Nature, in its unbridled glory, can be a bit dangerous. And travelling across snow always has an element of risk that you might be carried away and burried by the stuff you’re walking on.
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on the slopes. But this is the most awesome video I’ve seen for ages of survival under extreme conditions thanks to a piece of gear that weighs less than lunch.
It is headcam footage that shows a guy going down the slope, getting hit by an avalanche and being burried by it. You can hear him struggling to get air and finally see his friends digging him out.
Check this out:
You can read more on how the AvaLung works and how it compares with the Avalanche Airbag System in a related article.
Robert says
If you read the video details, he didn't actually have time to get the breathing tube from the avalung into his mouth. The avalung was useless to him when he was trapped under the snow in this case.
I'm not saying it isn't a piece of gear that will save your life, but this video doesn't show it in action. He would have suffocated without his friends' help.
Rusty says
Interesting video, I agree with Robert that the video didn't show the usefulness of the avalung.
I have found some great survival gear over at wisefoodinsurance.com