Backcountry Access Tracker3 Avalanche Transceiver 2016-2017

For years the BCA Tracker 2 was one of the most popular transceivers out there due to it’s ease of use and relative affordability, and maybe a little to it’s bright and iconic design. Now they’ve upgraded to the Tracker 3, they’ve ditched the yellow casing and gone with something that looks more like an iPhone.

The slimmed down ergonomics are to make it ‘pocket friendly’, the idea being that some people prefer to carry their beacons in their jacket rather than on a harness. It’s got multiple antennas and will comfortably do up to an hour in search mode after 200 hours in send!

BCA pride themselves on its no-nonsense functionality and superfast electronics, making this near-essential in your backcountry setup.

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Backcountry Access Float 32 Avalanche Backpack 2016-2017

With hundreds of refill stations around the world, BCA claim that their own avalanche airbags are the easiest to refill on the market. Given that they weigh only 3.2kg fully loaded as well it makes them one of the easiest on your back full backcountry packs out there too.

Fully integratable with all the BCA systems, this backpack can accommodate Link Radios, an aqualung, a snowboard, goggles, a shovel and probe all in well thought out, dedicated pockets and still have room for your lunch as well. It even has separate internal areas for items that will probably get wet and ones you want to keep dry!

Handy if you don’t fancy that can of coke spilling all over your nicely stored splitboard skins…

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Backcountry Access Stealth 240 Carbon Avalanche Probe 2016-2017

The Stealth probe features an assembly rod rather than a loose cord to tighten and lock the individual poles together to create what BCA call the ‘fastest assembly on the market’.

We’ve not actually gone so far as to do a head-to-head, but we can say this pole can go rigid pretty damn fast. It’s carbon as well, because carbon.

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[monetizer101 search=’bca stealth probe 240′]

Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 32 Backpack 2016-2017

Black Diamond’s 32 litre backpack is on the larger side of what’s available on the market, so rather than a sidecountry pack for accessing powder off the lift this is for long days splitboarding well away from any handy restaurants.

In amongst all the room for baguettes and snacks, you can also purchase a compatible avalung for extra protection should you get buried, and/or a hydration pack – both can be threaded through the shoulder straps and poke out at just the right level the be easily reached by mouth.

It’s form fitted so is pretty comfy, especially when you fine-tune how it sits on your shoulders and back by way of its adjustable shoulder, chest and waist straps. We especially like how access to the main compartment is by way of the back panel rather than a zippered top, meaning you can throw it down pretty much anywhere without worrying if it’s about to topple over, and there’s a dedicated helmet holder that let’s you keep your head cool on the way up without having it swinging around and distracting you from your rhythm. The little things really do make a difference.

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Black Diamond Evac9 Shovel 2016-2017

One for the pros, the Evac 9 is Black Diamond’s top-of-the-line shovel for everyday backcountry use. The shovel can swing round on the shaft to create either a traditional shovel or a hoe for moving large amounts of snow quickly, as well as creating snow pits for snowpack inspection or creating blocks for kicker building.

The blade has a larger than average surface area which we liked – and we reckon the build quality is bolts enough that you could move a fair few tons of the frozen stuff in its lifetime.

However, the blade area and curved shaft design mean that you should only consider this piece if you have pack big enough to accommodate the both, or at least have the handle and shaft rigged on the outside of your bag.

However, the bulkiness doesn’t affect the weight too much – it still feels pretty light – and we loved the D handle as it makes for a much sturdier grip whilst shoveling, even with mittens on!

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[monetizer101 search=’black diamond evac9′]

Mammut Alugator Light Shovel 2016-2017

This snow shovel packs a lot of punch in just 670g. The lightweight and space conscious scoop in made from hardened and anodized aluminium and features a straight back for extra accuracy whilst cutting blocks (handy for building jumps) or digging snow pits for analysis.

The ‘twist’ – both in its name and design – is that the handle and shaft can easily rotate 180 degrees whilst connected to the blade, meaning you can switch between two shovel shapes to give maximum efficiency whether you’re digging straight down or shovelling away snow piled in front of you. We like to call a spade a spade here, but this is a twisty spade!

The rest is what you’d expect from a snow safety shovel – grippy shaft, strong T grip, sturdy design, minimal impact on your pack weight. Reliable, basically.

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[monetizer101 search=’mammut alugator’]

Mammut Pulse Barryvox Avalanche Transceiver 2016-2017

Interestingly Mammut have included an old school analog transceiver in with the more standard digital triple antenna, so if you prefer searching using pips and bleeps rather than a digital display this could be one to plump for.

