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Having the proper gear is essential for safe, responsible
backcountry travel. Used properly these tools can help
you forecast stability in the snowpack, or rescue those
who become victim of an avalanche. Remember, there is
not time to get help, the only reliable rescue is for
a touring party to rescue it's own avalanche victims.
Following is a list of recommended gear for the backcountry
traveler:
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Avalanche
Transceiver:
Avalanche rescue beacons (also called transceivers or
locators) have proven to be the only reliable way to locate
a completely buried victim in time to save their life.
Each person wears a transmitting beacon, and if someone
is buried, the surviving members turn their beacons to
receive and they can quickly locate the buried victim.
Several companies manufacture avalanche beacons and they
all operate on the same frequency. The technologies they
use vary from being completely analog to completely digital,
with some operating in a digital/analog mix. Each brand,
and the technology they use, have their strong and weak
points. Be sure to read our Beacon Tech section for the
latest articles and reviews on this rapidly-changing technology.
And most important, practice often with your beacon. The
pros practice once per week. Always wear your beacon under
your jacket, never in your pack. When you put it on, turn
it on. When you take it off, turn it off. |
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Avalanche
Probes:
An avalanche beacon will put you over a buried avalanche
victim, but digging in dense avalanche debris is often
very time consuming, so it's essential to get an exact
location. That's where probes come in. Also, probes are
the only way to find a victim who was either not wearing
a beacon or wearing an inoperable beacon. Probes come
in lengths of 182cm for recreational users up to 300cm
for professionals, with 240cm being a popular recreational
length. They are made of aluminum or carbon, and have
a screw or quick clamp fitting to lock the sections in
place. Assemble probes like tent poles, toss the sections
out on the ground and shake the pole sections while gently
pulling the tension cable at the top. |
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Avalanche
Shovel:
Everyone needs a shovel, not only to dig out a buried
victim (avalanche debris is very dense and hard) but to
dig snowpits to assess the snowpack stability and even
to dig out your car or snowmobile when it gets stuck.
Modern shovels are constructed out of strong lightweight
materials such as aluminum or high strength plastic. Their
flat blade is ideal not only ideal for moving volumes
of snow, but making clean cuts for a snowpit as well.
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Backpack:
A lightweight, comfortable pack is a key element to carry
you backcountry gear. Many packs also have features that
allow you to organize your gear for convenient access.
Packs are available that will carry just the basics like
your shovel and probes, or up to multi day packs that
carry a large volume of gear. Many packs also have features
like external shovel pockets and hydration systems as
well. A quality pack will also have a waist and sternum
strap to keep the load secure during athletic activities. |
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AvaLung
II:
Be honest. How fast can your friends dig you out? Most
completely-buried avalanche victims only have about 15
minutes to live under the snow, but an AvaLung can increase
that time up to an hour. Along with a beacon, the AvaLung
II is an important piece of life-saving equipment. Weighing
in at less than a pound, the AvaLung II offers critical
oxygen intake that buys you precious time while buried
under snow. Designed to extract air from the snow, it
works to redirect carbon dioxide away from your oxygen-intake
zone, reducing ice masking and CO2 poisoning of your oxygen
supply. |
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Air
Bag System:
Admit it. When you go to a party, you gently shake the
bowl of potato chips so that the largest ones rise to
the surface. Similarly, larger objects tend to rise to
the surface of avalanche debris. By pulling a rip cord,
the avalanche air bag in your pack adds 150 liters or
more to your volume. Used for over ten years in Europe,
the statistics are impressive. Over 90 percent of avalanche
victims end up on the surface and are recovered alive.
The air bag system is now available in North America and
it is rapidly gaining popularity. As prices and weight
continue to drop, the air bag will most likely become
standard equipment for all backcountry travelers. |
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Snow
Saw :
Avalanche professionals depend on snow pit tests to keep
themselves and others alive. Snow saws allow you to quickly
and easily isolate columns for stability tests when doing
snow profiles. Modern snow saws can quickly cut through
even the hardest snow, making them essential equipment
for igloo building as well. Saws come in foldable and
non-foldable styles.
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Snow
Study Kit:
These kits typically contain a magnifier and crystal cards
for identifying and sizing snow grains. A set of thermometers
for temperature profiles. Many also contain a slope angle
measurement device.
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Backcountry.com has generously offered to donate 10%
of all purchases made at their site by linking through
this site, to the Friends of UAC; a non-profit group established
to provide funding for this valuable community resource.
Remember, you must link to Backcountry.com through this
site so Backcountry.com
can apply their donation to the UAC. Backcountry.com
has an extensive selection of outdoor and avalanche safety
gear. You can link to them here, or there is a convenient
link at the bottom of each page of the UAC site. Below
are a few sample packages provided by UAC sponsors and
contributors.
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Black
Diamond Avalanche Package:
This package includes an AvaLung II, aluminum shovel,
and 190cm probes.
Buy
Now >> |
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Backcountry
Access Tracker and Tour System Shovel/Probe:
This package includes an all digital avalanche transceiver,
aluminum shovel, and 265cm probes (which fit in the
shovel handle).
Buy
Now >>
Check out the BCA/UAC
Beacon Basin at Nobletts Creek Trail Head in the Western
Uintas (South East of Kamas). more
>> |
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