Depsnolvr
Active VIP Member
This is a pretty amazing piece of information made available from the awesome folks at Backcountry Access, Inc. Check out Avalanche Airbag 101.
More and more mountain riders are wearing Avalanche Airbags while out sledding. Avalanche awareness amongst the snowmobile community is steadily increasing which is pretty sick, although buying the latest and greatest gear is only one of many steps that we need to take in order to increase our safety and awareness in the backcountry.
In this case, the actual purchase of the airbag is only the first step in what needs to be an intimate relationship between you and the gear. Your bag is your friend, your mountain companion, and it really could help save your life one day. But as with any successful relationship, there is a bit of commitment on your part.
BCA’s Avalanche Airbag 101 touches on the main responsibilities that come with dawning an airbag. These are not should do’s…..these are must do’s. Below I put my spin on them.
1) Pressure Check (any canister can leak and this must be checked daily!)
2) Connections Check (we all try to ram as much crap as possible in these things and there is a chance we could force a connection free…you never know…just check it)
3) Wear the dam crotch strap. This may not look super cool but the fact is, in the event of an avalanche, your airbag make actually harm you if not worn correctly! (FYI…..harm is bad)
4) Check your trigger mechanism often for wear and tear. Cables, housing etc.
5) Have your trigger handle accessible at all times. When you put the pack on in the morning, expose the handle. No matter what you believe, this is where you will remember to do it 100% of the time.
6) Don’t be afraid to PULL THE HANDLE. There has been more than one snowmobile related avalanche fatality where the deceased was wearing an avalanche airbag and did not pull the handle or the handle was still stowed away. (reasons unknown of course).
7) When you do expel your bag, be sure you only take it to an experience refill or exchange centre. Your life is in their hands.
8) And for the love of pete, blow it off at LEAST once a year. If you do not know it works, you are just wearing a heavier backpack…..
Ride Safe
More and more mountain riders are wearing Avalanche Airbags while out sledding. Avalanche awareness amongst the snowmobile community is steadily increasing which is pretty sick, although buying the latest and greatest gear is only one of many steps that we need to take in order to increase our safety and awareness in the backcountry.
In this case, the actual purchase of the airbag is only the first step in what needs to be an intimate relationship between you and the gear. Your bag is your friend, your mountain companion, and it really could help save your life one day. But as with any successful relationship, there is a bit of commitment on your part.
BCA’s Avalanche Airbag 101 touches on the main responsibilities that come with dawning an airbag. These are not should do’s…..these are must do’s. Below I put my spin on them.
1) Pressure Check (any canister can leak and this must be checked daily!)
2) Connections Check (we all try to ram as much crap as possible in these things and there is a chance we could force a connection free…you never know…just check it)
3) Wear the dam crotch strap. This may not look super cool but the fact is, in the event of an avalanche, your airbag make actually harm you if not worn correctly! (FYI…..harm is bad)
4) Check your trigger mechanism often for wear and tear. Cables, housing etc.
5) Have your trigger handle accessible at all times. When you put the pack on in the morning, expose the handle. No matter what you believe, this is where you will remember to do it 100% of the time.
6) Don’t be afraid to PULL THE HANDLE. There has been more than one snowmobile related avalanche fatality where the deceased was wearing an avalanche airbag and did not pull the handle or the handle was still stowed away. (reasons unknown of course).
7) When you do expel your bag, be sure you only take it to an experience refill or exchange centre. Your life is in their hands.
8) And for the love of pete, blow it off at LEAST once a year. If you do not know it works, you are just wearing a heavier backpack…..
Ride Safe
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