ABS or BCA, which one and why?
- Thread starter snowmanx
- Start date
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slopoke
Well-known member
I faced the same dilemma. I chose the BCA because it is so much easier to get filled. Supposedly any scuba/dive shop, medical oxygen distributor, or even fire station can refill them. Plus, a couple of my buddies ride with them and recommended them. Saving about $300+ over the ABS didn't hurt either
Many dealers and aftermarket shops are stocking ABS refill canisters now and they are handling the 'sending in' portion of it.... For me it was about the fit and functionality of the ABS. I've been running it for a year now and came from one of the other brands that I didn't like as much... Both my BF and I are sold on the ABS and LOVE them!
ABS all the way
Fit and finish top notch...great quality...never had any problems in 3 seasons...not even a zipper or loose thread.
I like that the canister is filled/weighed by them.. quality control. Replacements now readily available.
I also feel the trigger mechanism is superior on the ABS bags
Fit and finish top notch...great quality...never had any problems in 3 seasons...not even a zipper or loose thread.
I like that the canister is filled/weighed by them.. quality control. Replacements now readily available.
I also feel the trigger mechanism is superior on the ABS bags
the abs was made to be an avalanche bag and the cost was the cost.
Bca went about it making a price point bag. Basically bca was trying to hit a price point and whenever that happens. the goods just are not as good. But if you don't think you will ever be in a slide and just want one to have one the bca is good. If you roll the dice a little more than others get the abs.
Remeber everyones risk level is different.
Bca went about it making a price point bag. Basically bca was trying to hit a price point and whenever that happens. the goods just are not as good. But if you don't think you will ever be in a slide and just want one to have one the bca is good. If you roll the dice a little more than others get the abs.
Remeber everyones risk level is different.
Last year my g/f and I both ran float30s, at the time it was the bag that I could afford for us. If you are short on cash and its either a float or nothing, get a float. Now this year finances are better I purchased 2 abs packs. After having both packs I really like how ABS packs work. Don't have to worry about mechanical activation of the pack and hard pulling handles, or leaking valves. Is abs perfect? No they have their draw backs also(having to send in canisters, having to weigh them etc.) but for me they are the clear choice to run.
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veritascs
Active member
I'm getting the Mammut pack, it's new this year so we'll see how it works.
http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/261000011_v_0067_30/Ride+R.A.S..html
I know Mystery Ranch packs have one this year too, it's called the Black Jack. As a lot of military and hunting people know, their packs are some of the best functioning and longest lasting packs out there.
http://www.mysteryranch.com/recreation/skiing-snowboarding-packs/blackjack-pack
I went with the Mammut for $$$ reasons. If money wasn't a factor I'd no doubt go with Mystery Ranch.
Edit: just my .02, there are other quality brands out there
http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/261000011_v_0067_30/Ride+R.A.S..html
I know Mystery Ranch packs have one this year too, it's called the Black Jack. As a lot of military and hunting people know, their packs are some of the best functioning and longest lasting packs out there.
http://www.mysteryranch.com/recreation/skiing-snowboarding-packs/blackjack-pack
I went with the Mammut for $$$ reasons. If money wasn't a factor I'd no doubt go with Mystery Ranch.
Edit: just my .02, there are other quality brands out there
The Mammut looks like a BCA that costs $100 more. ??
Anyone who didn't like the float 30 (BCA) for fit reasons, but is still money conscious, should really look at (try on) the float 18.
WAY better/ more ergonomic pack imo. Still a bit heavier, and a bit more wasted space than a BCA... but a huge step up from the 30 imo. Got to play with one for a week this summer & feel that it's a serious contender.
This coming from someone who is pretty diehard ABS (it saved my life... can't really talk bad about it!!!) and sold the float 30 I bought 2 years ago.
I've helped many buddies get a float, I think it's a great way to get SOMETHING... but then you can later "upgrade" to an ABS if you want, which is great as it brings even more bags to the used market... lowering the initial cost of entry for even more people... hard to complain about that!!!
Anyone who didn't like the float 30 (BCA) for fit reasons, but is still money conscious, should really look at (try on) the float 18.
WAY better/ more ergonomic pack imo. Still a bit heavier, and a bit more wasted space than a BCA... but a huge step up from the 30 imo. Got to play with one for a week this summer & feel that it's a serious contender.
This coming from someone who is pretty diehard ABS (it saved my life... can't really talk bad about it!!!) and sold the float 30 I bought 2 years ago.
I've helped many buddies get a float, I think it's a great way to get SOMETHING... but then you can later "upgrade" to an ABS if you want, which is great as it brings even more bags to the used market... lowering the initial cost of entry for even more people... hard to complain about that!!!
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veritascs
Active member
Mammut's airbag is removable. My $ reasons are different than yours.
Sure would be nice if someone could bring this technology to the market place at a greatly reduced price so more riders would start using it rather than agonizing over the high cost of buying one.
I have a Float36. I like it, for the most part. The bag/canister is up high in the pack, which creates a weird hollow spot at the small of my back - once full of stuff beyond probe/shovel/handle, it should not be a problem. It fits well, is comfortable, I've only ridden with it once & it was great - stable, etc. It was not cold enough to make hydration tube freezing an issue, but the tube tucks away nicely in the strap.
