Various devices to increase the chances of surviving an avalanche are available to the ever-growing fraternity of backcountry enthusiasts. One of the more interesting is the concept of wearing an airbag that can be quickly inflated to provide floatation, protection from impact injury and high visibility to increase chances of being found. That is where the award-winning Snowpulse comes in. The Swiss company develops backpacks integrating an avalanche airbag.

Snowpulse says their system is the lightest and most compact on the market. The airbag is released with a simple rip-cord similar to a parachute and has the added benefit of being re-usable because the inflation cylinder can be refilled with compressed air at your local dive shop.

Besides the obvious protection of head and torso from rocks and trees, proponents of the airbag system point to the dynamics of the inverse segregation effect. That is the phenomenon that results in the biggest particles in a fluid in motion ending up on the surface after a certain amount of time. An inflated airbag increases the skier’s volume and decreases his density which causes floatation in an avalanche, as shown in snowfield tests with 90 kg dummies. It was also discovered that if the airbag was around the head and torso it was more likely that the victim would be positioned head-up with less chance of face being buried.

Snowpulse is available in 14 countries this year. North American distributor is Avalanche Safety Solutions in Golden BC in the heart of back-country pow. Call 1-888-742-8769. Also check out the website www.snowpulse.com.

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