel, shovel + probe are as mandatory as the beacon (crevasse rescue, snow pits, digging out camps).

Key Specs

Pricing

• Dozer 2H MSRP: $94.95 (US). SOURCE: upnorthsports.com ($94.95, crawl ~14 days before 2026-09-20), evo.com ($94.95 list, $89.99 sale), gearx.com ($94.95 list, $56.99 clearance sold out).
• Dozer 2H-S (with saw) MSRP: $129.95 — SOURCE: cripplecreekbc.com "(2026)" listing, crawled ~14 hours before 2026-09-20.
• Stealth 300 (aluminum) MSRP: UNVERIFIED from official sources. Seen at $79.95 USD — SOURCE: shorelineoftahoe.com, crawled ~1 day before 2026-09-20; CAD $119.99 — SOURCE: sportchek.ca / oneboardshop.com. The Stealth 300 Carbon is $124.95 — SOURCE: evo.com. BCA's own MSRP for the aluminum 300 was not confirmed; re-verify on backcountryaccess.com.
• Set street total: ~$175 (Dozer 2H $94.95 + Stealth 300 ~$79.95) at the listings above.

In the Box

• Dozer 2H: shovel blade + extendable shaft/T-grip (hoe-mode hardware integrated)
• Stealth 300: probe with stuff sack (typical; verify at purchase)
• Needed separately: the Tracker S beacon completes the trio; a snow saw if you buy the base 2H instead of the 2H-S

Warranty

• 3-year limited warranty on both (per upnorthsports/evo/oneboardshop listings). UIAA 156 (shovel) compliance is a safety standard, separate from warranty.

Support & Parts

• BCA's Boulder-based support is well-regarded; replacement shafts, blades, and probe parts are sold separately, and BCA publishes clear UIAA-compliance documentation. The auto-engaging spring pins and ovo-concave shaft are the parts most discussed in long-term reviews — generally positive on durability.

Community Verdict

The Dozer 2H + Stealth 300 is the default "buy once" rescue pairing recommended across r/Backcountry, AIARE course gear lists, and guide services: the hoe mode genuinely moves debris faster in real burials (BCA's paddling claim is widely repeated by instructors), the stompable blade and flat pack profile are practical wins, and the Stealth's quick-lock deployment with no whipping cable is the fastest in its class per multiple shootouts. The honest debate is weight vs speed: ultralight tourers grumble that 765 g is heavy next to minimalist shovels, and 300 cm probes get side-eyed by weight-weenies who carry 240s — but instructors and guides consistently say a 300 cm probe is the minimum for maritime/continental deep snowpacks, and the Dozer's durability record keeps it on pro packs.

Images

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Research date: 2026-09-20. Dozer 2H MSRP $94.95 verified across multiple US retailers. Stealth 300 aluminum MSRP not confirmed from official sources — price shown is observed street. Probe weight conflicts across sources (see table). Neither model is discontinued; both are current BCA lineup as of 2026.

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Long-term durability & warranty-claim reality

• What owners report: The Dozer line's durability reputation is genuinely strong — backcountry.com's Gearheads call the Dozer their go-to "because it is packable, durable, and easily penetrates through crud," and BCA's whole design pitch (first with a non-round shaft "to prevent breakage while prying," then the ovo-concave upgrade) is about surviving the prying loads that kill cheap shovels. The heat-treated 6061 blade and T6 shaft don't have a widely reported breakage pattern in sources checked.
• Wear points to watch: the auto-engaging spring pins (the mechanism that makes the Dozer assemble fast) and the T-grip junction are the moving parts — keep them clean of ice and grit. The Stealth 300's quick-lock nesting bundle is praised for fast deployment with no whipping cable; the laser-etched depth markings are the cosmetic casualty over time. Blade edges dull with rock contact — that's normal, not a defect.
• Warranty-claim reality: 3-year limited warranty on both pieces (confirmed across backcountry.com, shorelineoftahoe, skibase, snowleader listings). BCA sells replacement shafts, blades, and probe parts separately, so a worn part doesn't mean a new shovel — use the parts channel before a warranty claim for wear items.

