A shovel head counterweight for a helmet has been described. The counterweight has a mass that acts to counterbalance other objects attached to a helmet, such as night vision goggles. The shape and thin profile of the counterweight distributes the mass across the surface of the helmet to decrease strain on the users neck. In addition, the underside of the counterweight is contoured to snuggly fit against the curvatures of the helmet. The counterweight also has one or more fasteners for removably attaching the counterweight to the helmet. The fastener(s) can also be used to attach a bar for use as a shovel. The counterweight has a digging edge for shoveling and a concave underside for scooping dirt or other material.
