Airbag or no airbag?!?

I've spent enormous amounts of money this year, first sled I have personally owned, so unfortunately I just don't have the funds. However, my plan is to get a air bag next season. I also backcountry ski and feel it is absolutely necessary. Without one I definitely have my reservations and hesitancies on the terrain we ski and ride.

loading the bag

ya, I will be looking for a new shovel, but wanted one with a saw handle anyways, bought a BCA shovel saw for boyfriend and it fits in the bag perfect... able to pack all the necessities... a puffy coat that collapses down in a bag, extra mittens, water, lunch, shovel, probe, but not too much more than that, but I don't ride with much on my back anyways... bummed that my current chest plate won't work but suspected I would need to get something smaller/lighter... the test will be carrying it all day, but seems like I've adjusted the straps and have it fitting pretty well

Missy said:

Fits pretty good? Even with your garb in it?

Click to expand...

My tiny wife got one of the Highmark Pitch packs last year and is really happy with it. It fits all her avy gear and a few extra items as well.

http://www.snowbigdeal.com/snowpulse-highmark-pitch-ras-avalanche-airbag.html

My wife is 5ft tall, she wears a Float 18. It fits her pretty over her Tekvest. She only carries her shovel & probe in the pack because of the weight. I installed a Mountain addiction & a Skinz tunnel bag for her to carry her other stuff. I wear a Float 22.

I think it is justt as important for my wife to have all the safety gear I have. We ride the same terrain, she may not do as much dumb stuff as me but, we travel the same areas getting in & out. Plus she likes to climb & sidehill as much as the rest of us. My .02

My husband and I have been involved in two avy incidents now - one with an avy pack and one without but still with beacons and probes. The incident where our victim was wearing an avy pack was a more severe avy but rescue was quick and easy because the bag kept him top. The incident without took us 10 minutes to locate and dig our victim out who was under 4 feet of snow. The victim with the airbag could have easily been buried under 10 feet of snow, even with a beacon, it might have been hard to get to him in time.

The other eye opener from the airbag incident is that one of the ABS bags was deflated - not sure if a tree branch punctured it when the victim got drug through the trees or if it just did not inflate but that made us realize how important the twin bag system can be.

I and my family will be wearing ABS Twin Airbag packs this season - I and my daughter got the ABS Powder - it fits me and my short torso really well! I have always had a hard time finding packs that fit too.

Rode in my ABS Powder with the SB15 zip on last weekend and was pleasantly surprised by how unnoticeable it was on my back! I was worried about the extra weight - I wore the pack with my shovel, probe and heavy camera along with a few other nearly weightless items and it fit and felt great! I purposely threw myself around a lot - carving cookies left and right, hooking it hard in to 90 degree turns, etc.... didn't ever notice the pack! So glad it's as comfortable as it is! I've had to give a few backpacks away because they don't fit me right while riding but felt fine when just trying them at the store.