Avalanche Air Bag

[vic]

Yep they also had some sleds ripped in half?

 

[Shibby!]

I agree with not going the cheap route.the pack i'm looking at is a 30L,BCA float 30,comes with 2 cans.I mistyped the actual price,it's 499usd,going up to 700 next fall.they have a few in stock,but likely get as many as needed.Anyone interested should look to Avalanchetools.com.if anyone is interested as posted earlier,we can get a group rate,on all items in the catalog.

They were talking about you and the Float 30.

The Float 30 is half the price of an ABS and Snowpulse.

I was in the same situation and went with the Vario 30 ABS. Best of all worlds, with exception of price. (1450 I think?)

That being said, knowing these are expensive items and safety items shouldn't be judged by cost, I feel if somebody gets a Float 30 over nothing at all, it's a HUGE improvement.

As stated though, do you research. The good thing about ABS is it's been around for decades, and has testing (third party) to prove their quality and ability to work. Not to mention statistics of 9*% surface recovery.

On the other hand, if you skimp on a beacon, that is not excuseable in my opinion. Run the best beacon on the market. It's not for you, it's for the buddies you are riding with.

 

[SLEDBUNNYRACING]

I have 2 Float 30's and have pulled the cord (to test) on both. They work and that is what matters. Price is right and I'm a happy camper.

 

[T-team]

You guys are missing the big picture....well some of you anyways. The bigger the bag... the more functional it is. (The actual air bags). The whole point of them is to increase your body mass... making you rise to the surface while tumbling. I wouldnt worry about buying one to protect your head... the bags are generally smaller and if your caught in an avy and slam into a tree........ that peice of stiched fabric.... will not save you!

 

[JaySimon]

You guys are missing the big picture....well some of you anyways. The bigger the bag... the more functional it is. (The actual air bags). The whole point of them is to increase your body mass... making you rise to the surface while tumbling. I wouldnt worry about buying one to protect your head... the bags are generally smaller and if your caught in an avy and slam into a tree........ that peice of stiched fabric.... will not save you!

Bingo. They make you bigger, and more likely to float to the top. Think of a bag of chips, shake them around, and the big ones are on top, small ones on the bottom.

Be the big chip.... :d

 

[RETODD]

You guys are missing the big picture....well some of you anyways. The bigger the bag... the more functional it is. (The actual air bags). The whole point of them is to increase your body mass... making you rise to the surface while tumbling. I wouldnt worry about buying one to protect your head... the bags are generally smaller and if your caught in an avy and slam into a tree........ that peice of stiched fabric.... will not save you!

Correct but they are talking about the size of the stow compartment...30L...my bag pictured below blows two 85L air bags when I pull the rip cord. Nothing to do with the 15L or 30L "backpack" size. If I'm reading your thread correctly...agree the bigger the better...but the air bags not the stow compartment. Pictured below is an ABS 15L changeable pack.

 

[T-team]

Correct but they are talking about the size of the stow compartment...30L...my bag pictured below blows two 85L air bags when I pull the rip cord. Nothing to do with the 15L or 30L "backpack" size. If I'm reading your thread correctly...agree the bigger the better...but the air bags not the stow compartment. Pictured below is an ABS 15L changeable pack.

View attachment 52517
View attachment 52518

You absolutley. Thats what I was trying to say. That bag you have I belive is the same as mine. Its called a vario. I had the 22L on mine and switched to the 15.. lets me carry the shovel and stuff on the outside. 30L was too big for me. But yea with they say the "escape15" or something like that its all storage space. That bag is pretty well the most expensive top-o-the liner. No sense in half assin it tho right?

 

[RETODD]

You absolutley. Thats what I was trying to say. That bag you have I belive is the same as mine. Its called a vario. I had the 22L on mine and switched to the 15.. lets me carry the shovel and stuff on the outside. 30L was too big for me. But yea with they say the "escape15" or something like that its all storage space. That bag is pretty well the most expensive top-o-the liner. No sense in half assin it tho right?

Agree...relatively cheap insurance in case your training and knowledge did not detect an issue or a situation catches you off guard, out of your control...I need to come home after the weekend.

