Avalanche Airbag saves snowmobiler

[jtwassoc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r964KUcuD0

Here's the slide in which the snowmobiler used an avalanche airbag to save himself....

[summit]

deep slide and debris!

[schindlerpiste]

Obviously, these ABS packs are well worth the $$$!

[Phatstix]

That was big.
I feel very strongly that having one of these may be one of the most important b.c. saftey devices to carry. I'm in no way saying that you won't need a beacon, probe, shovel or avalung, not to mention experience. However, if the air bags work as well as it did in that vid your odds of survival / rescue without needing those items increases dramatically. We all know that most of can't use our beacons as well as we think we can, shoveling debris is more difficult than you would expect and avalungs only help once you are already buried. Visual clues for your party and resting near the surface are key. I would bet over time they find that avi victims with air bags also suffer less truama (less twisting / pulling / smashing)
Thanks for the post!

[cj001f]

When I can find a spare €700 I'll buy one.

[Toby]

^ I jumped on a mntlion deal last year. A lot cheaper than full retail, that's for sure.

[Avalanche_Observer]

Are the air bags approved for use in the USA by the EPA? I heard that they haven't approved the accelerant used by the bags yet.

[P_McPoser]

^^

I'd like to see them do something about it. lol.