good avalanche kit?
- Thread starter hondalrd
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takethebounce
Active VIP Member
What all are you looking for?
Pack? (pack size? enough for lunch? full survival contents?)
Transceiver?
Shovel?
Probe? (alum/comp?)
Pack? (pack size? enough for lunch? full survival contents?)
Transceiver?
Shovel?
Probe? (alum/comp?)
ferniesnow
I'm doo-ing it!
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i need to buy a avalanche kit
i was looking at te hmk one. what do you guys recomend
Please explain a little more; what's included and what's the price? Thanks fs
BC Sno-Ghost
Active VIP Member
I picked my avy gear last season. Did a bit of research before purchasing. I ended up buying a set of BCA Trackers. Everything I read about them was good and I'm really happy with how easy they are to use. Only practiced with them so far, thank God. There are a lot of probes and shovels out there. Only thing I can recommend is don't cheap out on either one. A cheap crappy shovel will break or bend and then you're screwed. Don't buy a plastic or composite plastic shovel either. Same with the probe. Don't cheap out. Spend the few extra bucks, which isn't really much between a cheap shovel or probe and a good one. If you ever have to use it when $hit is hittin the fan, you'll be glad your equipment is up to the test!
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woody_tobius_jr
Active VIP Member
My buddies bought the BCA Gen1 Avy pack c/w Tracker Beacon, shovel, and probe. I believe it was $950.00 out the door. This was at the Edmonton Snowmobile show. I'm not sure where the next show is, but it may be worth the trip.
Last edited:
Barnes
Active VIP Member
Picked up one of those HMK packs at the show for $200 and also picked up a Mammut Pulse beacon for $450, so $650 total, seems fair enough.
. Only thing I can recommend is don't cheap out on either one. A cheap crappy shovel will break or bend and then you're screwed. Don't buy a plastic or composite plastic shovel either. Same with the probe. Don't cheap out. Spend the few extra bucks, which isn't really much between a cheap shovel or probe and a good one. If you ever have to use it when $hit is hittin the fan, you'll be glad your equipment is up to the test!
Good advice. Don't buy cheap anything in safety related items.
I use a Pieps DSP beacon, ABS 30L Vario, BCA aluminum shovel (two parts and telescopic) and have two probes. A 1.8 meter probe that came with the shovel and I think a 2.8 meter.. or is it 3.2? Either way it's the larger diameter size so it's good and strong yet still very light.
As mentioned earlier, keep in mind that all survival gear should go in your pack and not on your sled. That means you should have at least 15-20 litres of space, and a comfortable well made pack. Obviously an avy pack is suggested. There are threads already posted showing what you should be carrying. Don't rely on others. As BC Sno-Ghost suggested, when the ch!t hits the fans, you want confidence in your gear you are carrying. You might be the only one around and others won't be there to help.
My advice - Don't buy on price alone. Get something that is easy to use and then learn how to use it. When the chips are down, the last thing you will want to do is be trying to remember the sequence of buttons to that changes your beacon from transmit to search or which one makes it look for multiple victims, etc.
Often times you will see guys buying the top of the line gear, like it matters that it has 15 different sound settings for the beeper or that it glows in the dark.
The most expensive gear in the world is totally useless if you don't know how to use it.
Often times you will see guys buying the top of the line gear, like it matters that it has 15 different sound settings for the beeper or that it glows in the dark.
The most expensive gear in the world is totally useless if you don't know how to use it.
BC Sno-Ghost
Active VIP Member
Just a word of warning ....I've been hearing really bad things about this beacon. They're cheaper than most beacons as you can see but supposedly have only a single antennae, are not user friendly, inaccurate distance readings and really hit and miss when they actually function properly
Pieps Freeride Avalanche Beacon
Pieps Freeride Avalanche Beacon
Just a word of warning ....I've been hearing really bad things about this beacon. They're cheaper than most beacons as you can see but supposedly have only a single antennae, are not user friendly, inaccurate distance readings and really hit and miss when they actually function properly
Pieps Freeride Avalanche Beacon
I sell the Pieps beacons. The freeride should only be bought for kids that wouldn't be doing a search. The transmitter part work fine. The Pieps DSP actually has 4 antennas. The 4th one is for testing the other 3.
I have the DSP on sale untill Oct 30th for 399.00 including shipping
lkisle
New member
tracker 2 beacon, w/ voile alum. shovel and beacon $450 brand new from MEC
Although I agree with you, if you are talking about my comment you are mistaken about the Peips
See below:
I bought the DSP because it's simple. Stupidly simple and works. It was constantly reviewed and continues to be reviewed as one of the best beacons. I doesn't have settings, yet has amazing range and accuracy. All you do is have a slide. Off, on, and search. From there it tells you how many people are burried, and you hold a button over one of the burried people to search for the next (up to 3 or 4). Can't get any more simple.
Sometimes cost involves complexity, but sometimes when done right it involves all the better things involved with cost, yet remains simple.
If you are going cheap and don't go digital, have fun learning and using an anolog transmitter. I gaurantee a good digital beacon can be picked up by any new user unfamiliar with "the search" and find the target at least 3-5 times faster than an analogue beacon.
When time counts a good beacon is worth it's weight in gold. I'm not saying analog can't be used, but for simplicity and range, digital beacons are becoming hard to beat.
Althought I do enjoy the store, I refrain from purchasing most items from them.
MEC actively supports and trys to shut down many motorized sports in the back country. Both sled and atv/dirt bike.
If you aren't hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, or XC biking, MEC is working against you.
dirtbiker77
Active VIP Member
If your looking for HMK stuff i just bought backpack, shovel, probe. Looks like great stuff. all is solid stuff and looks to be a great quality. got it all together at the sled show for 200 bucks. I got a tracker 2 beacon i think its going to work good for me, looks very user friendly.
No I wasn't referencing your post, and I agree that digital is better, just seen a lot of peeps with fancy crap over the years and they didn't know how to use it, 27 million functions are great but I wouldn't trust that they could save my life with it if they can't operate it.
In a bad situation you will find people running around with beacons still on transmit - please believe me when I say this is the voice of experience talking. RIP Kevin - 1998. Gone but never forgotten, your ultimate sacrifice was not in vain.
I use the DTS tracker, 2 buttons, pretty simple, a monkey could run it, not the fanciest technology out there but I know how to use it and use it well.
I ride with a guy with an analog, he's fine, he knows how to use it and I trust that he could save my life with it. I'd rather ride with him than someone who bought something that they didn't understand.
Go ahead and buy the fanciest beacon if you want and if its the easiest to operate for ya, but no matter what you buy make sure you know how to use it very very well was my point.
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