A Case for Avalanche Air Bags
And four options for a piece of gear that could save your life
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+.
Elyse Saugstad’s survival in the Tunnel Creek slide makes a convincing case for the use of air-bag packs. After all, four skiers were caught, but only Saugstad, who was wearing an ABS packs, made it out alive. The technology is fairly simple. When a toggle is pulled, one or more bags around the wearer’s head and torso inflate, affording protection from trees and rocks. And because larger objects tumbling down a slope tend to rise to the top, regardless of weight or buoyancy, an air bag effectively floats the wearer to the surface. The packs are expensive, but they don’t run more than a pair of skis. Here are four options for a piece of gear that’s sure to become as ubiquitous as the beacon, shovel, and probe.
THE NORTH FACE POWDER GUIDE ABS VEST
$1,199; thenorthface.com
SNOWPULSE LITE 35 PACK
$,1074; snowpulse.com
BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS FLOAT 32 PACK
$725; backcountryaccess.com
DAKINE ALTITUDE ABS 25L PACK
$1,170; dakine.com
