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Canadian MP demands action over Avalanche Balloon System
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

A member of the British Columbia parliament has demanded changes in regulations that prevent the import of nitrogen cylinders for the Avalanche Balloon System, a personal flotation device for surviving avalanches.

Import of the complete ABS device, including gas bottles, is permitted but a technicality prevents import of the spares.

"The ABS avalanche backpack is a lifesaver, literally a lifesaver," MP Jim Abbott says. "In 43 deployments, there's only been one fatality."

This report from CBC Canada.
Details on the ABS system: http://www.abssystem.com

Any comments on the ABS system? Ever worn it, or needed to inflate it?
[I skied in St Anton with a guide who had one on, but he only issued transceivers to the group!]
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snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

From all the info I have researched abs technology really does seem to be a useful piece of kit. Each resort should have a ski shop doing rental on the cylinders.
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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?

do they have a similar problem with gas inflated life jackets ??

what do the sailors do ?
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.

I have skied with guides in both Val d'Isere and Klosters in the last 2 or 3 years and they all used this system. As with David Goldsmith, the clients were issued with transceivers only. Also, they gave us no training in the use of the transceivers. I think their logic is that they have the ABS system as they have no confidence in their clients finding them and digging them out (we weren't given shovels or probes either) and they take complete resposibility for finding and recovering any clients on their own, without assistance from any other clients. I am sure there are a few flaws in this logic but it is probably a reasonably pragmatic solution and I was quite comfortable with the arrangements. Although in each case it was just my wife and I with the guide and the guide appeared to be taking appropriate cautions. E.g. we were always well spaced when travelling through any areas he was concerned about. I am not sure if it is more of a problem in a larger group.
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snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Last season, instead of buying new skis/boots/jacket etc I decided to buy myself an ABS backpack. The evidence in their marketing seemed quite compelling, and I reasoned that my life was worth more than €500, especially as I have a wife and child.

I had a week last season skiing off-piste with the ABS backpack. The first thing I noticed was how heavy it was compared with my normal Da Kine pack. It is enough extra weight to shift your centre of gravity and this results in some major adjustments to your weight distribution, especially in off-piste conditions. I would say it took me till my third day before I had got used to it. It is also quite bulky, which means that you have to take it off when on chairlifts - always good practice when wearing a backpack but I have been known to leave mine on when wearing a small pack. This means that it is a bit of a pain at the top of every lift because as well as putting it on/off you are also having to arm/disarm the explosive trigger. finally, even in the fairly large pack (mine is the medium sized one used by many piste patrols like Val D) there is not THAT much room as the balloons and the gas take up quite a lot of space. The smaller packs are a little better but have virtually no room for anything else, kit-wise.

On my last day I went out with my old pack as I knew we were not going to do anything "knarly". It was quite liberating, to be honest! In summary, I will continue to use my ABS pack if I am planning a "trip", but quite honestly it's not something to be worn every day. I would second the suggestion on cylinder rental - One hope one will never have to use it in anger but it seems crazy that people should worry about carrying the cylinder and the detonator on flights etc. I understand that they are "officially" aloowed in most circumstances but that often airlines will be funny about them anyway. I have no experience of flying with my pack yet, so if anybody has any experiences I would like to hear them!
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.

Weird how airlines have self inflating life jackets under every seat- wonder if I could fit a couple to the sides of my rucksack hehehe snowHead
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