Snowpulse 45 Avalanche Airbag Pack Review

[Kai]

Snowpulse Lifebag 45 review
Today was my first day touring with my new Snowpulse Lifebag pack. Snowpulse is one of two companies I’m aware of that makes airbag backpacks for backcountry skiers. The other company is ABS. I already own an ABS pack, but I wanted to get an airbag pack for my 16 year old son, who is going on a lot of backcountry trips with me this season.
Rather than get another ABS pack, I decided to get a Snowpulse instead. The primary reason for this is that I like the design of the Snowpulse airbag. When deployed, the Snowpulse airbag forms around your head and upper torso, providing some impact protection. The ABS airbag deploys to either side like wings. Particularly here in Colorado, where there are quite a few trees in avalanche zones (compared with Europe, where much of the skiing is above tree-line) I thought that having some extra impact protection might be a good idea.

The Snowpulse gas canister that makes the airbag work is filled with compressed air, as opposed to the ABS, which is powered by compressed nitrogen. The Snowpulse airbag is designed so that even if you are buried, the airbags provide breathable air in a pocket around your head. This also seems like a good idea.

So, it was this innovation relating to the airbag design that led me to purchase a Snowpulse, rather than buy the ABS.

Unlike the ABS, the Snowpulse is shipped with an empty canister, which you have to get filled yourself. Scuba shops have the capability of filling the Snowpulse canister, but in order for them to do it, you’ve got to have an adaptor. These adaptors are used by paintball guys to fill their paintball gun canisters. It was harder than I thought to find one of these adaptors. The local sporting goods and paintball stores didn’t have them. I ended up driving an hour away to purchase one, and it cost me $90. Only later did I look on Ebay, and see them for $40. If you get one of these Snowpulse bags, I suggest that you buy a paintball adapter off of Ebay at the same time. That way, when your bag shows up, you will have the ability to fill it.

A friendly scuba shop guy filled up the canister to 3000psi as directed. However, the gauge on the Snowpulse canister read way too low. After reading the instructions again, I noticed that according to the instructions, my airbag wouldn’t function correctly with the pressure that low.

So, I went to another scuba shop, and had them fill the canister again to 3000psi. (The canister gauge still read low.) We switched out gauges on the fill bottle, and pumped up the pressure to 3050psi. The Snowpulse gauge still read in the “too low” zone.

I contacted the North American distributor for Snowpulse and told him about this. He said that the gauge was not working correctly and also that a number of the gauges don’t work correctly (all showing too low.) However, he assured me that the bag would work correctly if it had 3000psi in it.

I was somewhat reassured by this, but not entirely. I had watched the scuba guy put the correct amount of air in the canister, but with the Snowpulse gauge not working, I have no way to accurately check the canister pressure going forward. Maybe I’m just over cautious, but that seems like kind of a big deal to me. If this was a pressure gauge on a super soaker, I wouldn’t really care. However, I kind of expect the gauge on a ($1000) life-saving device to work. When the manufacturer can get this problem sorted, I’m going to ask them for a replacement canister with a working gauge.

I attached the Snowpulse canister (a bit more difficult than with the ABS) and finally the pack was ready for action.

I took the new Snowpulse out skiing today.

The waistbelt buckle was broken. The pack comes with a quick-release metal buckle that is supposed to keep the backpack on you even in the midst of an avalanche. However, the buckle kept popping undone all day long. Finally, when I got back to the car and examined it, I found the problem. One of the springs in the buckle was mis-aligned. Whoever had assembled the buckle had allowed the spring to be placed on the outside, rather than the inside. So, the buckle would snap, however, a tug on the buckle would make it come undone. When I got home, I worked on the buckle for a while with a screwdriver and a needle nosed pliers, and managed to get the spring in the correct position. So, the buckle works now. (I’m glad I figured this out before I actually “needed” the backpack.)

Other than the quality control issues, I like the Snowpulse quite a bit. The suspension is quite comfortable to carry. The pack frame is quite torsionally rigid, and doesn’t really flex with you when you move, but I didn’t find that this hampered my skiing much. Compared with the ABS, I think that I found the two suspension systems to be pretty comparable. Weight for the Snowpulse is 6 pounds 15.7 ounces, compared with 7 pounds 13.5 ounces for the ABS vario 30 (which is a 30 liter pack compared with the 45 liter Snowpulse) So, the Snowpulse saves a substantial amount of weight compared with the ABS. The leg strap on the Snowpulse (which keeps the pack from riding up during an avalanche) is easier to use than that on the ABS.

The Snowpulse has a good strap set up for carrying skis (which I used today for the first part of our trip, hiking over the dirt road.) It also has a convenient pouch for a water bladder, and a hole to stick the hose out of. It’s a zippered panel loading pack (the airbag design would seem to preclude a top loader lay-out) with a main compartment, and another outside pocket compartment that appears designed to hold avalanche gear (it fit my Ortovox Grizzly shovel perfectly, and there are places to put probes and other stuff.) There’s also a small, padded pocket for stuff like keys, cell phone, etc.