As far as the bag/mechanism itself, I like it - everything seems solid, the actuator is simple and straightforward; provided it gets threaded on correctly, I don't see how it could fail.
I've looked at the ABS pretty closely, it seems good, but I'm not sure that it is THAT much better. Factor in the cost difference, it was an easy choice for me.
As long as the bag inflates, I think it - ABS/Snowpulse/BCA/etc - is good. I was primarily concerned with the actuation stuff, and I trust that the BCA will work when I ask it to - provided the bag deploys and holds air longer than the slide lasts, it'll have done it's job.
I hope.
As far as the bag/mechanism itself, I like it - everything seems solid, the actuator is simple and straightforward; provided it gets threaded on correctly, I don't see how it could fail.
I've looked at the ABS pretty closely, it seems good, but I'm not sure that it is THAT much better. Factor in the cost difference, it was an easy choice for me.
As long as the bag inflates, I think it - ABS/Snowpulse/BCA/etc - is good. I was primarily concerned with the actuation stuff, and I trust that the BCA will work when I ask it to - provided the bag deploys and holds air longer than the slide lasts, it'll have done it's job.
I hope.
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SledsWest
Well-known member
Thats a common complaint I've heard. However, lets put it in perspective. How much do you spend on a sled, the mods, the trailer, the truck to pull it, gas/fuel for the sled and the truck to get to the riding area and back, reservations at the lodge/hotel, specialty oil for the sled, the Klim gear or whatever gear you wear, helmet/goggles, Garmin GPS, SPOT satellite beacon, avalanche beacon, etc, etc, etc? If you're strapped for cash, snowmobiling isn't a sport you should be in. There are good deals out there for avalanche bags, ABS included. $600 - $1200 for a long lasting, reusable, life-saving tool isn't that much when you think about how much you spend on the rest of your gear.
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theshadowrider
Well-known member
I am interested. Tell us the story or if you already posted post a link.
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20101214/LETTER/101219926
it was also on here
Pretty sure this one was filmed by mr sleds west just two posts up... Amazing droid X filming skills btw...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGNdpi92RKw
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Me, I don't buy that argument. Not at all.
I know people who ride $1200 sleds, and pull them behind their daily driver Subaru (heck, that was me my first 2 years!!!), but no matter what they spend on the sleds, the gas, the truck...
THEIR LIVES ARE ALL WORTH MORE THAN $500.
Even the guy who is unemployed, riding his buddy's sled... is worth more than half a grand. PERIOD.
If you have a job, go with this equation... it's a simple way to decide if an airbag is "worth it" for you.
X= monthly pay
Y= life expectancy in months
take X*Y this is what you are likely to make in your life.
Now take X*Y if Y=0. is that number less than the cost of an airbag? If so, then the bag is a good investment.
You don't get paid when you're dead. It's a crappy deal like that.
If you don't have a job... pretty sure you're worth $500 to someone!
As for the cost though, the quantities of these items is low enough that the cost isn't likely to go down all that much anytime TOO soon, unless we can really get the ski/ board public to grasp onto this. I happen to know of a few collaborations that aren't quite public yet that may help this a more realistic hope, but I still don't see it happening in under 5 years or so, they're still a very precise mechanism that we expect PERFECTION from... and that's not cheap, ever.
At the Edmonton Snowmobile show I saw ABS mono bags for sale at $435. I owned a mono bag for 5 years, 10 years ago. that price should take any "affordability" concerns away. It was RMX that had them there
http://rockymountainxtreme.com/mono.htm
http://rockymountainxtreme.com/mono.htm
I just did the free avy class that Ski Doo is putting on at Clem's in Enumclaw. Thank you Ski Doo and Clem. I didn't expect much but I take all the free avy training class and have paid for avy training to. Mike Duffy did a GREAT job, got way more out of it than I expected. My group is pretty sharp and I think they could get me uncovered and sparked back to life if necessary BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET BURIED! That is why I have Avy bags for me and my 2 boys. I bought the ABS Vest because it fits so well and has some protection. I thought the BCA was really uncomfortable. Both sizes. I am also looking for a large size ABS Freeride if anyone has one for sale used.
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SledsWest
Well-known member
Yeah, but you're a tree-huggin, liberal, mountain dwelling, Colorado hippy....
PS - How much was your new turbo last year?
I would say the $1200 sled behind the sooby would be more the acception than the rule in most mountain riding parking lots. But just like you said, that was you for the first two years and then you started accruing more stuff as you got more involved with it. It does take time to build up your sledding "empire". I'm just saying that a lot people complain about the price of the avy bag and use that arguement to justify why they only need a beacon (or nothing at all) when they've been riding for years, know the risks involved, and could get the pack rather than a new track that year or a full updated Klim gear setup, etc. When you think about it, its not really the price of the bags, its the priority that causes the pucker. Sticker shock is just a justification and doesn't make you sound as dumb. If somebody said, "Mods and Klim gear are more important to me than an avy bag", that would be a lot closer to the truth for not getting one when everybody knows full well that all mountain riders should have one of these life-saving tools.
I'm assuming you mean AviVest and not ABS Vest? Or does ABS make a vest now?