 

[Klingon Warrior]

Correct but they are talking about the size of the stow compartment...30L...my bag pictured below blows two 85L air bags when I pull the rip cord. Nothing to do with the 15L or 30L "backpack" size. If I'm reading your thread correctly...agree the bigger the better...but the air bags not the stow compartment. Pictured below is an ABS 15L changeable pack.

View attachment 52517
View attachment 52518

I have the same but use the 30L backpack, allows me to carry a lot of extra gear. First season with it and I do find it a bit heavy when loaded, but surprisingly, have had occaision to use just about everything in there thru the season. Hindsight, should have gone a little smaller,,

 

[T-BO]

I vote snowpulse.

-Having the flotation around your head is a better idea than having it sticking out of your back. Your head is the most important thing to keep out of the snow.

-Air is better to have around your head than nitrogen. The air in the cartridges is filtered and dehydrated (no moisture, impossible to freeze) breathing air. The same variety used by firefighters and people working in hazardous sour gas enviroments (also in winter).

-The airbag will protect the head and chest to some degree. These airbags are very, very tough. So tough infact that they can withstand an avalanche. Safe to say an airbag this tough could signifigantly reduce an otherwise sever impact.


ABS has a proven record and I do like the 2 chamber system but I believe the snowpulse has more going for it.

But people usually will defend whatever pack they have. I mean nobody likes to say they bought an inferior product. :d

 

[white6]

i bought the snowpulse a few weeks ago.. havent ridden with it yet.. but it seems very tailored to backcountry skiers not sledders.. i mean it only requires some adjustments and creativity but the abs is more sledder ready i would say (my bf has the abs pack). but my snowpulse will have more storage because you can fully unzipper/open the bag where as the abs only has the one small zipper at the top. just my thought.

 

[soh]

i bought a bca float 30, nice big pac. easy to get canister refilled.

 

[glengine]

For those who are curios the float 30 has a 150L capacity air bag on it. And canister is charged with air not nitrogen.

 

[Shibby!]

The thing I think we need to stress is ANY pack is better then NO pack.

That being said, I don't see how people get away with 15L packs. Part of the safety of riding with a pack is the stuff you put INTO it. I have maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of the requried stuff in my 30L Vario ABS and I am well over half full on my 30L pack. Sure it probably weighs around 50-60lbs, but at the end of the day if I'm staying the night I'm sure as piss happy I have a tarp, food, water, flares, and extra warmth to name a few things.

I see people with packs that have a bottle of water and a shovel/probe. I'd lie by saying if I wouldn't be a little pissed that my rations would have to go towards making that person comfortable spending a night on the hill.

 

[trailblazer]

10-4.I've spent alot of time in remote country(as most of you) and we all must be responsible for ourselves,ready to help others in need and suvive on our own if necessary.Don't rely in others to save our arse if a problem should arise.Don't think a granola bar and a 1/2 L of water's gonna cut 'er.

 

[RETODD]

The thing I think we need to stress is ANY pack is better then NO pack.

That being said, I don't see how people get away with 15L packs. Part of the safety of riding with a pack is the stuff you put INTO it. I have maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of the requried stuff in my 30L Vario ABS and I am well over half full on my 30L pack. Sure it probably weighs around 50-60lbs, but at the end of the day if I'm staying the night I'm sure as piss happy I have a tarp, food, water, flares, and extra warmth to name a few things.

I see people with packs that have a bottle of water and a shovel/probe. I'd lie by saying if I wouldn't be a little pissed that my rations would have to go towards making that person comfortable spending a night on the hill.

What exactly do you take in the 30L ... curious?

 

[Shibby!]

What exactly do you take in the 30L ... curious?

I have so much stuff that I probably couldn't list it all, but there are multiple threads on items you should bring...

- flares, both shooting pen style and stationary,
- those hand warming things. Lots of them.
- Extra clothes. One full liner.
- large tarp
- (2) heat tarps, (need to find the better ones)
- 2L of water
- multiple packs of dry food - I think three..
- small aluminum can for heating water
- GPS
- bright head lamp
- extra batteries for lights, GPS, 2-way radios
- decent first aid kit
- shovel,
- two probes. 1.8m and 3.2m
- compass
- 50ft or 100 of rope. Can't remember
- two extra pair of gloves
- snow saw,
- hand saw (trees)
- lighter, matches, and weatherproof matches in muliple sealed containers
- (2) two way radios,
- duct tape,
- big candle with (3) wicks

I donno what else is in there, but I know there is more. When I need it, I'll be glad it's there!

