With the news of that foursome caught in that avalanche earlier this month with three dying and one surviving, and the news that the Dutch prince caught with a friend in an avalanche at Lech Austria is in a coma and may not come out, and the fact that both survivors of the avalanches were wearing avalanche airbag backpacks, it seemed to be a topic ripe for discussion.
The idea of the airbag backpack is simple: if caught in an avalanche, pull the blowup cord and a small cylinder of compressed gas inflates a large airbag which bursts from a compartment in the backpack. Because the victim is attached to the backpack, they tend to float on top of the debris and not become completely buried.
First, the pros of the system. 1. They seem to work quite well. I have not heard of many folks wearing the AAB (avi airbag backpack) system, using it during an avalanchee, and it not working as intended. 2. You have a backpack which you can use to carry other items while skiing. 3. You test the system before you ever go in the backcountry with an extra gas cylinder (I believe all the companies selling these systems include this additional cylinder in your initial purchase and require you to test the system and send in the used cylinder before their warranty begins.)
Now, some of the cons. 1. These AAB systems are expensive, with some systems costing upwards of $1200.00. 2. The AAB systems tend to be propriatary in the sense that you cannot buy just the AAB system by itself without buying the associated backpack. It would be nice if you could mix and match the AAB system with a pack you already own or team it up with another system, like Black Diamond's Avalung system. 3. If the bag is deployed, you need to buy a new one from the manufacturer; you can't restuff the bag and go to your local hardware store for a new gas cylinder. 4. The packs tend to be on the heavy side, and don't have a lot of storage capacity. 5. The bags have been known to inflate at the wrong times (in an office or in a crowded tram, both of which happened at JHMR to two seperate patrollers). 6. The bag is not indestructable, and can be torn or popped, especially in the washing machine of an avalanche and the bag gets torn by trees or rocks. 7. It will not prevent avalanches nor make them less likely, and you still need to exercise caution and use your brain when traveling in avalanche terrain. I have run across folks who after buying some resuce equipment like a transceiver, shovel, and probe all of a sudden throw caution to the wind and think no avalanche can touch them. Dead wrong. 8. You have to learn to pull the blowup cord in a split second and train yourself to do this; if caught in an avalanche you may only have a split second to deploy the bag and you need to be able to do so like it is second nature. 9. You still need to carry a transceiver, shovel, probes, and other rescue equipment and know how to use them efficiently and properly, especially if the remainder of your group doesn't have AABs. 10. Even if you are not buried, you can still be severely injured in an avalanche, especially if you get strained through several stands of trees or you hit rocks. The AAB system doesn't cover your entire body in a big plastic bubble like a Zorb ball.
All in all, despite the rather lengthy list of cons with the AAB systems, I think they are a great idea for anyone who spends a fair amount of time in avalanche terrain for the main reason that they seem to work really well, and your life is precious. Maybe you don't think so but your mommy disagrees. Frankly, I don't so I haven't reached the point where purchasing one makes sense to me yet. Maybe next year.
