 Poster: A snowHead
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But this season I've noticed a marked increase in people wearing Ortovox ABS backpacks...when the they're clearly not off piste skiers.
Is this "on-piste paranoia" or is it a mountainous fashion statement???
Anyone?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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AFAIK Ortovox don't make ABS packs?
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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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I think Ortovox plans to license ABS airbag systems in the future, but they don't do that for any current products. How do you know they're not off-piste skiers? Maybe they're just skiing the pistes to get to some off-piste, or waiting for some areas to open up?
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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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Maybe they're Snowheads and have seen all the videos of on-piste avalanches.
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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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dazman, Are they wearing really fat skis to 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'll be wearing my snowpulse sans cylinder when skiing on piste with my kids in a few weeks time, whats the problem?
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Seen it too, its the latest extension to the all gear no idea portfolio.
Makes you look super gnarly when stood in a bar after your 3 times down the blue run
For maximum effect, couple it with POC goggles and a Bogner jacket and trouser combo!
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fatbob, Pardon my ignorance....but you get my point.
rob@rar, Usually you can tell the level of a skier by skiing by skiing behind them....most of them I seen, didn't look like an off-piste skier.
kruked, SPOT ON!!!
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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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| kruked wrote: |
| Seen it too, its the latest extension to the all gear no idea portfolio. |
Sho nuff looks kewl! Bwahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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dazman, there's no doubt that many people buy lots of kit and never use it to the fullest potential. I have a pair of FIS-spec GS skis that I don't think I've ever got close to using them in the way they were intended. The one time I got closest it cost me broken ribs and torn shoulder muscles, so I don't think I can laugh at people who rarely ski off-piste buying avy safety gear. Maybe there's sense in inexperienced off-piste skiers using airbags...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I still don't get the point - is the question why are people wearing airbag packs on piste? How do you know they aren't going off piste? Because they are nervously snowploughing down the bunny hill?
More seriously I suspect they are followers of the ways and teachings of the omnnipotent Gaper Spirit Animal and wear the gear less they be struck down.
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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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rob@rar,
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Maybe there's sense in inexperienced off-piste skiers using airbags...
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Ouch another can or worms rob,
The first thing people should do is get some knowledge, before going off piste, then a course or two and then start with a guide and instructor, an airbag should never be used to subsitute for inexperience. Believe it or not I have even heard people say, "well if I have an airbag why do I need a transceiver"
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| fatbob wrote: |
More seriously I suspect they are followers of the ways and teachings of the omnnipotent Gaper Spirit Animal and wear the gear less they be struck down. |
Amen.
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You know it makes sense.
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fatbob, good to see there are believers on here too
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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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Arno, parlor and the GSA have never been seen the same place at the same time FACT.
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Poster: A snowHead
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fatbob, parlor claims to have a problem with people skiing with harnesses. is this just a front to cover his true identity???
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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dazman, you don't need to be a super-gnarly skier to ski off piste. I remember easiski saying she always took her beginners off piste, so they got used to less-than-perfect surfaces.
Why so disdainful? Perhaps they have other strengths; like being able to spell, for example.
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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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dazman, AFAIAC its up to your own judgement, who else is to put a price on your own or anyone elses life? I have a ABS day sack and always wear it, so do my pals, that said I am 80/20 off/ on piste, if you saw me in the 20% I guess you'd maybe think I was a KH, but if I am in the backcountry I know I'm happy wearing it, its no heavier than a normal day sack with Carbon canister, gets all the gear I need in it, and its wearable on the lifts, so whay not wear it?
I really hope I never have to pull that trigger, but I'm happy knowing I have it, it doesnt make me take any additional risk, but with tranceiver, shovel and probe me any my pals know we are doing evrything we can......and yes we do know how to use them too. I've used it now for 10 trips so at £50 a week its good value IMO, and I'll have it for years to come so the cost is not a factor.
We have decent goretex Arcteryx and Mammut type tech ski gear, and freeride hardwear - ABS to me is no different, its far from being a fashion accessory, its a proper piece of off-piste kit, and if I'm doing proper off-piste runs with guides I want the best protection I can afford.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Markymark29, great shout, completely agree.
pam w, 
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I guess you're not aware of the slides hitting pistes and taking out chairlifts this last few days....
Seriously - why? It's only a backpack! Is anyone seriously suggesting seperate backpacks for on and off piste?
I rarely ski on-piste with using it to gain/exit from a tour/off-piste trip.
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Not to reignite an old argument, but I think they're a much better way of spending money than helmets. ABS has a statistically significant proven life-saving ability; believe what you like about helmets but the evidence is much less clear. And then once you've got it, why wouldn't you wear it, even if you're planning on being on piste that day?
And you cannot tell just by looking at them whether a skier is planning to leave the piste, or can you? Do they have three legs? Or what?
