anyone ever do this?

[pierrelogic]

While I was in the Snowy mountains this year, I was fully equiped with avalanche gear and was sitting there watching a lot of other sledders do some hill climbing. Not my thing, but fun to watch. Anyway, while I was sitting there I recalled the warnings I'd read about on here and other forums about being prepared in the mountains. I'm not experienced but I try to be prepared.

Anyway, while I was sitting there I was surrounded by maybe 30-40 other sledders I really didn't know. I thought I'm going to test my beacon and turn it to receive just to see if I got any readings for others. Not a single hit, not one. Granted, some of this group was fairly far away but I'd say most were well within range of my beacon.

I was shocked. Has anyone every tried this before? It was a sobering event. I figured being around so many others mountain sledders I'd get many hits, but not a single ping. Wow. I actually thought it was my beacon but when I got back ot the cabin I had someone else help me check...sure enough, my beacon worked just fine.

 

[newmy1]

While I was in the Snowy mountains this year, I was fully equiped with avalanche gear and was sitting there watching a lot of other sledders do some hill climbing. Not my thing, but fun to watch. Anyway, while I was sitting there I recalled the warnings I'd read about on here and other forums about being prepared in the mountains. I'm not experienced but I try to be prepared.

Anyway, while I was sitting there I was surrounded by maybe 30-40 other sledders I really didn't know. I thought I'm going to test my beacon and turn it to receive just to see if I got any readings for others. Not a single hit, not one. Granted, some of this group was fairly far away but I'd say most were well within range of my beacon.

I was shocked. Has anyone every tried this before? It was a sobering event. I figured being around so many others mountain sledders I'd get many hits, but not a single ping. Wow. I actually thought it was my beacon but when I got back ot the cabin I had someone else help me check...sure enough, my beacon worked just fine.

Hard to believe. You sure you were not in IA?

 

[95RXL]

I did that at the Happy Hour Bar this year. It was a super cold day so the bar was full of people that said screw riding. There was 3 in our group so I told them to turn there's off and I put mine on "search". Nobody had one. I bet there was 15 sledders in there. Started talking to a couple of guys and they said they all had the equipment but didn't think they needed it because they weren't climbing that day. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Bridar1]

You should be able to receive signals from other beacons if they are within 40 meters of yours.

 

[Racer220]

That's a dang good idea. If anything you can put somebody on the spot about it and maybe educate them on the need to have that stuff. I admit I rode a long time without having one, but as my riding has progressed, so has my equipment. With all the talk about how bad this year was and how much the haters want to shut us down I think the Big 4 should work together to offer a safety equip. package with every purchase of a 'Mountain' segment sled. Kind of how you used to get something extra for snowchecking a sled, this could be a discount package with shovel, probe, and beacon for half price with the new sled purchase. People still have to make their own decision on when to avoid situations, but at least they would have a start.

 

[sp_20022006]

Next year I am going to try that out for sure.

 

[Rubi]

Sounds fun to try, but I avoid like the plague places where I'd be likely to see 30 or 40 other sledders.

 

[iliketoridefast]

i dont know how you could ride without one, if your riding any hills or near any hills it should be a for sure thing that you have one. this year i saw slides happen and no one was even on the mountain, so if you were at the bottom just cruising along, your buried. granted a beacon wont save you every time but it does greatly improve your chances

 

[Himark]

I was in the breakfast joint at the snowies and was getting ready to head out so I turned on my beacon knowing in my group i was the only one with it on.. searched and hit a couple in the Friendly and that place is small. I would think its all bout the crowd but if you were at a hill climb there shoulda been some in that crowd.

 

[togwotee9]

Sounds fun to try, but I avoid like the plague places where I'd be likely to see 30 or 40 other sledders.

I like this guy

 

[King o the Hill]

Just remember one thing a slide this year killed several more while searching......your beacon does not automatically go back to transmit mode if you "forget" to switch it back.... That I have seen way more than once..... so if you want to check make yourself a reminder to switch it back to transmit!

