Smart
Santa
By Doug Chabot
Published in the December 9, 2011 magazine CARVE.
Christmas is around the corner and everyone will be
scrambling for last minute gifts. How
about getting your backcountry partner something that could save his or her
life? Skiers, snowboarders and
snowmobilers all need the same safety equipment. Here are a few ideas to help alleviate
Christmas gift stress and backcountry danger with the same present.
Inclinometer: $20
An inclinometer is the cheapest avalanche insurance you can
buy. Avalanches happen on slopes steeper
than 30 degrees. Below that is not steep
enough to slide. The only way to never get
caught in an avalanche is to avoid avalanche terrain. The inclinometer identifies that
terrain. Eyeballing steepness is not
accurate and in most cases it’s not even close.
Your partner claimed to ski a 50 degree couloir? The inclinometer can fact check the biggest
boast. When the avalanche danger is
high, this cheap piece of plastic will let you know the difference between a 32
degree and a 28 degree slope, a 4 degree spread that tells you whether or not you
are in avalanche terrain.
Snow Saw: $30-45
A snow saw is a useful tool for performing stability tests. All stability tests involve isolating various
sized blocks of snow and a saw cuts with precision. Since stability tests provide important
decision-making data it’s imperative to not be sloppy. Making a crooked column or rough cuts will
give inaccurate results. Some saws
attach to ski poles which extend their reach and look like a medieval weapon. This attachment is very helpful in cutting
larger blocks for the Extended Column Test or Rutschblock, and the pole/saw combo can buzz through a
small cornice with ease.
Shovel: $45-$75
Carrying a sturdy shovel is crucial to avalanche
rescue. Our partners rely on us to dig
them out if they get buried, and vice versa.
Plastic shovels are light but not as beefy or functional as a metal
one. Metal is king. A metal shovel can cut through dense
avalanche debris quickly and rarely breaks.
Get the one with the biggest scoop that will fit in your pack. Some have telescoping handles which means
less bending over, a bonus for bad backs.
Others have D-shaped handles providing a more secure grip with icy
gloves. A shovel is only good if you
carry it, so get something that is not too cumbersome. If your partner has a garden trowel sized
shovel, make sure you swap him for your big, metal digging machine and remind him
about being dug up one trowel-full of avalanche snow at a time.
Avalanche Probe: $45-$90
Avalanche probes looks like a collapsible tent poles on
steroids. Measuring 6-9 feet in length
they snap together with a cable and allow pinpointing a buried victim. Pinpointing is essential; because once we
start digging it’s easy to miss a body by inches. Minutes matter in avalanche rescue and a good
probe saves time. The expensive ones are
made of carbon fiber which is exceptionally strong and lightweight. Metal probes are standard and each
manufacturer has their own proprietary locking mechanism. Regardless of the type, everyone in the
backcountry should have one. Some
shovels come with a probe stashed in the shaft, but I’ve found these straw
sized probes too fragile for real rescue work.
Probes come in different sizes (190-300 cm) with longer generally being
better. Some ski poles screw together
and double as an avalanche probe, but these should only be used as a backup
because they are shorter and more difficult to push through the snow.
Avalanche Transceiver: $200-$490
An avalanche transceiver is the most expensive safety item
that every backcountry user needs. A
transceiver (aka beacon) is strapped to the body and can transmit and receive a
signal within a range of 100 to 200+ feet.
All brands of beacons use the same frequency and are compatible with
each other. Everyone wears a
transmitting beacon, and when someone gets buried in an avalanche all survivors
switch to receive mode, spread out across the debris and begin searching. This is the only reliable way to find a
buried person. Some transceivers are
simple to operate while others are more complex. Beacons with multiple antennae
can pinpoint a buried person quicker than a single antenna one. Some have a built in compass, can find
multiple victims, are GPS units, and are only a few years away from making a
cup of espresso. There’s a fine line
between technology being too confusing and making search times faster. More features are not necessarily better, but
no matter which beacon you buy they all work best in practiced hands.
Avalung: $130-$260
The Avalung, made by Black Diamond, is a snorkel-like tube
that is either worn as a bandolier or integrated into a backpack, depending on
the model. It allows an avalanche victim
to breathe fresh air directly from the snowpack. Avalanche debris is 40-50% air
and victims die of carbon dioxide poisoning from breathing their own exhaled
breath. This Avalung gives the victim
much higher odds of surviving a prolonged burial by venting exhalation away
from the intake. People have been found
alive after two hours of burial with an avalung. Normally, less than 1% survive a two hour
avalanche burial.
Avalanche Airbag: $680-$999
Avalanche airbags are a special backpack with a ripcord that
deploys a durable balloon. The balloon
reduces burial depth and can even keep you on top of the debris. A time consuming part of a rescue is finding
the victim. A colorful airbag sticking
out of the snow eliminates a beacon search and speeds up the rescue. Airbags are new in North America, but have
been in use in Europe since 1990 and the survival statistics are
impressive. They should not be used in
place of a transceiver, but are an effective piece of equipment. The pack has a small cylinder of compressed
gas to inflate the bag. Some models can
be refilled using readily available compressed air while others require an
entire new canister. Avalanche Airbags
save lives and are a worthy addition to the safety equipment quiver.
Avalanche Advisory: Free
All the equipment in the world won’t undo a poor
decision. The Avalanche Center gives
pertinent snowpack and weather information every morning help people make good
decisions and stay safe in the backcountry.
Read the advisory online or sign up your partner at www.mtavalanche.com. Even cheapskates can be smart.
