Airbag Packs

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/british-columbia/whistler-snowboarder-survives-avalanche-thanks-to-inflatable-backpack-1.3932757

I've been thinking about these.  Almost picked one up used on TAY, but the dude didn't want to be bothered with shipping it.

I think I'm going to pull the trigger.  The K2 Float 30 with a cylindar will run $475 on Amazon.  Canister fill maybe $20.  $500 seems like a small price to, potentially, pay for your life if you are going to spend time in avy terrain.

Scary how fast that slope gets moving in no time at all.....

or you can increase your life insurance ...curious what your wife would say  ..

I'd get one with a fan instead of the canister. Easier to take on planes.

I'd stay out of avalanche terrain when the danger was not low.

Some people like to say that "you should just try to not be in an avalanche" but that obviously doesn't always work out so good.

I don't use one but if I were working and doing well I would probably buy one, especially after seeing yesterdays vid of the snowboarder coming out on top while pulling the cord on his BD jetpack.

It does add some weight.

If you can afford one it can't be a bad idea.

raisingarizona wrote

Some people like to say that "you should just try to not be in an avalanche" but that obviously doesn't always work out so good.

I don't use one but if I were working and doing well I would probably buy one, especially after seeing yesterdays vid of the snowboarder coming out on top while pulling the cord on his BD jetpack.

It does add some weight.

If you can afford one it can't be a bad idea.

It becomes a bad idea when you think it will allow you to go where you should not go. Most of the time it's not the burial that kills you, its the trauma from the rocks, trees etc.

RA can you post a link to that vid?

PeeTex wrote

raisingarizona wrote

It becomes a bad idea when you think it will allow you to go where you should not go. Most of the time it's not the burial that kills you, its the trauma from the rocks, trees etc.

Ya but if that's your thinking you have no business in avalanche terrain at all, airbag or not.

A general part of terrain choice is level of danger and exposure below. If you feel there is a pretty good chance of things moving than you don't go putting yourself out over death exposure. The airbag comes in real handy it seems when you have a nice wide open run out though, I saw a kid get slid in Jackson my last trip there in a chute called M&M and he used his airbag and came out on top. It wasn't a little slide either. It runs out into the upper bench of Rock Springs which is mostly very clean.