The Story Behind The Name
DMOS is an acronym that stands for “Do My Own Shit.” To us, the name is rooted in a Do-It-Yourself mentality of self-reliance we find in our home state of Wyoming. We got pissed when cheap plastic shovels would break just when the going got tough. Shoveling snow or digging dirt—we wanted a tool that wouldn’t let us down during heavy mountain storms or on off-the-grid adventures deep into BLM land. We knew we could shape and build something with more grit and toughness. The result was applying a throwback bootstrap mentality to what we built into, hands down, the best shovel in the west.
Foundation Of Strength
At DMOS® we are driven by a spirit of strength and survival. One reason is the tenacity of company founder Susan Pieper, who digs deep into every challenge she tackles. Pieper cut her adventure teeth on 10,000 miles of open-ocean sailing. After migrating to the mountains, she discovered where a real 4x4 could take her—a passion that lead to raids like the 1200-mile Rebelle Rally where the tools you trust matter.
A Harvard MBA, Pieper also survived the brutal grind of high tech startups and Wall Street finance before trading those jungles for the rugged mountains and wide-open landscapes of Jackson, Wyoming. In that environment, she proved true the blue-sky thinking that the shovel could be reinvented. Born and bred in the industrial Midwest, Pieper built DMOS with a commitment to American manufacturing and a strong belief in toughness as the defining character of tools built to enable our wildest adventures.
Digging In Doing It Right
Founded and funded in 2015 with a big Kickstarter idea for a tough, packable shovel that could thrive under heavy loads in remote, mountain environments, DMOS quickly built a strong collective of rugged individuals who all believe in the power of getting yourself unstuck. Our American-made, ultra-tough, pro-grade tools are built to survive a lifetime of adventure whether hunting, camping, overlanding or just getting up to something, somewhere way off the grid. Headquartered in Alpine, WY—the motorsports capital of our home state—we take pride in the trust we have earned for the tools we make. We back it up with our ironclad warranty and our money back guarantee.
Founding Principles
When we founded DMOS in 2015 it was with a belief in a heavy-duty shovel built with strength to survive. The collective backed our vision and stood by us because of what we stand for. We take pride in representing the values that drive us forward.
Made To Move Mountains
We’ve been accused of overbuilding our shovels. We’re okay with that. Built with double-thick Aircraft-Grade 6061 Aluminum or 12-gauge cold-rolled steel, Zytel T-grips and stainless steel pins—we pick American-made materials that won’t let you down in rugged off-the-grid environments and rough mountain climates. Our strongest shovel—the Alpha Expedition—withstands nearly two tons of force. Try that with a store-bought shovel.
Wyoming Born. American Forged.
Our company was founded as an antidote to cheap, imported plastic crap. Building our shovels stateside is good on many levels. First, we have complete faith in the toughness of our gear because we use American steel and aluminum. Second, we support American ingenuity and craftsmanship. Last, we’re not flying and shipping crates of crap all over the planet—which helps lower our impact and helps protect the wild lands we love.
Iron-clad Warranty
Our shovels are built for a lifetime of adventure. And that’s not just blowing smoke. We stand behind our work with both a money-back guarantee and a bomber lifetime warranty. If you somehow, somewhere in some remote place—find an immovable object or a breaking point for our shovel, we will replace it no questions asked. If that happens though, we’d like to a photo of something out in the wild that is tougher than us.
Spirit Of Adventure
We also believe, wholeheartedly, in the spirit of adventure. Getting after it or up to something off-road, in the woods or in the mountains defines our collective. On our home turf that means getting stuck, getting snowed in, getting stormed out and getting more than a little lost. Yet the grit to get yourself out of a jam—with your own skills and your trusted tools—is essential. For where we live and play, this sense of self-reliance means freedom.
Rugged Individualism
We exist because you believed in our vision. That’s why we’re collective—each shovel we shaped was crowd-funded to production by a loose affiliation of mavericks from all points of the compass. From off-griders to overlanders, sledders to hunters, firefighters to gunfighters, van lifers to mountain men—we all united with a common belief that a shovel shouldn’t suck. That DIY is our foundation and that’s why we earned your respect.
Built To Survive
At DMOS we believe in designing for adventure and building for rugged utility. Whether hunting, camping, overlanding, off-roading or just braving mountain snow travel—we engineer our durable, collapsible metal shovels to thrive when the going gets tough.
Premium Materials & Cutting Edge Engineering
Our double-thick aircraft grade 6061 aluminum is tougher than you are. Don’t even get us started on our steel. Even our lightest shovel is half-ton rated with strong points of connection rather than weak points. It’s almost impossible to find their breaking point.
Customer Reviews
Mountain Tough - Lake Tahoe, CA
Living and playing in the mountains isn’t always fun and games. Winters can be downright harsh. And, you never know when you might have to dig yourself, or someone else out of a situation. Having a strong shovel, with a secure mounting setup is definitely worth it’s weight in gold. But, this shovel is more than just a one-season wonder. It’s practical to stir up and help drown campfires. It’s great for days playing in the sand, when things don’t necessarily go as planned. And, it’s great for almost any situation. Thank you for making a quality product, built in the USA. Thank you for a setup that doesn’t “accidentally” get left behind. And, thank you for making a product capable of being locked down and secured well on our adventure vehicle.
Mine Not Yours - In The Truck, USA
Bombproof. With multiple predrilled holes and slot, there are more than enough options to mount this bad boy to virtually any roof rack or otherwise. I have mine mounted on the side of my GFC right above the cab. There are two places to add a padlock to keep sticky fingers off the my Delta shovel. It holds my shovel in place and doesn’t rattle at all. The Delta just sits there quietly until it’s needed. Perfect.
Covet Thy Neighbors - In The Hills, USA
I live in the hills and battle sudden snowfall in the winter that can be a couple feet overnight to a mile of mud to get to a paved road in the spring. This shovel is great. Well made, light weight, and fits it my rooftop storage on my Nissan Xterra. I feel I am ready for anything even shoveling out neighbors who get stuck.
