It’s always good to see technology put to helpful uses, rather than merely being just a timesink. That said, I’m not sure about these ABS Avalanche backpacks, which are supposedly designed to prevent you from being buried in the snow when the mountain comes down on you.
The pack works kind of like an automobile’s airbag. When the avalanche starts, you pull a ripcord, which inflates two large pouches, totaling 150 litres of additional volume. Hopefully, that’s enough to keep you on top of the snow, which greatly increases your odds of both surviving and helping others survive.
It’s a very cool idea, and assuming it works well, the almost $400 asking price isn’t that much to pay. A lot of people die from avalanches because they’re not prepared; hopefully, this could tip the odds back in the other direction, when used with proper safety precautions and equipment.
[via Shiny Shiny]
These packs have saved many lives. Packs of this type have about an 80% recovery rate. They are lifesavers when used in conjunction with proper avalanche training.