Do you ride with a beacon, shovel and a probe.

[Taminator]

We have it all...and take extras for those who don't. We generally don't ride with peeps who don't have the proper gear for the mountains, and some training. We have AST1 and it's the least training people should have if riding the mountains regularly IMO.

Buying the gear is easy, learning how to use it effectively under pressure takes training and practice.

 

[ferniesnow]

run with a ABS bag myself.... statistically you are better off with the bag over anything else when it comes to avalanche gear

What kind of statement is this? Don't rip me right off the bat, okay......but the beacon is the necessity!

I'll admit the statistics are supposedly high for those who have an air bag and can pull the trigger in the event of being caught in an avalanche. But if you don't have a beacon, those stats are thrown out the window because no one can find you quickly if you are buried!

The beacon/transceiver's sole purpose is to transmit/receive a signal in the event of a burial. Everyone needs a beacon in the mountains, period. Not everyone needs an air bag although they are another tool in the box. To ride with an air bag and no beacon is extremely insane. Tell me, how are you going to look with your fancy $1000 air bag standing on top of a debris pile hollering for your best friend who is wearing a beacon and who just got buried in an avalanche and you have no beacon to find him/her?


​end of rant......

 

[BrownEyes420]

I always have my beacon, shovel, probe and SPOT satelite GPS messange and sometimes I also bring my GPS so we don't get lost!

I have taken AST 1. It is really all about making the right decisions and playing safe!

 

[Taminator]

run with a ABS bag myself.... statistically you are better off with the bag over anything else when it comes to avalanche gear

So....just the ABS bag for yourself?? What about the peeps riding with you...how will you rescue them?

For me, I like to know that I have a hope in heck of saving someone else's life. I feel my beacon, probe and shovel are as much for their safety as mine.

 

[~Rowdy~]

I think there should also be a question in here would you ride with someone that doesn't carry this equipment. I for one, will not knowingly ride with someone that does not have all three. If someone wants to put their own life in jeopardy, go for it, but when you are in my riding group and if there was an incident I want to make sure that the people I surround myself with are capabale and able to locate and rescue me or someone else.

 

[BC Sno-Ghost]

So now if we're all prepared with the beacon, probe and shovel and you're all able to dig me out, how many of you will know what to do with my lifeless body now that you've recovered my pulseless corpse? At minimum I believe everyone should have a basic CPR course. Know how to clear an airway. Know how to position the head and neck to minimize further injury and allow good airway entry. Do you carry oral airways in your First Aid kit? Would you continue CPR on me if I puke? 99% of the victims that require CPR do not immediately regain consciousness, sit up and thank you for a job well done, like in the movies. I'm not trying to stir it up but there's more to a successful search and recovery than just having an avy course. If you think you're prepared then get "Fully" prepared.

 

[snoqueen]

run with a ABS bag myself.... statistically you are better off with the bag over anything else when it comes to avalanche gear

I'm just curious to this statement.....I have heard it many times on sledding forums too. I am just wondering how an avy bag is statistically better to have than a beacon? How do you know that you'd be able to pull that cord in each and every situation? What about the peeps that you're riding with if you don't have a beacon? How will they be able to find you if you are buried? What about your loved ones back at home? I think this statement is a very self-absorbed one.....and I don't think that there are any responsible sledders out there that would want to ride with such a person. Not only are you endangering your own life, you are knowingly putting an unnecessary burden on your sledding group.

1. AST 1 course 2.beacon, probe, shovel (know how to use these tools proficiently) 3. avy bag.

 

[~Rowdy~]

So now if we're all prepared with the beacon, probe and shovel and you're all able to dig me out, how many of you will know what to do with my lifeless body now that you've recovered my pulseless corpse? At minimum I believe everyone should have a basic CPR course. Know how to clear an airway. Know how to position the head and neck to minimize further injury and allow good airway entry. Do you carry oral airways in your First Aid kit? Would you continue CPR on me if I puke? 99% of the victims that require CPR do not immediately regain consciousness, sit up and thank you for a job well done, like in the movies. I'm not trying to stir it up but there's more to a successful search and recovery than just having an avy course. If you think you're prepared then get "Fully" prepared.

