The Best Snow Safety Tools of 2017
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The ski world is going all in on high-tech safety gear, packing more features into smaller packages.
Mammut Carbon 240 Light Probe
When there’s trouble, you need a probe that snaps together fast. The seven-foot-ten Mammut Carbon 240 assembles in under three seconds and weighs just 6.5 ounces, allowing it to fulfill its other most important duty—disappearing when not in use.
Price $80
Black Diamond Razor Carbon Pro Poles
You shouldn’t wear normal pole straps in the backcountry. If you’re caught in a slide or take a fall in deep pow, they can anchor you facedown in the snow. Black Diamond’s solution is a breakaway strap that gives you power when you need it but also keeps you safe when things go awry. The adjustable flick locks and low swing weight are bonuses.
Price $120
BCA Shaxe Tech Shovel
There aren’t many instances in which you need an ice ax (or what the French call a piolet) and an avalanche shovel at the same time. So BCA came up with a single tool that incorporates both. It also includes hardware for rigging a rescue sled out of compatible skis.
Price $180
B and D Ski Gear Ski Crampons
Free-hinging ski crampons—claws that fit over your skis for ascending steep, crusty terrain—bite least when you need them: in climbing mode. That’s because binding risers prevent your boot heels from driving them into the snow. B and D fixes that problem by adding riser posts to the crampons and keeper clips to the skis, so they’re always digging into the track at full depth.
Price $51
Pieps Micro Avalanche Beacon
This miniature beacon is smaller than a smartphone (and weighs a scant 5.3 ounces) but has a large screen and multiple-burial functionality. Instead of a toggle, it relies on a photo sensor to change from search to transmit mode. That means when it’s nestled in a harness under your jacket, it stays in transmit mode, but when it detects sunlight, it automatically switches to search.
Price $390