The casing is both discreet and strong – it fits well in a jacket pocket but looks like it could take a beating if dropped/smashed into a rock. Like all good modern transceivers you can search for multiple burial victims as well as marking them off once they’ve been discovered. Whilst searching, if motionless for three minutes it will switch back to send mode in case of a secondary slide burying the rescuers, giving you extra security and peace of mind.

It does its own system check upon startup, has a specific mode for testing a group’s frequency accuracy and its two buttons are designed to be used with gloves on. Basically, it’s all you want and more!

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[monetizer101 search=’mammut barryvox’]

Ortovox Pro Alu 2.7 Shovel 2016-2017

When you’re digging in an emergency situation you want the quickest, most efficient way of moving snow out the way as possible. The Ortovox Pro Alu 2.7 s among those by means of its ability to be both a traditional shovel and a snow hoe.

Nope, not a portable, on-snow ramp tramp, but a blade that can be quickly attached to one of the handle at 90 degrees in order to hack down and pull snow away quickly rather than having to shovel in and lift away, which in the wrong circumstance can be dangerously energy sapping. In every way, probably one of the simplest but best snow safety shovel features on the market.

As well as all that above, the blade can also be converted into a snow anchor or rescue sled, and the rubberized grip by the scoop seems to be much better than the roughened aluminium on most other shovels. You can also get an accompanying pocket sized ice pick to turn this bad boy into an ice axe, and if you do keep it in you pants or jacket as the name implies you can make it so without having to fumble around for an extra component in your backpack. Ingenious all round really, highly recommended.

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[monetizer101 search=’ortovox alu’]

Ortovox Zoom+ Avalanche Transceiver 2016-2017

Ortovox’s ZOOM+ is a slightly more basic version of the 3+, slimming down on some of the advanced fetures of its big brother. It still has the standard three-antennas and automatic switchover back to send in case of a secondary slide, but missing are things like multiple burial markings and updateable firmware.

There’s still a five-year warranty on it, and the design, display and ergonomics are all spot on, as is the price! If you’re looking for something relatively cheap for sidecountry riding, but still good enough to make searching for you mates simple then this could be a great beacon to look at, or even as a gift for someone’s first transceiver.

Friends don’t let friends ride without the right gear!

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[monetizer101 search=’ortovox zoom’]

PIEPS DSP Pro Ice Avalanche Transceiver 2016-2017

Not only does this top-of-the-range transceiver from PIEPS pack in all the features you’d expect from an advanced model, it goes one further by allowing you to swap detection frequencies after all standard wavelengths have been found. This means that when paired with Pieps’ TX-600 transmitter you can search for and rescue non-humans signals like a camera bag, snowmobile or this author’s dog (who never goes touring without it). Man’s best friend can stay as safe as you!

On top of this, the DSP Pro also has one of the largest optimal search radiuses available, a whopping 60m, and can detect multiple burials as well as sporting a very simple ‘marking off’ function to temporarily pause one incoming signal in order to look for the next. For professionals it also contains a frequency checker to make sure other beacons in your group are up to scratch and doubles as an inclinometer for measuring slope pitch.

It automatically transmits from the most effective of its three antennas and can be deactivated by a Pieps electronic iPROBE so that all members of the search party can lock on to the next strongest signal once the wearer has been found. With all of this going on it’s a wonder that it was one of the lightest transceivers we tested, coming in sub 200g. It comes in at a pretty high price, but one that’s well worth investing in considering the features and build quality on offer.
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PIEPS Shovel C 660 Shovel 2016-2017

During search and rescue, speed is of the utmost importance, which is why the PIEPS C 660 is optimised to be set up and shoveling as fast as is possible. The quick lock system automatically engages when the shovel handle is extended and the shovel blade itself has serrated footrests that help you channel more energy into digging out potential victims.

For a shovel, the C handle is pretty striking, and its purpose other than looking cool is to enable a strong grip even with thick gloves on. It can be swapped round to suit both righties and lefties, but if precious seconds are what we’re going for here we might prefer a more universal D or T grip. However, it is coated with a non-slip finishing that works even with wet mitts.

The blade folds down into a hoe position to help move snow away laterally more efficiently or to dig into faces to create emergency bivies, but if we’re talking multiple integrated tools here we’ve saved the best ‘til last: there’s an integrated bottle opener for top-of-the-hike celebratory beers – genius.

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