 

[pierrelogic]

Just remember one thing a slide this year killed several more while searching......your beacon does not automatically go back to transmit mode if you "forget" to switch it back.... That I have seen way more than once..... so if you want to check make yourself a reminder to switch it back to transmit!

Mine does switch nack to transmit automatically after a few minutes, but good point.

 

[m7john]

That's a dang good idea. If anything you can put somebody on the spot about it and maybe educate them on the need to have that stuff. I admit I rode a long time without having one, but as my riding has progressed, so has my equipment. With all the talk about how bad this year was and how much the haters want to shut us down I think the Big 4 should work together to offer a safety equip. package with every purchase of a 'Mountain' segment sled. Kind of how you used to get something extra for snowchecking a sled, this could be a discount package with shovel, probe, and beacon for half price with the new sled purchase. People still have to make their own decision on when to avoid situations, but at least they would have a start.

that is a great idea. what is a few hundred dollars when someone is spending 10,000 to 12,000 on a sled.

 

[smokenjay]

As far as offering discounted avy equipment, those manufacturers need to make money in order to remain in business. I don't think that offering stuff at a heavy discount is realistic. I agree that if you can afford to snowmobile (not the cheapest habit), you can afford to buy the proper equipment. I suppose that if you ride the mountians without a tranceiver, you will eventually fail Darwin's test. Then I guess there will be fewer people to track up my spots. It's dangerous out there - everyone should get a brain!

 

[firecatguy]

Sounds fun to try, but I avoid like the plague places where I'd be likely to see 30 or 40 other sledders.

I like this guy

Me too!!!.

is it not the law now that you have to have a beacon in Wyoming??

thought I was told that along the way..

 

[IdahoDragon]

I've turned mine to the search function in the parking lots just because I was curious and was sadly disapointed as well.
It's like the post a few above this one said,
If you can drop 10K plus on a sled then you can sure as hell come up with the equipment to do it right.
Beacon, probe, and shovel can be had for as low as $400 - $450.

 

[Ex-Member]

Me too!!!.

is it not the law now that you have to have a beacon in Wyoming??

thought I was told that along the way..

No law exists anywhere says you MUST have a beacon on.

But you'd be pretty dumb to ride without one...

mine's on me anytime i'm riding the sled... first ride of the year, 6" of snow... yeah, had it on. It's on the same list as helmet, tekvest, pants, knee protection, socks, etc.

And yes, it's a good test to make sure yours and the people you're riding with know what they're doing...

 

[94fordguy]

I'm gonna hafta try that next time we get some snow

will be interesting to find out

 

[sledneck84]

I can see not getting many hits in a store or at the bar. My gear rides up in te trailer and is turned off till i put it on. and when i go in a bar or somewhere to eat while i'm riding i take it off and set it in my backpack on my sled. Less stuff for me to lose that way. But that is just what i do. So you wont get a hit on mine unless i'm riding. But yeah, sitting on the mountain watching people climb that thing shoulda been going crazy i would think.

 

[JHG]

With all the talk about how bad this year was and how much the haters want to shut us down I think the Big 4 should work together to offer a safety equip. package with every purchase of a 'Mountain' segment sled. Kind of how you used to get something extra for snowchecking a sled, this could be a discount package with shovel, probe, and beacon for half price with the new sled purchase. People still have to make their own decision on when to avoid situations, but at least they would have a start.

It was brought up this last spring check season for one of the manufactures to offer an avalanche pack or avalanche package with beacon, shovel and a probe in it. It was close to being an option but the legal department destroyed it with all the possibilities of legal action if someone were hurt or killed while using the avalanche gear. It sounds ridiculous but in the legal world we live in the risk was just to high for them to do it. They even explored an in store cash back so the customer could purchase the gear themselves but putting a stipulation that the cash back had to be used for avalanche gear was nearly the same as them just giving it to the customer.