Avalanche Safety: Assessing the Safeback SBX System
THR gets Dr. Patrick Fink on the case of the Safeback SBX System. He helps us understand why this safety product might be worth considering.
Category: Tools
Tools
Writings on avalanche mitigation and prevention tools. Think, beacons, airbags, probes, shovels, and more.
Review Part 2: Pieps Pro IPS Avalanche Transceiver
Part 2 of our Pieps Pro IPS avalanche transceiver reviews dives into the deep feature set and Dual Antenna Signal Processing (DASP).
Review Part 1: Pieps Pro IPS Avalanche Transceiver
The modern, three-antennae beacons have all become pretty darn good from my experience, so the last couple years you’re selecting between user interfaces and features, more than functionality. Which beacon vibes with your particular style of learning and interacting with digital stuff?
The Pieps Pro IPS, though, promises a true innovation: namely the ability to detect electromagnetic interference (EMI) and mitigate it, both in send and search modes.
Slope Angle Aware—Considering Slope Measurement Inaccuracies
Ian McCammon presents some compelling data that should make us think twice about basing decisions in avalanche terrain primarily on slope angle. We’re human after all—be slope measurement aware, and be aware of potential measurement inaccuracies.
UIAA Avalanche Rescue Shovel Standards
We could, but we won’t shovel a heap full of BS your way and tell you any shovel is a worthy avalanche shovel in a rescue scenario. It’s one thing to have a tool worthy enough to shovel a dainty amount of snow into the WindBurner for the night’s tea, and a whole different dimension regarding a shovel used as an active rescue tool. There’s no cutting corners when digging a partner out.
In 2018, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) published safety standards for “avalanche rescue shovels.”
