Avy Bags - Which is the best?

[sledneck_joe]

Hey all, new to snow and mud but have been sledding a long time. I'll be buying an avy bag this fall in prep for the new season, I'm curious which bags to avoid and which have been good. Is there one design that's better than others? Just looking for personal opinions before I take the plunge. Thanks!

-Joe

 

[tex78]

Snow pulse avy vest


I couldn't wear a back pack again after having the vest.... Get the inserts and now it's like a tech vest too

 

[dabensmiller]

I've had great luck with my BCA throttle 22.

 

[towerrigger]

Best to wait till sled show and try them all on. Get the one that fits your body size best. Nothing worse than a bag made for a 5' guy when your 6'. I thought Snow pulse made different lengths. At least they used to.

 

[lilduke]

I run the BCA throttle22 also. I like the snow pulses bags for sure, but IMO ABS is top of the line for a few reasons.

 

[Xfmontana]

ABS


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[sledneck_joe]

Snow pulse avy vest


I couldn't wear a back pack again after having the vest.... Get the inserts and now it's like a tech vest too

Can you still wear a normal backpack with the vest on? I've never heard of it.

 

[Clode]

mammut snow pulse with removable air bag, I like it, when not in the mountains I can take out the air bag an lighten up the pack

 

[Russell P]

Would have to agree with Lilduke. ABS has been at it the longest, been used by plankers in Europe for decades. Only real issue or complaint I have with mine is the weight of the nitrogen bottle, but it can be replaced with a carbon fibre version I believe, I just haven't bothered. Not sure who sells replacement bottles though. It's a one shot deal, bottle can't be refilled like some of the others.

 

[moyiesledhead]

Can you still wear a normal backpack with the vest on? I've never heard of it.

No, and you don't need to. It has a pack built into it.

PROTECH VEST | Snowpulse SA

 

[prairie-rider800]

I've got ABS and can't complain. I think they all have there pros and cons. Like mentioned above it's probably a good idea to check them all out at the sled show. They usually have good deals there too!

 

[norona]

Would have to agree with Lilduke. ABS has been at it the longest, been used by plankers in Europe for decades. Only real issue or complaint I have with mine is the weight of the nitrogen bottle, but it can be replaced with a carbon fibre version I believe, I just haven't bothered. Not sure who sells replacement bottles though. It's a one shot deal, bottle can't be refilled like some of the others.

all the bottles weight the same, the carbon bottle for abs is not avaialble now or in the near future in North America. The ABS bottles can most definitely be refilled, but they are done in the warehouse in langley, so when you blow off and abs you just return it to a dealer and they will replace it with a full one and new handle for around $40.00.

 

[Russell P]

all the bottles weight the same, the carbon bottle for abs is not avaialble now or in the near future in North America. The ABS bottles can most definitely be refilled, but they are done in the warehouse in langley, so when you blow off and abs you just return it to a dealer and they will replace it with a full one and new handle for around $40.00.

Yes that's true, what i meant was it can not be refilled locally. Guess I should have clarified that.

 

[tex78]

The vest u can also remove the bag and tank for room and weight.... Also it's only 10-15 buck to charge after a blow off and lots of local places can do it

 

[Iron Horse Racing]

We have been using the Float 32 and Float 30 Back Country Access bags, as were Mountain Climbers as well, were used to carring a back pack, and while Sledding we carry a host of survival gear that stays in the pack.

The biggest feature for me, was the ease of testing the pack's and getting the bottles refilled, there under $10 a bottle, at our local paint ball shop.
We have a couple of spare bottle's that stay's in our trailer, so if we had to blow one or choose to test, we also test them at the beginning of the season and after going out 3-4 times we'll blow them off and re-fill....

Lots of good equipment out there and the sled show is a good place to shop....there are also good used products for sale, just know what your looking at and test it before buying...

 

[norona]

Yes that's true, what i meant was it can not be refilled locally. Guess I should have clarified that.

Sorry not to be a pain, but misinfo is not a good thing. It is true that with oxygen there are more places to fill it, however I would advise against having an oxygen canister filler anywhere other than a dealer for snow pulse or BCA, it is not the same as filling a big tank and this is a safety device, your personal safety. An oxygen canister takes about 20-25 minutes to do properly, they must fill the bottle allow it to cool and top it off, or they can freeze the bottle to minus 20 and fill it to the top in one go. The later is how we do ABS nitrogen canisters, we do it at one location because we use 4600 psi and use proper gauges and machinery to control the outcome, we also hold them for 72 hours to make sure none leak. It is not a question of swaying someone to abs it is more about letting people know the info. If you have an oxygen canister i.e. BCA, Snowpulse, or any other system other than ABS it should take 20-25 minutes to fill, with abs you just hit a local dealer, they stock refilled canisters and new handles, you return your canister and handle with $40.00 and they hand you over a newly filled bottle and handle. This is more expensive but the cost is for shipping bottles back and forth as they are considered dangerous material.

 

[Rodzilla]

Sorry not to be a pain, but misinfo is not a good thing. It is true that with oxygen there are more places to fill it, however I would advise against having an oxygen canister filler anywhere other than a dealer for snow pulse or BCA, it is not the same as filling a big tank and this is a safety device, your personal safety. An oxygen canister takes about 20-25 minutes to do properly, they must fill the bottle allow it to cool and top it off, or they can freeze the bottle to minus 20 and fill it to the top in one go. The later is how we do ABS nitrogen canisters, we do it at one location because we use 4600 psi and use proper gauges and machinery to control the outcome, we also hold them for 72 hours to make sure none leak. It is not a question of swaying someone to abs it is more about letting people know the info. If you have an oxygen canister i.e. BCA, Snowpulse, or any other system other than ABS it should take 20-25 minutes to fill, with abs you just hit a local dealer, they stock refilled canisters and new handles, you return your canister and handle with $40.00 and they hand you over a newly filled bottle and handle. This is more expensive but the cost is for shipping bottles back and forth as they are considered dangerous material.

Its compressed air,,,not oxygen ;-) ...I like and use ABS for the reasons you mentioned

 

[gdhillon]

Excuse my ignorance but what is the purpose of the vest and the pack, does the vest inflate?

Or is it just like a MX armor type deal?

Im referring to the link moyie posted

 

[takethebounce]

Maybe Dave fills his with oxygen so he can talk all day on the hill.


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[NoBrakes!]

I wear a snowpulse as well as a few other riders in our group. One friend has an ABS that accidentally got discharged in the staging area while installing the handle. No big deal except the ABS dealers are hard to find around McBride/Valemount/small sled towns but with the compressed air you can have it filled at diving shops, paintball shops, really anyone with the proper fittings/compressor.

The snowpulse vest does not inflate, it has a bag like the rest. There is a protection kit you can purchase to act like a tech-vest, the main advantage is the comfort of not having backpack style straps.