What would get you to buy/use an ABS pack? Poll

[splat]

and i think i read somewhere that they recommend you blow one as a test.

The best test place is a crowded tram.

[Orange Julius]

I like to lightly smear dogshit on the air intakes of my buddies' avalungs then get behind them and yell avalanche

[Meathelmet]

don't know if this has been addressed but are these legal to take on a flight? on a heliski flight? seems i've also read where heli outfits don't allow them due to flying safety concerns.

Quoting myself from the other thread :

I flew with mine 12 times last year without problems at all.
Couple friends have ABS as well and they fly regulary.
0 problems.

Just get the IATA flight rules printed from the ABS website and show them to the clerks at the check in.

Many heliski operations require that the ABSs are kept in the external ski carriers during flight, albeit some operators only recuire that you have the release handle un-attached.
Without it,the it is impossible to engage the balloons.
But it is (not-suprisingly) forbidden to sit in the co-pilots place with the pack.


And about the leg harnes..
I find it as the weakest on the backpack.
Unwieldy and unfunktional.
Their funktion is to keep the backpack of going "over the head" in the case of a slide,but being made of flimsy plastic...well..they are flimsy.

I´ve seen lot of guides and peeps wearing the ABS,but havent seen anyone wearing the legloops.
The pack can be attached in such a tight manner anyway (purty metal buckles that wont break,strenghtened straps etc..) ,that if the pack decides part from you, it is because you have lost your arms.
In wich case you are a goner anyway.


The peoples talk about dying from trauma is a good point too.
But what people forget that you have different kind of skiareas around the world.
In certain high alpine regions (alaska,kamtshaka,certain parts of alps) you just cant die from hitting a tree.Because there are none.
The propability of dying because of trauma can be in those places a fraktion
compared to some parts of the states,for example.
Obviously other objective dangers increase the risk,on the other hand.
Abrubt stops in the taulus(?), crevasses,cliffs,rock´s etc..

In general, the ABS is way better the less obstacles you have in your ski/slidepath.
But even if you would end up bouncing off things,those bags do offer some extra cushioning.
When the bags have deployed,they are extremely hard to puncture.Let alone crush and rupture.It is like you would try to bounce on a pilates ball or something.
But obviosly,it is nothing that you really want to count your life on...

A lot of avy terrain (especially in the wooded areas) are a deathtrip anyway.Hitting trees 60+mph tears you apart,ABS or not.

[Kungfookungpow]

What the hell is an ABS pack? Apologies for gaping on that.

[Skid Lux]

When these packs first came out I was an intern at lifelink, and they seemed sweet. But The further I looked into them the more I just couldnt justify it for an everyday pack. The weight was not the issue, it was the actual pack, it was so small (you couldnt fit much more then your avy gear and a nalgene), and the ski carrying system sucks. They seemed to me to be for the 4 seasons heli crowd, not for the I ski the pass in the morning and clip at the Village in the afternoon crowd.

[Trackhead]

But The further I looked into them the more I just couldnt justify it for an everyday pack. The weight was not the issue, it was the actual pack, it was so small (you couldnt fit much more then your avy gear and a nalgene),

I just got an email saying the same thing. That the 30 liter pack is really much smaller. So...................maybe evolution needs to speed up a bit, and make this product a bit more realistic for the every day person.

Makes one think that the BD avalung pack is probably the best compromise between safety/price/weight/usability.

[Meathelmet]

The weight was not the issue, it was the actual pack, it was so small (you couldnt fit much more then your avy gear and a nalgene), and the ski carrying system sucks.

What the fuck are guys smoking?Seriously?
Have you lost your reading comprehension skills?

Into a 30L bag you can fit the next items.

-Down jacket
-Skins
-Crampons
-Trekkers
-Camelback
-Few sandwiches
-Repairing gear
-Gloves
-Something small.
-Spade.
-Probe.
-Snowsaw.


People have done haute routes with them.
I seriously dont get why that amount of stuff isnt enough for peoples day purposes..

Into the 45L you can fit extra stuff like ropes and whelks and shit.

As long as the system will be balloon based,it will take the space from the insides of the backpack. Obviously they could change the layout so that the balloons would be from top-to-bottom,thus making the package smaller but still having the same volume.

And the diagonal ski carry system works.
Maybe not the best design in the world,but it keeps the skis attached to the pack without moving around.

[Buzzworthy]

People have done haute routes with them.

When I do the haute route, I will get one.

When I huck 70+ footers, I will get a full face helmet and mouthgaurd, as well as back protections and as much padding as I can get.

When I learn to ski decently, I will get a nice set up.




Until then, I will keep my money in my wallet and watch developments.


Bottom line, I do not need something like this as I am not in this niche of the snow players.


Edit: I would contemplate this pack so much more if I had a sled though. Too easy to play right on the line without crossing it.

[Huck_Schmuck]

Not quite the same as an ABS but for around $250 (199E) there's a company that produces a product called the Avalanche Ball.

website

Using springs rather than air the Avalanche Ball is attached to 6m cord (and you), when you activate the trigger it releases a ball, that is flat packed to a pouch, and floats on the surface of the slide. So if you get buried the ball will indicate your approximate position. The cord is strong (and thin) enough to be pulled through most, the website claims all, avalanche debris.

The test results on their website look pretty good and the science is pretty simple.

Unlike the ABS system, which is designed to keep you floating and therefore is likely to reduce the chances of trauma injuries / death, the Avalanche Ball only indicates your position.

Cheaper than ABS, weighs 980gs (about 2 pounds) and can be fitted to any back pack.

The ABS, clearly, is a better product especially for solo skiers where your chances of being kept on the surface, allowing self-extraction, are increased. Sadly, as with other 'search aides' the Avalanche Ball still relies on your skiing buddies being around to find you. So I'm not suggesting it as an alternative to the ABS, but it has potential to be used along side a beacon.

Thoughts?

[mntlion]

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=60731

packs are availible