Things to consider when buying an avalanche airbag pack.
Things to consider when buying an avalanche airbag pack.
Avalanches and other riders are not 100% predictable. Stability tests are not 100% reliable. This and the fact that an avalanche airbag pack is your best chance for surviving an avalanche is why I own one and have been an advocate of them for years. I also alter my riding according to the danger, look at the consequences and escape routes on every slope, practice my skills and have invested thousands of dollars in avalanche education. Riding partners are picked on their avalanche training, skills and mindset.
Here are things I feel you should consider when looking for an avalanche airbag pack for snowmobiling (in no particular order).
Durability: Snowmobilers tend to be hard on packs. We snag trees at speed and put quite a few miles on a pack. Look for materials that will handle this use. I stay away from lightweight materials in packs (they have not held up). Will the pack and critical buckles withstand an avalanche. Does the pack have an integral harness system?
Design/comfort: Look for a pack that fits your body size and will not bounce or move around when riding. A poor fitting pack or a design that sticks out too far behind you will accentuate any movements made and will make for a long day. Curved shoulder straps that will not slip off when side hilling, a pack that doesn’t come up too high and hit your helmet and no extra straps to flap or catch are worth looking at. Do you really need ice axe loops or a ski holder? Carrying skis/snowboard on the sled is much better than on a pack.
Weight: How heavy are the airbag system and the pack?
Deployment: Can you deploy it while still holding the throttle (i.e. handle is on right shoulder strap)? How easy is it to deploy and can you tuck in or secure the handle when not riding in avalanche terrain? When deployed will the bags interfere with operating the sled while you’re trying to outrun the avalanche or get out the side of a moving avalanche.
Reliability/track record: How much testing has been done on the pack before being released? Was it designed by engineers? Was it designed for snowmobilers? What is the track record of the packs in use?
Protection: Will the pack protect you from impact or head injury. One of the studies I read said that fewer snowmobilers are killed from trauma than skiers. No explanation to why. More research needs to be done in this area. Not many people are willing to get caught in an avalanche for research purposes!
Canister Pressure: How easy is it to tell if the canister is fully pressurized and you have a tight seal.
Airbag Volume: Most brands have an airbag volume of 150 liters. If you are a much larger than average rider, you may want to consider a pack with larger volume bags.
Airbag placement: Complicated and much debated subject, but not interfering with riding while trying to outrun or escape is a major consideration for me. Heard stories of bags that deploy lower on the pack help lift the person out of the snow farther thus avoiding injuries and allows them to be able to move while in the slide. The debate about whether the bags will put you face up or face down is interesting. Fact is that 98% of the time the bags or the person will be visible on the surface making for a quick rescue.
One or two airbags: Two bag designs still offer some flotation if one bag rips. They are more expensive to manufacture.
Storage volume: I feel you should have enough storage space in the pack to carry a probe, good size shovel and all the essentials to handle an accident or night out. All the essentials should be stored in the pack and not on the sled. Here’s the reason why: What if you and your riding partner are caught in a slide, he and his sled along with your sled are buried. You’re on the surface but your shovel, probe, first aid kit, fire starter, extra gloves, etc. are buried with the sled. You are of little or no help to the buried person. Pack storage volume should be between 20 and 30 liters. No one ever plans their accidents and help is usually a long ways away.
Note: If you have an airbag pack, it’s a great idea to carry an extra shovel on the sled so you do not have to take off the avalanche airbag pack to access your shovel when you are in avalanche terrain.
Cost: Everyone’s life is worth the cost of even the most expensive pack, but in reality it’s not in everyone’s budget. It’s great to see the cost of the packs coming down, making avalanche airbag technology available to a larger group of riders. Look at the packs carefully, higher cost on some models does not necessarily mean it’s a better design. Any avalanche airbag pack is better than none at all. Use it in conjunction with a beacon, shovel, probe and avalanche training. I feel in 5 years it will be standard equipment for all serious riders. It still amazes me that only 50% of all riders carry beacons.
What do I use? I purchased an ABS Vario 30 three winters ago. There’s been quite a few new brands and designs introduced since then. I have been involved with giving some input with the new BCA Float 30 and I’m very impressed with the design, features and testing they have done.
We will be at Hay Days with avalanche packs. Please stop by if you have any questions, booth E28.
There’s much more to an avalanche pack than just buying one. You have to know when to deploy it, what to do when caught, how to best try to get out of an avalanche, etc. This is all covered in the classes I teach along with videos on how they work and photos of actual deployments in avalanches.
Hope this information helps in deciding on a pack. Mike Duffy