On the sled I have:
-tool kit,
- tow strap,
- ski Y-strap,
- extra fluids (gateraide/water), - What I drink during the day always with extra.
- additional rope (cheap yellow rope),
- extra spark plugs (4 total),
- additional shovel. Nicnamed "the stuck shovel"

I can gaurantee I'm more prepared then 85% of the riders I see out on the hill because I know just by how much they are carrying that they aren't carrying enough.

Thankfully I was raised outdoors (relatively speaking) with very outdoorsy parents. We've done test runs of being stranded on an island (boat failure, rough water return not possible, etc), we've built snow "forts" and slept in them overnight, and I've hiked 25 km in -20 with 60lbs of gear to get back to trucks when winter hiking has gone wrong.

One thing I have learnt is that carrying a few basics can make the worst situation a hell of a lot better.

When I see people with no packs on, or a bag deflated without gear I shudder...

And lastly, a GOOD bag, will carry weight very well. I ride with this pack all day and my ABS pack makes it feel 1/2 as heavy because it's a quality pack that weights the load properly. I'm not a big guy either. Tall and lanky. (6'4" - 195ish lbs.

 

[RETODD]

I have so much stuff that I probably couldn't list it all, but there are multiple threads on items you should bring...

- flares, both shooting pen style and stationary,
- those hand warming things. Lots of them.
- Extra clothes. One full liner.
- large tarp
- (2) heat tarps, (need to find the better ones)
- 2L of water
- multiple packs of dry food - I think three..
- small aluminum can for heating water
- GPS
- bright head lamp
- extra batteries for lights, GPS, 2-way radios
- decent first aid kit
- shovel,
- two probes. 1.8m and 3.2m
- compass
- 50ft or 100 of rope. Can't remember
- two extra pair of gloves
- snow saw,
- hand saw (trees)
- lighter, matches, and weatherproof matches in muliple sealed containers
- (2) two way radios,
- duct tape,
- big candle with (3) wicks

I donno what else is in there, but I know there is more. When I need it, I'll be glad it's there!

On the sled I have:
-tool kit,
- tow strap,
- ski Y-strap,
- extra fluids (gateraide/water), - What I drink during the day always with extra.
- additional rope (cheap yellow rope),
- extra spark plugs (4 total),
- additional shovel. Nicnamed "the stuck shovel"

I can gaurantee I'm more prepared then 85% of the riders I see out on the hill because I know just by how much they are carrying that they aren't carrying enough.

Thankfully I was raised outdoors (relatively speaking) with very outdoorsy parents. We've done test runs of being stranded on an island (boat failure, rough water return not possible, etc), we've built snow "forts" and slept in them overnight, and I've hiked 25 km in -20 with 60lbs of gear to get back to trucks when winter hiking has gone wrong.

One thing I have learnt is that carrying a few basics can make the worst situation a hell of a lot better.

When I see people with no packs on, or a bag deflated without gear I shudder...

And lastly, a GOOD bag, will carry weight very well. I ride with this pack all day and my ABS pack makes it feel 1/2 as heavy because it's a quality pack that weights the load properly. I'm not a big guy either. Tall and lanky. (6'4" - 195ish lbs.

Wow...that is quit the load!!! I've a basic first aid bag, granola, water, tools, GPS, extra gloves, aluminum blanket to build a fire on, lighter, flint and stone, water, hand warmers, radios, SPOT, rope, spark plugs, cotton (fire starter), probe, beacon, shovel with hand saw, head light, toque...I guess that's about it...might need to add a few items. All that is on me, in a handle bar bag or in my 15L pack...

 

[SLEDBUNNYRACING]

I bring Summitric and have all the tools in the world which leaves me more room for the survival stuff.

 

[RETODD]

I bring Summitric and have all the tools in the world which leaves me more room for the survival stuff.

Jeeesssshhhh...you sound like the other three members of Team Doo Over :d