I couldn’t figure out any good way to carry a helmet, except for inside the main compartment of the pack.

The Snowpulse model I purchased was the 45 liter capacity model, in a size long back length. In this size, there is more than enough room for a typical day trip, and even enough room for an over-nighter if you’re going light. It seems like the perfect size for multi day hut trips.

If I were going to buy another airbag pack, would I buy an ABS or a Snowpulse? I think I would buy a Snowpulse. Its airbag design, that protects the wearer’s head and torso, really seems to me to be significantly better than the ABS design. I’m guessing that the quality control issues I’ve encountered are due to the fact that this product is pretty new to the market, and Snowpulse doesn’t have the same experience that ABS does. Hopefully, the Snowpulse manufacturer can get their gauge issues fixed. If I can get a canister with a working gauge, I think I would be pretty satisfied with this piece of gear.


http://avalanchesafety.ca/index.php/gear/snowpulse

http://www.abssystem.com/

[summit]

Why didn't you just test the airbag? I mean, air fills are cheap, why not test it and then refill the cylinder?

Could you put up some pictures of the pockets with and without gear? And of how the ski carry system works? is it vertical, a-frame, or diagonal carry?

[JoeStrummer]

I was somewhat reassured by this, but not entirely.

$$$$$

Nice review. I especially like the name "Lifebag," it has a positive connotation. Makes me feel kind of stupid for saving a few bucks by building my own and calling it a "Traumasack"

[Kai]

Why didn't you just test the airbag? I mean, air fills are cheap, why not test it and then refill the cylinder?

Could you put up some pictures of the pockets with and without gear? And of how the ski carry system works? is it vertical, a-frame, or diagonal carry?

I didn't test it because once you test fire it, you have to replace the o-rings before you refill it. I didn't have any extra o-rings, and so if I test fired it, I would not be able to refill it. (I only figured this out after I had received the bag and read the instructions.)

I'm going to order some spare o-rings ($50) and then I will test fire it.

I did a diagonal carry, but vertical will also work (but I haven't tried it.)

I will take some pictures of the pockets etc. and post them.

[summit]

$50 for an o-ring? For fucking serious?

Do you ever end up Summit County way? I'd love to see this bag, it might be just what I'm looking for.

Do you think you could graft an Avalung onto it pretty easily without interfering with the airbag deployment?

I look forward to the pics.

[mc_roon]

in light of my recent personal experience, im going to get one of these packs before next season.

[Kai]

$50 for an o-ring? For fucking serious?

Do you ever end up Summit County way? I'd love to see this bag, it might be just what I'm looking for.

Do you think you could graft an Avalung onto it pretty easily without interfering with the airbag deployment?

I look forward to the pics.

The kit has 10 o-rings, so it's not quite that bad. Much cheaper than spare cartridges for the ABS.

I've done the Avalung graft thing with my other (ABS) pack

(details here: http://www.larsonweb.com/backcountryskigear/id1.html )

The Snowpulse might be a little trickier than the ABS for putting on an Avalung, due to the fact that the pack straps and the top of the pack house the airbag. Perhaps an even bigger problem than routing the Avalung hose would be the fact that the Snowpulse airbag deploys all around your head and torso. I think that deploying the Snowpulse airbag would likely rip the Avalung mouthpiece right out of your mouth.

As for being in Summit County, I'll be skiing Black Lakes ridge off of Vail Pass on the 22nd, assuming conditions are good.

[MultiVerse]

Killer review. Did you purchase it from Avalanche Safety Solutions? I think they are the only NA supplier but I wanted to confirm; and at least the exchange rate makes the purchase a little less painful (although it looks like the 45 is sold out for the season).

The Lifebag makes a lot sense, and in addition to the head protection, I like the fact that you are a little more likely to be face-up instead of face-down when everything stops moving.

Again, great review… I’ve been looking at these things for a while but unlike the ABS packs, good independent info is hard to find. If you get a chance, pictures of the packs interior would be awesome.

[Trainwreck]

Never mind, just saw 3000 psi.

[verbier61]

very good review, thanks, I have been using one of the first released snowpulse since last february, but have been too lazy to write a review myself... anyway, my experience so far in summary:
- no issues with the canister, which was provided to me filled and it's still in the green zone some 10 months after
- nothing broken so far (I'd say I used the pack some 25 times)
- plenty of room in the pack, which also fits to me way better than an ABS.
- an additional and easy to reach pocket for - say - a camera or spare glasses would have been nice. But maybe the newer versions will have it.
I have been told that new 15, 30 and 50 liters snowpulses are under production, the first production of 2200 packs is soldout (700 gone to canada, 700 in austria, the remaining 800 scattered between switzerland, france and US....)

