Avalanche air bags

[PalousePoo]

Wow, that's a strong testimony, Backcountryislife! I originally bought a float 30 last year when they first can out. Quality was good, but it is large. 30 litres is more than I would ever need, and the pack was pretty wide too. I was tempted to not wear it some days and just wear the old fly backpack, if I felt the avy danger was low. So, I sold the float 30 and bought an ABS freeride and couldn't be happier! The leg strap is more comfortable, the pack fits good, and still holds what I need. A local dealer stocks more cannisters and triggers, but I still bought an extra cannister too.

 

[roughrider99]

I do see that you would have SOME ability to control your float, but not nearly as much as I'd want. I can't say this strong enough... I am rather positive I would be dead right now if I was wearing a snowpulse bag two weeks ago.

So your saying the Snowpulse bag is a failed setup and WILL NOT WORK, and it has the same effect as not wearing any bag at all. You must have been in a few avalanches to be able back up a bold statement.

 

[backcountryislife]

So your saying the Snowpulse bag is a failed setup and WILL NOT WORK, and it has the same effect as not wearing any bag at all. You must have been in a few avalanches to be able back up a bold statement.

NONONO!!!! I'm not saying it won't work, I'm just saying I'm not fond of the way it does work. if you're on a hill where the only thing you'll hit is snow & there's nowhere to need to go towards or away from... the snowpulse is likely a great setup, I just don't feel that's too often the case.

I'm ALL for being wrong on how mobile you can be with the snowpulse on, but like I mentioned above there is more than just one reason I feel it's inferior to the others. No MATTER WHAT though... it's a helluvalot better than nothing!!!

 

[SledsWest]

So your saying the Snowpulse bag is a failed setup and WILL NOT WORK, and it has the same effect as not wearing any bag at all. You must have been in a few avalanches to be able back up a bold statement.

whoah, that seems like a stretch. Thats not what he was saying at all. Don't get so offended over nothing. What he's saying is...if he hadn't been able to remain face down and have his peripheral vision (by having the airbags behind him and not around his head) and room to swing his arms to swim out and instead been face up, he would have been carried into some terrain that would have definitely killed him. Not saying the snowpulse wouldn't have kept him on top of the snow, just saying he wouldn't have been able to swim out and grab a shrub before he went over a cliff and onto the rocks below. Even I understood that one.

 

[backcountryislife]

yeah... that.


C'mon... don't expect a guy who just came about 8 feet from guaranteed death or maiming (not really a fan of either... not so much) to not have a pretty serious opinion about what worked & what didn't!

THIS is what my sled looks like from "going with the flow", in my particular situation I don't feel I would have been able to escape the flow of the slide with a snowpulse.

That's this one situation, but I feel that often the hills that we're on have similar, if not to this extreme extent, terrain where it would come into play.

 

[wjl]

What is that the remains of, a Cat?
What he is trying to say again is that each avalanche bag has its pluses and minuses. You the buyer makes that call.
Anything helps where you are on the surface and can be located, fact is that if you stay on top you can get the medical/care you need faster.

 

[SledsWest]

What is that the remains of, a Cat?
What he is trying to say again is that each avalanche bag has its pluses and minuses. You the buyer makes that call.
Anything helps where you are on the surface and can be located, fact is that if you stay on top you can get the medical/care you need faster.

True, unless you're on top of the snow, without being able to swim cause you're on your back and you're headed for a cliff, rock garden, tree grove or anything else that would kill you or strain you. Just staying on top until medical care reaches you isn't good enough if you could have just swam to the side or reached out to grab a tree, IMO.