 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@aewynia, An interesting idea. Can't say I took much notice of the weights when I bought mine – I don't really feel the weight of the avi kit in my bag, it isn't enough to really make a difference. Better to make sure it all fits in your bag and that your bag is comfortable to carry when you ski. Once you start to routinely pack the avi kit, you'll probably be more discerning about what else goes in and save some weight there. However, I do notice the extra 2.6kg of my avi bag when I use that, which causes me to leave it behind on lower risk days or when touring – I'd like to replace this with a lighter one.
As you wear your transceiver rather than carry it on your back, I'd ignore the weight and pick something that you can understand and has the functions you want and is easy to use. They're all similar size anyway.
Ortovox, Black Diamond, Mammut etc. all make good kit which should work well.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@aewynia, is there really much difference in weights?
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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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Got my set from Snowshepard 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @aewynia, is there really much difference in weights? |
I got some cheapo steel-bladed shovels for the kids to carry because I'm a tight wad. They are quite heavy 
in better news they won't break!
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@under a new name, between brands of the lightweight versions it can vary from 20 to 200 grams, which doesn’t seem like much I suppose....
Maybe I should look more at ease of use and functionality? 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| aewynia wrote: |
| Maybe I should look more at ease of use and functionality? |
Absolutely. This is one area where you don't want excess faffing.
On the shovels, it's worth checking the compacted length, as some are quite long and won't easily fit in a short backpack.
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@aewynia, Thanks, pretty much healed now and allowed to return to snow (gonna wait a couple of days till conditions hopefully improve). Yes, I saw your black eye. Did you get it scanned? I know doctors make bad patients...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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one point that got flagged up this season was don't skimp on weight for your probe by going shorter!
Minimum 240cm, pref closer to 300cm
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks @SBP, got the memo: nothing shorter than 240cm!
And I really need to check the lengths as @Scarlet said, some are more difficult to fit a shorter backpack...
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You know it makes sense.
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| aewynia wrote: |
| .....And I really need to check the lengths as @Scarlet said, some are more difficult to fit a shorter backpack... |
^ this. But also the shovel blade/handle sizes as well. At your stats don't buy a shovel/probe until you've got your pack so you can check everything will fit.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Bear in mind you're carrying the shovel and probe for your buddies, not for you, you decide the balance between extra weight in your pack vs how much you like them!!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@KenX, by that logic, you could ski with people you don't like much and have a very light bag! Though they might think similar of you... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Scarlet, 
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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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It's good karma to carry the best avi kit 
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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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@KenX, forget who it was but someone told me a story of a buddy having a plastic shovel and saying "we'll swap".
Surely, unless you've got ABS or the like, then the shovel is the only thing making a real difference to weight? Can't say I've picked up my probe and thought it was especially heavy and like @Scarlet says, the transceiver is basically attached you don't notice it. I've also started reconsidering what I actually need to carry in a bag
I've got an Ortovox S1+ transceiver, not used it for anything other than training (hope that remains the case) but it's wonderfully straightforward...but I think that's the case with anything from the likes of Ortovox or Mammut etc.
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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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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
@KenX, forget who it was but someone told me a story of a buddy having a plastic shovel and saying "we'll swap".
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The counter argument is the only way you can get a really light pack overall is by saving every gram you can on every bit of kit. It may only be 50g or 100g here or there, but it all adds up.
Then if you do have a really light pack you’re more likely to have it with you more of the time. Obviously it shouldn’t work that way, and you should have it with you every single time you might possibly need it, but in reality you might find it’s less binary than that.
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Arva plume is light and functional with the weight saving coming from the carbon fibre handle. The compromise is a smaller blade and a fixed length shaft with a T rather than a D handle. I would not go any lighter than this - you will see lighter shovels but they are intended more for complying with the entry requirements of ski mountaineering racing (i.e. you must carry XYZ) rather than for companion rescue.
The weight difference regarding probes is pretty minimal. As others say, 3m is a good length. Obviously if someone is buried 3m down then they are dead unless you have a JCB in your backpack but a longer probe is a lot easier and faster to use as you can use it without bending over.
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| Quote: |
The counter argument is the only way you can get a really light pack overall is by saving every gram you can on every bit of kit. It may only be 50g or 100g here or there, but it all adds up.
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This is true. I stripped weight out of my bag by replacing my harness, crampons, axe, shovel and rope over the summer. Rope/harness etc all too old to be used safely. Massive difference. 200g weight saving on a new shovel = barely noticeable.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Steve77, I can save kilos by eating fewer pies and drinking less beer at the end of the day
Realistically how much can you save on shovel, probe & transceiver? 500g? You can save more than that with careful pack selection.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes, you can save more when you select your pack, or your axe, or your breakfast. But you can do all that AND get light other stuff, and that’s how you get a light pack overall.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@aewynia, Other half's about 5' 2" in old money and has probably one the most compact ABS backpacks on the market. It's a Scott Allpride one. The shorter physical size of the stowage space meant that we had to get a more compact alloy shovel and an 8 section (as opposed to the more common 6) probe. (can't tell you specific makes/models as our kit is currently stored in resort). Comparing this pack to my ABS one (with a 12 ltr zip on pack and nothing else in them) hers feels significantly lighter.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thank you @GeorgeVII, if you get details would you mind posting it here sometime? Thanks for the recommendation, I’m about her height too!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| aewynia wrote: |
| ........I’m about her height too! |
Yeh right.
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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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@aewynia, about her height when you've got ski boots on!
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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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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
| , I've got an Ortovox S1+ transceiver, not used it for anything other than training (hope that remains the case) but it's wonderfully straightforward |
I really like the S1+. I handed it to 3 family members who had not used transceivers before and they each quickly got to a few centimetres of a hidden transceiver. In a stressful situation, it's exactly that simplicity and ease of use that counts.
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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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FAQ
)
) but remains light?
Thankfully that’s getting better too 
) so the weight savings might mean something more to me... 
