 Poster: A snowHead
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Although I do obviously realise the benefits of having an ABS (type) system incorporated into a backpack I am struggling to understand the prices being demanded by the manufacturers!
I have an emergency services background and long before being aware of such things to counteract the effects of avalanches I've worn them on numerous occasions in fast flowing swollen rivers and I know for a fact that the function of a life jacket/pfd be it automatic or a manual activation is a small fraction of the price. The principle is exactly the same, and in the case of auto inflating I would say even more complex and crucial. So why do they cost so much more for snow???
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Pumba, market economics?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yeah, average skier known to be willing to pay way more than than average leisure boat/kayaker/trawler man! Plus, not too sure about the size of a ski abs cylinder(volume/weight of contents). But a replacement for a lifejacket costs about a tenner!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Pumba, like@under a new name, says its economics!
Buy mine, for sale on here, cheaper than a new one!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The global market for avipacks is miniscule compared to the nautical lifejacket market etc. I'm pretty confident that annual UK sales of avipacks is well under 100 units. Plus the engineering is a lot more sophisticated. And dealer margins on avipacks are the lowest of any of their product line.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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How many life jackets do you know that inflate to 150 litres in a flash and you can still carry a shovel probe, clothing and your bacon barm in ?
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Early adopter premium, immature technology, low sales volume, initial target demographic of rich and precious people prepared to pay large amounts for anything "if it only saves one life" (see other threads about safety gear here).
Already they're a fraction of the size and a fraction of the cost of the original huge bags we had a few years ago. I would guess that the price will continue to drop, although there's always going to be some premium over a simple shovel pack. I'd be surprised if they're not common, like those life vest things, pretty soon.
I'm more confused why people don't use the harnesses on them properly. It's a bit like not putting your helmet on properly (which you see all the time), I see lots of people without the strap properly fastened. If they're in a slide, and if they remember to pull the handle, then they're probably still wasting their time.
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