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It's a bit like saying an inexperienced sailor shouldn't have a liferaft on board because he doesn't have enough knowledge to keep him out of the sort of emergency situations when he might need it.
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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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Look, snowHeads is a place to laugh at inexperienced skiers doing stupid things. Why are people on this thread supporting them?
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Markymark29 + pam w Well said!
Since when do you have to be FWT standard to don a safety device?
As anyone unfortunate to see me ski will know i'm bloody awful but it doesn't stop me wanting to try off piste skiing and yeah I'm probably all the (secondhand) gear and some idea.
As for wearing an ABS pack on piste, I'll hold my hand up an admit to it. The packs are heavy and I'm still working on fore/aft balence while wearing one so it's good practise/ muscle memory etc.
PS To thread drift again I'm also taking fatties away next week so that's two threads I'll look a JONG on 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I would rather have an ABS pack than the avalung i have, as i feel odd at times putting the thing in my mouth when its a bit dodgy, but when i chose the avalung, the abs stuff weighed a ton and was a very silly price.
but really let people think whatever they like....who cares!
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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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| carroz wrote: |
| as i feel odd at times putting the thing in my mouth when its a bit dodgy, but when i chose the avalung |
This sounds like a danger-enhancing device then, not a safety-enhancing device? As in it takes you to places you don't feel you should be going?
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Wonder how many of them can spell controversial. 
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You know it makes sense.
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James the Last, No it does not do that, just in areas where in a group you need to go one at a time etc say a traverse across a face thats when i use it, ( or when a bunch of idiots traverse across above you as happened to me in Gers recently)
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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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rob@rar, I tend to agree
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there's no doubt that many people buy lots of kit and never use it to the fullest potential. I have a pair of FIS-spec GS skis that I don't think I've ever got close to using them in the way they were intended.
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I have tons of kit I have never used properly. I have even thrown away some that I have never used: the motor bike crash helmet, the car's air bags, even the climbing rope to name just a few. Of course I have never used my skis to their full potential.
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Poster: A snowHead
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johnE, How do you throw away the cars airbags? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sorry, but they went with the car (I forgot to mention that bit)
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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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Believe it or not I have even heard people say, "well if I have an airbag why do I need a transceiver"
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lets be honest - you don't NEED any avy safety kit to ski off piste, the worst that can happened is you get killed
the main safety consideration for me is making sure i don't kill anyone else as well
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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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FWIW I think there is definitely a culture of 'all the gear...' and all that and people who substitute gear for knowledge and understanding. The sport of skiing (and snowboarding) has taken some strange turns in the past decade or so - perhaps this is another twist. Slghtly different thing but I still hear people say that they don't need transceivers as they have a Recco... equipment companies are so keen to market their wares that people very often don't have a scooby do what they are buying, what they should be buying and why they are buying something. There is also this culture of 'just off the piste is safe' - that is not necessarily true.
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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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pam w, Markoncarp, The contraversial thing was on purpose..it's contrariness combined with controversy....but thanks for your pedantism anyway.
I think my original point was missed.....I've noticed a massive increase on people wearing them ON THE F**KING PISTE!!
Jesus wept....
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| Steve Angus wrote: |
| There is also this culture of 'just off the piste is safe' - that is not necessarily true. |
Greatly encouraged by ski instructors who will generally take their charges just off the piste during lessons.
e.g. http://www.insideoutskiing.com/level.html click on level 8.
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| I am beginning to get to grips with skiing fresh snow just off-piste. |
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I think my original point was missed.....I've noticed a massive increase on people wearing them ON THE F**KING PISTE!!
Jesus wept....
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I don't think anyone missed the point - just read the thread more carefully. I know quite a lot of people who ski on the piste on the way to, on the way back from, or between bouts of, skiing off the piste. Or instead of skiing off the piste. I spent a day skiing in Chamonix with a friend who has an apartment there. I am an on-piste skier. She is a stronger skier than I am and when she strapped her transceiver under her jacket my eyebrows raised. She explained that she always wears it, thinks it's a good habit. She sometimes goes out alone, meets a friend in a restaurant and they decide to go off piste together.
People also pointed out that not everyone who skis off piste is a God - as you clearly are, as you can tell at a glance whether people are "proper" off-piste skiers or not.
Jesus wept again.....
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Maybe contraversial....it's contrariness combined with controversy...
Its an opposite opinion that will cause argument?
Nice.
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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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James the Last, bit unfair as they're not encouraging people to ski just off-piste but using that as a criteria for a persons self-assessment as to the level they are at.
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| dazman wrote: |
| pam w, Markoncarp, The contraversial thing was on purpose..it's contrariness combined with controversy....but thanks for your pedantism anyway. |
Ahem.....pedantry? 
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FAQ
