$900 pack?

[6mm Shoot]

I was just checking out some packs at REI and they have one for over $900. I had to check it out.

It has a avalanche system that when you pull the cord it fills two tubes that look like pontoons on your back.

I don't understand how this system works. Any one know any thing about them? What I mean by that is how do two tubes protect you from a avalanche?

I don't want one. We don't deal with avalanches around here and I am not going any place that I have to concern myself with them. I was just wondering how they work. All information is good. The more you know the better off you are. Thanks for any information you can offer.

 

[ghostdncr]

An avalanche is essentially liquid in nature while it's happening. As the sliding snow comes to a halt, the weight of the uphill snow compressing the lower areas causes it to pack into a solid state not far removed from concrete. That's usually what kills in an avalanche; the compression crushing all hope of breathing out of your body. The pontoons act on the snow while it's in the near-liquid state to float you up to the top, where you can easily fight your way free when everything slides to a halt. I seem to recall these pontoon systems being about $4000 when they first debuted several years ago, so $900 for a pack already equipped strikes me as being a great deal!

 

[LEaSH]

I've seen them - or a similar design - on a television program.

Apparently the air bag is deployed manually and inflated by a CO2 cylinder.
The user was shown popping up in a large avalanche, so I don't think it was a staged test. I'll look for the you tube vid.

The guy just kind of popped up through the snow as the avalanche was happening an he rode it out. A doubt the device would help after an avalanche has stopped and the user would already be buried, but maybe it could help make a cavity under so many hundreds of pounds of snow. Maybe. Doubtful.

I've talked to a survivor of a avalanche that got buried in snow for a good 45 minutes. He tells it straight up. Pretty harry situation I don't ever want to be in.

 

[LEaSH]

here is one

[video=youtube;hR7aAfuAOOQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR7aAfuAOOQ[/video]

 

[rockhopper46038]

Back when I was climbing a lot there was an system coming on to the market called the AvaLung that provided a little added breathing time if you were trapped. There were new iterations being developed all the time. I stopped following the developments when I stopped climbing, but that is pretty cheap when you consider that a good alpine expedition pack used to cost $500 anyway.

 

[6mm Shoot]

Thank you much for the information. It looks like something everyone should have that is in a area where a avalanche could happen.

 

[SMiller]

I watched "right this minute" today and they showed a snowmobile rider that services only because he had the airbag system, if you don't have one you go to the bottom of the snow and die...

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I'm a big proponent of safety equipment, but for that price (or for any other reason you'd like to name) I think I'll just avoid situations where I could be caught in an avalanche.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Thats nothing. Skydivers have a similar device called an AAD (automatic activation device) and it goes for 3x that. And the vast majority of jumpers buy them. Quite willingly.

An AAD has a computerized barometric sensor onboard. Generally, all you gotta do it turn it on in the morning and you are good all day. It senses your ride to altitude and when you clear 1,000' it arms itself. You jump out of the plane and its aware you are in freefall. If you are still traveling at a relatively high rate of speed at 1,000' (lowest recommended pull altitude is 2,000') it says "wait a minute, something is wrong." and automatically fires a ballistic cutter that opens the reserve parachute automatically by cutting the loop that keeps it closed, typically putting you under a good parachute at 700'.

The theory is even if you are knocked unconscious, you will only break an arm or get beat up if you land under your reserve still out of it. Much better than being scooped up with a shovel and a squeegee because you augured in. I actually have several friends who are still among the living thanks to one of these devices.

And yes, more people who do dangerous things need safety systems like this.