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Chest harness, pants pocket, leg pocket? I’ve always worn mine in a chest harness, but some people prefer a pocket carry. BCA article discussing some of the pros and cons of transceiver positioning:
https://backcountryaccess.com/where-...e-transceiver/
Chest harness for me as well, but considering changing to pocket carry with a beacon upgrade this year and adjusting to new systems all at once.
Transceiver on right leg, phone on left chest, with a 24” separation. The article does not address the issue of maintaining security and minimizing fuss with the upper body clothing changes inherent in backcountry skiing, or comfort, which are the main reasons why I wear it on my leg.
I've worn mine in my upper chest bib pocket for years. I'm probably gonna die because of it. But at least the pocket is internally sewn. Unzip jacket, unzip pocket, beacon in hand - takes all of 3 seconds, even when wearing a pack.
Left pants pocket. No fighting with layers to get it out. Phone in chest pocket.
Right pants pocket with phone in left chest pocket. As others have said 24” from phone and pocket is internally sewn.
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One thing that I have seen that makes wearing in your pants pocket less appealing is when searching and probing the target is smaller. Meaning that when it is on your chest, and you do a fine search, then start probing in concentric circles, you are slightly more likely to get a hit on the chest, than on the hip. If the victim is buried head up, it can take more time and effort to reach the hip pocket to turn off the transceiver as well (for multiple burials).
Makes sense but I feel like if you’re patient and trust your probing system, you will get a hit eventually. I’ve definitely had practice sessions where my fine search was off and I didn’t strike until my circles were a few feet across.Quote:
Originally Posted by shredgnar
One of the points in the article (and in a couple of the trainings I’ve taken) was that a chest harness places the beacon closer to your airway, which might help rescuers start resuscitation earlier. Assuming the fine search is right on...or lucky.
I run hot, so usually am climbing with my jacket off. Getting swept is less likely on the climb but not unlikely so I go with beacon in the pants pocket. I get the airway argument, but hip pocket is still close to your core, and about 6” further from my head. Pants stay on jackets and layers come on and off.
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Chest harness with phone in right pants pocket, 24” away.
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The theory that you’re easier to find and quicker to resuscitate if you’re wearing a chest harness isn’t based on any evidence that I’ve seen, and is intuitively of potentially only minor benefit in very specific situations (and may be detrimental in others). For me, the potential for a minor benefit in an extremely unlikely scenario (getting buried) doesn’t outweigh the significant everyday benefits of wearing it in my pants.
I used to use the harness until I get a bad rib bruise last year from taking a leg to the beacon. Shit hurt for weeks so I've switched to pants pocket and am happy with the new location.
Pants pocket since I'm usually skinning in a base layer and I hate having my beacon on my outside layer.
Chest harness, I don't like climbing with much hardware in my pants pockets due to thunder thigh syndrome.
Skiing hard with stuff in your pockets suckkks
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Is that a transceiver in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?Quote:
Originally Posted by Betelgeuse
Also another advantage that I was trying to convey.Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper
I still pocket carry though but I'm dumb like that.
Yeah, I thought your points were worth considering.Quote:
Originally Posted by shredgnar
I’m interested in people’s reasons for that, the harness carry has never bothered me.Quote:
I still pocket carry though but I'm dumb like that.
Hip pocket for me. I often have a vhf radio chest harness on.
Chest harness. More comfortable to me even though sometimes it is a pain w layers.
Didn't read the article, but keeping it attached to you by harness tether during a search seems kind of a must to me.
Right pants pocket - secure with a zipper closure, not velcro. Has an attachment to loop it on.
More comfortable and further from my phone in my chest pocket.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Betelgeuse
Same here.
Personally, I was doing some training, and teaching at one point so it was just more convenient. Plus, not having to have your jacket open is nice when it's sub zero temps outside. So I guess the habit stuck.Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper
Also, I don't always wear a seatbelt, and rarely wear a helmet. Sometimes my battery power runs below 40%, I don't take batteries out in the summer, and this one time one of the batteries leaked into the chamber and corroded the contacts. Cleaned it off and it still worked so rocked it for another season before retiring it to a practice beacon. I like to live on the edge ;)
This. Maybe I should do less squats, yeah fuck that. Hate anything in my pants pockets. Wear the harness over my base layer slung so the beacon rides more under my left pec muscle about 2 ribs down. Just takes two quick down zips of outer shell and insulation layer to access it. It may take me a millisecond longer to access it than a pant pocket carry but I have yet to see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cravenmorhead
Chest harness.
Peoples jackets and pants have been ripped off in avalanches. I'm not aware of a chest harness being ripped off in an avalanche (not one where the person survived anyway). I don't want to be digging for you, and risking other people's lives, only to find your pants.
Phone powered off in pants right leg cargo pocket.
Are there any pants torn off survivors?Quote:
Originally Posted by reckless toboggan
Yup. Pants ripped to shreded on rocks and tree trunks (as far as we could tell, got sieved through a zone with blowdown) but buddy survived.Quote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
Don’t people ski naked anymore?!
I don’t give a beacon harness exposed outside of a base layer any better odds of staying on than my pants in an avalanche. I am also often in the situation of a radio worn on my chest so the beacon goes in the pants.
I’ll just have to start attaching it to my climbing harness by two pieces of dyneema.
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Personal preference. Just make sure you develop good habits around use. I'm a chest harness guy to I were pants not bibs and can't remember skiing in a base layer only. That said, I think a lot of harnesses suck. The old F1s with the strap system connected to the on button were the best.
For example, with my DSP, I can't see the light that indicated "on/send" when the beacon is in the harness. This combined with the beacons reputation to slide to "search" inadvertently and the fact that I was a long time Tracker user bugs the shit outta me.
Truth.Quote:
The old F1s with the strap system connected to the on button were the best.
On 3-4 occasions I have been ready to start into hazardous terrain and found that I had forgotten to on switch. Where I work now there are beacon checkers you must pass before entering avy terrain. It is an ingrained habit to get a beep from them every time you walk past.
Truth x 2Quote:
Originally Posted by Not bunion
It's so easy to get complacent about this.. and to forgo a group beacon test with a "you're beeing right?" I try and stick firmly to it being turned on whenever on my person (usually in pants) and not turning it off until I am absolutely not skiing again for the day.
Batteries are cheap.
those straps were weightless if you could keep them flatQuote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
saw my first checker ever for a lift load at your home hillQuote:
Originally Posted by Not bunion
i pieps strap; straps aren't bad, but the bag is ridiculously over engineered - to much material - imo
Tried the leg thing - no likey - and i have trouble keeping my pants on
Just be that guy. I'm that guy. If you don't like that guy, fuck you. Go ski touring with someone else. A true beacon check has huge safety benefits and is a great way to check everyone's attitude regarding group safety. This is hugely important in side country and informal group situations where people may have different protocols.Quote:
It's so easy to get complacent about this.. and to forgo a group beacon test with a "you're beeing right?"
^ Yep.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
Just the different dynamic of that side country situation compared to "a ski tour" with the trail head organization, faffing around and the opportunity to do one as you start out skinning.
faffing...salopettes...crumpets
We should probably all be better about trailhead beacon checks. Reminder for this season.