I’ve previously posted some of the amazing footage relating to the survival of a guy caught in an avalanche wearing an Avalung system. It is pretty amazing stuff and if you haven’t seen it yet I suggest you click through to take a look and come back because it sets you up for the next video I want to show you in this post – this is another amazing bit of helmet CAM footage showing the effects of an avalanche. The big difference between the two is that whereas the Avalung footage shows the effects of being buried and then dug up (and being able to breath, thanks to the Avalung gear) this shows how a good airbag system can help you stay on the surface of the avalanche and not need to be rescued. It is pretty amazing and makes me lean ever more towards avalanche airbags rather than the Avalung.
The gear used in this case was the Backcountry Access Float Airbag, which is one of the newer ones out on the market. The most established is the Avalanche Airbag System (ABS) although Snowpulse has also been around for a while. Anyhow. Enough of my rambling on. Check out the video and be amazed.
On the subject of airbags and avalanches there is a timely warning in the Utah Statesman newspaper of the risk of avalanches in the state as well as of some sensible precautions that people should be taking this year. One bit of advice comes from Toby Weed, a forecaster and avalanche expert at the Utah Avalanche Centre. According to the article in the Statesmant:
Weed said another effective piece of avalanche safety equipment is an avalanche airbag — a deflated bag attached to a canister of compressed air. In an avalanche, a victim can pull a trigger or a lever to automatically inflate the airbag, creating a breathable air pocket and increasing their buoyancy, along with their chances of being found near the surface of the snow when the snow stops sliding.
There is also a useful reminder that you need to have snow beacons and all the rest too. Don’t think that an airbag or Avalung is enough. You may still have to be dug out, or to dig someone else out. So remember to pack a full set of beacons, probes and shovels before setting out this winter.
The Snowpulse is also racking up a few saves. Here is a great first-person video of a snowboarder caught in a slide. He deploys his Snowpulse and you can see how it keeps him head-up facing the sky and on top of the snow.
Snowpulse in action: Exclusive video of a Snowboarder caught in Avalanche – one more time the Snowpulse Avalanche Airbag shows is efficiency in saving life during an avalanche: the personal video of this snowboarder shows how you are during the avala…