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Safeback?
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Curious on this product, and if anyone has experience with it. I think started in Europe, but Raide has introuced a SB version of both of its packs </p>
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https://raideresearch.com/products/sb-40when </p>
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Pretty thorough initial review by High Route - https://the-high-route.com/safeback-sbx-first-look/ </p>
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Pros seem to be first, prolonging survival time as a much more usable and effective avalung-like device and second, much lighter and more compact than a full airbag. Weight is about a pound and a quarter. Also in the Raide version, the SB unit is removeable. And presumaly easy to air travel with</p>
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Con is that its not going to keep you above the fray and unburied. Any buried time is a total nightmare for me, but survival > dead </p>
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(There is an existing safeback thread, but was just a twenty-twenty survey post with one reply in the Gen Discussion. Figured it warranted a new post in Slide Zone, now that product is actually out.)</p>
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https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/336086-Survey-new-avalanche-gear-increasing-the-survival-time-while-buried </p>
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Transciever interference does not seem to be addressed?
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Interesting product
https://www.safeback.no/
If you can accept the weight an airbag is better
But this is a more logical option than trying to get an avalung in your mouth. And hold onto it while tumbling.
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Lots of opinions and some info in the prior thread that was in the Slide Zone: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/356550-Avalung-but-with-a-trigger</p>
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I bought the Raide SB40L. The pack is mostly wonderful, the original SBX module had a manufacturing defect that caused it to activate with simple movement of the pack. At least the failure mode was triggering too often and was immediately obvious instead of a latent fault that rendered the system non-functional when needed. SafeBack was very responsive and shipped out a replacement unit very quickly. The replacement has performed as expected and I have not needed it. </p>
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Most of the terrain that I work and play in in winter conditions is full of terrain traps (what I consider to be mini golf). Lots of trees, lots of pitches interrupted by benches, not a lot of long continuous alpine slide paths that would be where an airbag would obviously outperform. We have had some experiences with avalanche fatalities in the Cascades where airbag users were buried at the toe of the path because they had no relative motion. My local mountain just had it’s third local die in a snow immersion accident in three consecutive seasons so I’m a bit biased around the kind of accidents I’m sensitive to.</p>
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The other positives are that the SBX system is much much lighter than my Mammut RAS system, the base pack is much less compromised to support the addition of the system and will still be a very functional pack for summer climbing objectives whereas my Mammut and Dakine RAS packs are really just good for snow.</p>
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Good points, and that definitely makes sense re mini golf or even tree wells vs bigger slopes. I love my regular Raide pack. I've found myself conflicted some days on taking it vs my avy bag... the avy bag being so much heavier. Considering selling my regular Raide and getting the SB version.
And sorry, I searched for an SB thread and only saw the first very limited thread. TGR search, pics, punctuation... sad face
