Avi-Vest Avalanche Airbag questions for you

[WARY]

We are developing an avalanche airbag that is inside a vest. You would wear the vest over your jacket. We are almost done with our design and we have a few questions for you.

We need your thoughts on our Avi-Vest avalanche airbag:

We are designing a vest, and not a backpack. The Avi-Vest would hold a probe, a shovel, and a few other things you normally would bring along. Would you wear a vest instead of a backpack?

We are designing the vest so that you only inflate it for an avalanche and no other reason. There is a pressure indicator that you could check to make sure your system was pressurized, so there would be no need for annual inflation checks. Would you be comfortable with this?

The idea that we are patenting is an airbag that unfolds down from your shoulder blades and allows you to continue to operate your machine with the device deployed. Would you leave your airbag inflated after an avalanche until you got out of the mountains, or would you want to deflate the device immediately after the avalanche?

Would you want the rip-cord on your left shoulder or your right shoulder?

 

[giddyup]

good idea i have the abs right now, i like the way the pack fits and i like the wings of flotation on the back alowing you to still move. i would like to see a standered compressed air fill from a scuba etc place . would make it more economical to test every year . i think the vest would be a good idea, maybe have and option for a zippered add on pocket for personalizing

 

[Ex-Member]

+1 for compressed (Breathable) air rather than nitrogen.

- Vest vs. pack.... How much can the vest hold? I pack a -lot- of stuff; and it's stuff I don't want to be without.
- Pressure indicator would work; that's all fire extinguishers have. Is there any other maintenence these need?
- Deflate after avy- yes.
- Right vs. left... think i'd rather have it on the right shoulder. Could it be moveable?

What about accessories, right shoulder I have my radio spkr/mic, left is my camelbak... compatible with both?

How would it fit (or interfere) with a tekvest or other body armor?

 

[WARY]

We are going with compressed air, but after this year's testing we have decided that bleeding breathable air to the victim is a bad idea.

You want the airbag to remain completely inflated and rigid. After each of our avalanche tests the airbag was on the surface, and if it deflated you might lose sight of the airbag. As well, the rather large airbag displaces a lot of snow that would normally be on top of the victim's head. If you deflate the bag in order to bleed out breathable air snow will fall into the hole it creates. Also, the rigid airbag helps you to shovel out the victim as you can quickly run the blade of the shovel down the side of the airbag to the victim.

 

[mtn mike on boost]

i like the idea.
i would have the pull on the R side. for those who dont use a left hand throttle
and are attempting to ride it out, you would not have to pull your thumb off the throttle.

 

[Duddin]

I like the idea of an adjustable rip cord so the user can select the side. Also if your looking for a great design on a vest look at the ogio stuff their vests are great and have a ton of room for gear I know several that use these instead of a pack.

 

[wheresthesnow]

I have an ABS pack. I think the pull on the left is up a little to high, if its one or the other, I'd want it on the left since I'm right handed, but the idea of not having to take your thumb off the throttle is good also. I would prefer a vest no doubt, puller on either side. Mine seems like it is near the top of my shoulder almost.

 

[kamshaft]

Ogio vest is a good benchmark

I second the idea of looking to the Ogio vest as a standard for the vest design. I ride with one and it's very comfortable and actually holds as much as some backpacks. The multiple pockets are handy.

I think the ripcord should be on the right shoulder just about mid shoulder.

 

[cobbycat]

what design of rip cord handle are you using? saw a wari vest a couple weekends ago on the hill and it had a ball. is that the official rip cord?

 

[WARY]

We used an Ogio vest during our testing last year and it worked great. The vest we are manufacturing has a lot of the same qualities. Lots of storage space in the pockets with tough materials used in the construction.

Yes, we are using a small ball on the end of the rip-cord...........

 

[Reese]

just my thoughts

The first question that came to mind when I read vest was, will wearing a vest either decrease the breathability of gortex and or other materials todays clothing is made out of? Also will the materials the vest is made out of trap or hold moisture. No one wants to be wet.

The amount of surface area a vest would cover is far greather than that of a back pack. This may then factor into the functionality of the riders clothing. NO rider is going to continue to use, or promote somthing, that causes them to be uncomfortable.

Just my thoughts. Good luck, the more options for safety the better.

 

[Duddin]

The first question that came to mind when I read vest was, will wearing a vest either decrease the breathability of gortex and or other materials todays clothing is made out of? Also will the materials the vest is made out of trap or hold moisture. No one wants to be wet.

The amount of surface area a vest would cover is far greather than that of a back pack. This may then factor into the functionality of the riders clothing. NO rider is going to continue to use, or promote somthing, that causes them to be uncomfortable.

Just my thoughts. Good luck, the more options for safety the better.

As said above I know a lot of people that wear a vest instead of a pack and love it. It helps distribute the weight a bit and is easier to move in so I dont think the vest is a problem but everyone has their preference.

 

[WARY]

We are spending a lot of time figuring out how to make something that will work well over a jacket. We agree that something like this needs to be comfortable, light weight, dry and still look decent.

Our prototypes held together this year, and the same Avi-Vests were used on each of the 5 seperate avalanche tests with no damage. The trick to this type of device is to make it tough enough that the airbag is not ripped from the vest during the slide. It took us 7 years and dozens and dozens of avalanche tests to come up with a vest, an airbag, and an attachment point between the two that would not be destroyed during an avalanche, and this year we were 10 for 10 (5 slides with 2 Avi-Vests in each avalanche).

Now that we have a device that works every time, we have begun working with people who can make the Avi-Vest look good and hold the right amount of gear. We are also working on a backpack, but we felt we should start with a vest type system for day use by sledders and skiers and boarders.....

 

[Trenchmaster]

What about building some protective armor into the vest? save on having to buy a chest protector.

 

[Snowjunky]

Avi Tek vest love that idea

 

[BackCountryBob]

Offer two models, one with a vest, the other the original design ABS pack. I would never ride without basic survival gear in my BP plus I wear a Tek vest.

Right side handle but must have a way to keep it from deploying against a tree branch.

BCB

 

[NewMTNsldr]

I wore my buddies ABS pack last weekend and while the fit is nice at the end of the day the weight of the pack kicked my butt. I am sure over time one would get used to the added weight but wow are those things heavy. With a vest design I would think the weight would be more evenly distributed? I would also like to see a avi/tek vest design as I will never ride without my B-wear vest and am not sure I would want to wear two vest at a time

 

[Red Dog]

Excellent concept, I like the idea of a vest instead of backpack,just personel preference.Would like the pull cord closest to trottle hand right shoulder, since I'm right handed for quick response for deploy,also have available bag to be deflated after used and in safe enviroment.I think the no need for annual check is good.Let me know how you proceed.Cheers Red Dog.

This is what I did to modify my Klim texvest for extra protection.

 

[Ex-Member]

One thing I really wish (well, two) my tekvest had is a pocket for a beacon.

2nd would be a D-ring that's attached very well.

 

[WARY]

Sounds like most (?) riders are looking for Tek Vest type of protection?