Great point Sno-Ghost. I agree with having a basic first aid course as well. How many people ride with a first aid kit? What do people actually pack in their back packs?

- Alberta 1 First aid kit (beefed up by me)
- 2 flash lights
- dryer lint
- Striker (don't know the name, creates a spark to light dryer lint on fire)
- flares
- extra gloves, sweater, hat
- 2 flash lights
- trail mix, beef jerkey, Cliff bars (always kept in bag)
- water, gatorade
- heater packs

Can't remember what else off the top of my head.

 

[SledMamma]

I'm just curious to this statement.....I have heard it many times on sledding forums too. I am just wondering how an avy bag is statistically better to have than a beacon? How do you know that you'd be able to pull that cord in each and every situation? What about the peeps that you're riding with if you don't have a beacon? How will they be able to find you if you are buried? What about your loved ones back at home? I think this statement is a very self-absorbed one.....and I don't think that there are any responsible sledders out there that would want to ride with such a person. Not only are you endangering your own life, you are knowingly putting an unnecessary burden on your sledding group.

1. AST 1 course 2.beacon, probe, shovel (know how to use these tools proficiently) 3. avy bag.

Gotta agree... I have often said that I will be found with my Avy bag undeployed if I am buried : I am a panicker and I know it. So my beacon is my first line of defense as far as I am concerned.

Also, everyone should check their beacon range- magnets in jackets and cell phones are two very common things that interfere with signal.

Last- if you found me and I needed CPR: could you do it and do it well? Time to brain death from hypoxia is short, digging takes longer than you think, and therefore swift and effective resuscitation is vital...

 

[oler1234]

Wow.... got everyone rowled up this morning. i was going to type something but i will hold off. I am sure what i have to say will base ranted on and its the cold hard facts, purely based on digging 4 guys out last year and others.


As a side note i have been riding for 15yr+ of course i own all 4 items and ride with them. My experience, most everyone has knowledge and smarts, its the freak incidents that will get yea.

 

[SledMamma]

Wow.... got everyone rowled up this morning. i was going to type something but i will hold off. I am sure what i have to say will base ranted on and its the cold hard facts, purely based on digging 4 guys out last year and others.


As a side note i have been riding for 15yr+ of course i own all 4 items and ride with them. My experience, most everyone has knowledge and smarts, its the freak incidents that will get yea.

If you have experience that will help others, spill it - whether it gets ranted on or not. The intelligent folks will see the lesson and learn from it... and the trolls will rant. So what? Best to help a few than damn the many!

 

[overkill131313]

I have beacon, probe, one shovel in my Avi-Vest, one shovel on my sled so I dont need to remove my vest to get my shove......when me or someone else is stuck! I also have the same set up for my 10 year old son......and the same set up as a spare......I carry a saw (but would like a chain saw), and radios with GPS and the find me button...lol... my son and I practice hidding the beacons and finding them.....I will have to say the kid is quick! as for do we wear them all the time.......I will truthfully say no! I wear them all the time in the hills but never on the lake.....but I should probablly wear my avi-vest with the air bag on the lake...lol...


all our gear is just like wearing a helmut.....the kid knows he cant ride with out his brain protector......so he knows everyrthing else is just as important! yes there is a differance between hill/trail riding and riding on the ice to get from our house to Nanna's house a mile down the lake! lol

 

[Skinnykid]

They are a MUST for any backcountry riding!! I will not take my sled off the trailer untill I check that the becon is on. I do not have an air bag yet but plan on getting one soon. I ride with the people I trust will be able to help me if ever the time comes. If we are all smart and use the tools availible to us we should not hear any sad stories like we did already this week. Play smart and know when to say "next time" when conditions are ripe.

 

[OOC ZigZag]

What kind of statement is this? Don't rip me right off the bat, okay......but the beacon is the necessity!

I'll admit the statistics are supposedly high for those who have an air bag and can pull the trigger in the event of being caught in an avalanche. But if you don't have a beacon, those stats are thrown out the window because no one can find you quickly if you are buried!