Version history — year by year

• Dozer line origins: inspired by the legendary D-2 EXT "Dozer"; the current ovo-concave-shaft, low-profile-stompable-blade generation is the established platform.
• 2023–2026: No redesign found on either the Dozer 2H or the Stealth 300 — same platform, same references, rotating colors. The line expanded around them instead: Dozer 1T (545 g, "made for the masses"), 1T UL (439 g), 2D (D-grip), 2H-S (adds 6" saw, $129.95), 3D (880 g workhorse). Year-by-year change detail: UNVERIFIED beyond the stable platform.
• Stealth 300: aluminum 300 cm remains the standard; the Stealth 300 Carbon (290 g, $124.95) is the lighter sibling, not a replacement.

Head-to-head vs closest rivals

• Honest statement: the catalog contains no other shovel or probe, so there is no direct in-catalog rival. The meaningful in-catalog comparison is the rescue-trio relationship:
• vs BCA Tracker S (existing): the Dozer 2H + Stealth 300 are the other two-thirds of BCA's rescue trio — the beacon finds, the probe pinpoints, the shovel extracts. Buy them as a system: all three share BCA's 3–5-year warranty umbrella and the same Boulder, CO support channel.
• Within the family (context, not catalog): Dozer 2H ($94.95, 765 g) vs 2H-S ($129.95 — same shovel + integrated saw, genuinely useful for snow pits); Stealth 300 aluminum (~$79.95 street, ~330–360 g) vs 300 Carbon ($124.95, 290 g — only worth it if you're counting grams for skimo).

Care & maintenance

• Dry the shovel completely before packing it away — aluminum doesn't rust but trapped moisture corrodes the spring pins and dulls the blade.
• Cycle the spring pins and check the T-grip junction for play before each season; BCA sells replacement shafts if one develops slop.
• Keep probe segments clean and dry; test the quick-lock deployment at the trailhead (a probe that won't lock is dead weight).
• Don't aggressively "sharpen" the blade like a knife — it's heat-treated 6061; a file touch-up on the cutting edge is plenty.

Buying traps

• 2H vs 2H-S vs 1T: the 2H-S is the 2H plus an integrated saw ($35 more) — listings sometimes bury which one you're looking at. The 1T is a full 220 g lighter (545 g) but a smaller blade; don't buy the 1T thinking it's the 2H.
• Stealth 300 vs Stealth 300 Carbon: different probes, $45 apart — confirm aluminum vs carbon in the listing title.
• Weight conflict on the probe: 330 g vs 360 g across retailers — the ~330–360 g range is honest; anyone quoting an exact number is quoting one retailer's table.
• Pack fit: the big Dozer 3D doesn't fit the shovel pocket of BCA Float/Stash packs (backcountry.com flags this) — the 2H does, but verify your pack's shovel sleeve dimensions regardless.
• Used rescue gear: shovel shafts and probe locks take hidden fatigue — buy new; the $30 saved isn't worth a pin that fails in a burial.

Community Verdict — extended voices (Sept 2026)

• backcountry.com Gearheads: the Dozer is "our go-to because it is packable, durable, and easily penetrates through crud" — and they note the extendable T-grip "doesn't break," which is the exact failure lesser shovels are known for.
• shorelineoftahoe (BCA dealer copy): positions the 1T as "North America's best-selling avalanche shovel" lineage (the B-1 EXT successor) — the Dozer line's volume is itself a durability signal: millions of units, no systemic breakage story.
• avalanchesafety.ca (Dozer 3D): praises the flat stomp edge and auto-engaging pins for "faster, hands-free assembly" — the same hardware the 2H shares.

Key Specs — gap-fill (Sept 2026)

• Weight conversions: Dozer 2H 765 g = 27.0 oz (1.69 lb); Stealth 300 ~330–360 g = 11.6–12.7 oz.
• Certifications: shovel "designed/certified to UIAA 156" avalanche-rescue-shovel standard; probe "designed to meet UIAA avalanche rescue probe standard" — per BCA/dealer copy. Compliance wording ("designed to meet") is BCA's; these are safety standards, separate from the 3-year warranty.