Avalanche backpacks can significantly reduce the risk of spillage. But how does the airbag affect my personal risk behavior? The makers of Action Talk have made a self-experiment. And then had quite question marks.
Can I trace slopes that I would not even consider without an airbag? "Of course not!", One is intentionally beckoned, one has finally got himself under control. Indeed? Can not it be that you develop a subconscious risk-taking that is difficult to notice despite all self-criticism? Studies In any case, hold on: personal safety gains are quickly nullified when you go through the airbag in more extreme terrain.
Logical. But how does that look in reality?
To find out, we went off. We wanted to know from freeriders if they are consciously or unconsciously taking higher risks. But above all we were interested in the self-experiment, which we tried to make as objectively as possible. In the following video nothing is staged, just as we did not want to provoke something, we vouch for it with our alpinist ethos!
So much in advance: you should definitely practice pulling the trigger, in case ...
Our conclusion after the self-experiment
The benefits of an avalanche backpack are obvious: if you are not spilled at all, you have the best chance of surviving an avalanche loss unscathed. But how to deal personally with the additional security, you have to find out for yourself. Keyword self-reflection: "Would I shut down here without an airbag?"
Remains to say Of course, airbags by no means replace the standard equipment (avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe), as non-spillage is never guaranteed. But those who increase their volume in the snow masses have a good chance to stay on top thanks to the inverse segregation (the physical law that sorts the larger particles to the surface in a flow process). It is estimated that about half of all avalanche victims would be prevented with a (inflated!) Airbag. Because if you are buried under the snow, the likelihood of survival drops rapidly: after half an hour, around 70% of those buried are dead.
Avalanche backpack Backcountry Guide AP 30 by Scott
Here we were on the way
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Credits: Image and text Dominik Osswald