The beacon/transceiver's sole purpose is to transmit/receive a signal in the event of a burial. Everyone needs a beacon in the mountains, period. Not everyone needs an air bag although they are another tool in the box. To ride with an air bag and no beacon is extremely insane. Tell me, how are you going to look with your fancy $1000 air bag standing on top of a debris pile hollering for your best friend who is wearing a beacon and who just got buried in an avalanche and you have no beacon to find him/her?


​end of rant......

I always have my beacon, shovel, probe and SPOT satelite GPS messange and sometimes I also bring my GPS so we don't get lost!

I have taken AST 1. It is really all about making the right decisions and playing safe!

So now if we're all prepared with the beacon, probe and shovel and you're all able to dig me out, how many of you will know what to do with my lifeless body now that you've recovered my pulseless corpse? At minimum I believe everyone should have a basic CPR course. Know how to clear an airway. Know how to position the head and neck to minimize further injury and allow good airway entry. Do you carry oral airways in your First Aid kit? Would you continue CPR on me if I puke? 99% of the victims that require CPR do not immediately regain consciousness, sit up and thank you for a job well done, like in the movies. I'm not trying to stir it up but there's more to a successful search and recovery than just having an avy course. If you think you're prepared then get "Fully" prepared.

Gotta agree... I have often said that I will be found with my Avy bag undeployed if I am buried : I am a panicker and I know it. So my beacon is my first line of defense as far as I am concerned.

Also, everyone should check their beacon range- magnets in jackets and cell phones are two very common things that interfere with signal.

Last- if you found me and I needed CPR: could you do it and do it well? Time to brain death from hypoxia is short, digging takes longer than you think, and therefore swift and effective resuscitation is vital...

Hope all are picken up whats gettin layed down. First Aid, as much safety gear as your budget will allow( I know airbags are $ BUT up your survival chances are better with it than without. Brown eyes get an avy bag you got dough I seen your wrap.

 

[SLY]

I think this equipment should be mandatory! Kinda like lifejackets in a boat.

 

[RevyG]

Where are people wearing their beacons? on your chest was industry standard but in the last couple years having it in your pant pocket has become the standard, the pants I wear have a carabineer and small internal pocket to hold your beacon. Theory being that it is much faster to access then on your chest and if your pants blow off you got big problems(ha-ha)





Quote from the outdoor research website.....
According to International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IMFGA) ski mountaineering guide Martin Volken, the most important requirement for safe travel in the alpine backcountry is having your avalanche beacon and being well trained in how to use it. Now, when it comes to how you wear that beacon, Volken thinks there is some room for personal preference. While most backcountry travelers strap their beacons to their chests, Volken wears it in his pants pocket. He’s not alone; many guides and pros choose to wear beacons in their pockets.
“The idea was born in the guiding community,” says Volken. “Guides got tired of strapping yet another thing around their bodies. Harnesses, backpack, ropes—the beacon gets buried.”
What about safety? Volken claims, as long as it is secured, a pocket-carried beacon is just as safe as one strapped to your chest. He points out it may be an advantage to have it in your pocket during warm spring skiing trips, when you shed down to a baselayer and the beacon is exposed and could possibly be ripped off during a slide. Plus, a pocket-secured beacon is far easier to access quickly after a slide when every second counts—you won’t have to shed layers to get to it.

 

[OOC ZigZag]

I think this equipment should be mandatory! Kinda like lifejackets in a boat.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

 

[ferniesnow]

I think this equipment should be mandatory! Kinda like lifejackets in a boat.

Yes, I'm thinking that is a great idea.

I have a but tho'.....they can't enforce registration/insurance out here because they don't have enough man power, so how would they find someone to enforce that?

 

[JaySimon]

This is something that should be self enforced. Let's not bring johnny law into this.

We ride this way, no beacon, no join. We've turned down people in the parking lot who wanted to tag along as they didn't have their equipment. If you are too stupid to ride without avy gear, odds have it you're too stupid to be there for me when I need it.

 

[ferniesnow]

This is something that should be self enforced. Let's not bring johnny law into this.

We ride this way, no beacon, no join. We've turned down people in the parking lot who wanted to tag along as they didn't have their equipment. If you are too stupid to ride without avy gear, odds have it you're too stupid to be there for me when I need it.

Fixed it for ya' and I agree!