[Treycal]

One of my "cat-mates" used one during our latest trip to Chatter Creek in early Jan. Chatter rents them out for $25/day. Our guide let him pull the cord on the last day to see what it was like to deploy the airbag. A couple of observations:

• - It took quite a bit of force to actually pull the rip cord to deploy the bag; however, likely given your panic in the situation you'd likely be pulling on it pretty hard
• - It took a little longer to fully inflate than I would have initally thought - around 3-4 seconds

Here's a pic of the airbag fully deployed.



http://photoshare.shaw.ca/messages/v...5015/page/1/15

Once is was out our tailgunner (Sara) asked our lead guide (Don) if he was going to tell Ryan exactly what he looked like or should she - a giant chrome clit in a big puffy red vagina.

Cheers,

Treycal.

[Kai]

Here are some pictures as requested:

Also, in response to some of the other posts, Yes, I purchased it from Avalanche Safety Solutions. They were easy to work with and quite helpful. Shipping was fast, and I would recommend them (and they take paypal.)

In response to Verbier, the canister for the North American models is different from the Euro canister. Different pressure, different size, different manufacturer. I'd bet money that the gauge issue is specific to the North American canisters.

I too wanted a small, easily accessed pocket. I just added a velcro-on pocket attached to the bottom of the shoulder strap. I can grab it, and slide it up when I want to get to it. Otherwise, it sits down at the bottom of the strap out of the way.

(I'm not going to comment on the "clit" remark other than to say that I'm willing to look like a pussy if it keeps me alive in an avalanche."

[Treycal]

(I'm not going to comment on the "clit" remark other than to say that I'm willing to look like a pussy if it keeps me alive in an avalanche."

I agree completely. I don't care what I look like, at least I'm alive. The shape of the airbag is also designed to protect you from some head trauma as well as providing airspace.

[LeeLau]

Bump for another product in which I'm interested. Don't know how I missed this first time around. Very interested in the purchasing decision in this vs the ABS

[Meathelmet]

I have been told that new 15, 30 and 50 liters snowpulses are under production, the first production of 2200 packs is soldout (700 gone to canada, 700 in austria, the remaining 800 scattered between switzerland, france and US....)

Any knowledge about when the smaller bags should be aviable?

Or any specific shops that would still have the 45L for sale?

Intrested in one..

[verbier61]

I've been told of a march release...
some verbier shop still had a few of the original 45 around Xmas, now I dunno...
ferrino is beginning to sell its snowpulse-licensed pack (quite similar to snowpulse, but black-yellow and with a larger ventral belt) in italy

[davep]

Is 45L the size of the bag before the airbags/canisters are inserted? If so, how much volume would you say is left for your own gear... 30L or so?

[Kai]

Is 45L the size of the bag before the airbags/canisters are inserted? If so, how much volume would you say is left for your own gear... 30L or so?

The airbag takes up very little space in the pack. It mostly resides in the straps. The canister isn't all that big either. I'm guessing that there is 40L of usable space in this pack.

[FiveLarge]

Thanks for posting the review. For $1000, I'd also like to see those QC issues cleared up. Very interested in this, though I think I'd need to hold for the 45L bag. I currently use a BCA Stash BC pack - and at 35L, I'm often pushing the limits of what I carry. If anyone has any leads on the 45L, let me know.

[Jonathan S.]

Thanks for the comprehensive review of a product whose details have remained largely a mystery for those of us in the U.S. -- I've always summarized the pros & cons in my rescue gear presentation at avy courses, but I was going off of manufacturer promo material without much in-the-field feedback.
However, I suspect many of us are now going to wait for this:
http://www.tetonat.com/2009/01/bca-f...-abs-backpack/

[olcrackatoah]

so far i love it. it test fired it with my buddy. a tad startling when it goes off, but i'd imagine you wouldn't even notice it if you really needed it. I have not had any issues with it. i will say that refilling the cartridge is a bit of a pain as not many people have the adaptor. thats $125 bucks but again....well worth it if you live. as far as the o rings and other stuff......it is what it is. you need it. buy it. get over it! i watched all of the video stuff and whatever when repacking the bag and changing the o ring and relubing the various pieces and parts. seems simple enough however i have thought about retsting it to make sure i got it right. the pack seems bomber. i ordered 4 of them, three for others and none of us have had any issues. i can say that we did fill them to 3000 psi on the scuba guage but we had trouble getting the snowpulse guage to get that high. it varied from cannistger to cannister but all were within the range. this could have been a result of cold tanks at the scuba shop, tank without enough air to really put 3000 psi in the snowpulse tank...whatever. All three cannisters test fired just fine with the initial fill from a depleted scuba tank that only got the guage to point into the "snowflake" of the snowpulse cannister. there is now way more air in the cannister and all of them seem to show just below the 3000 psi green zone. maybe a little wierd but i had a fine test fire with less.

the pack holds everything and is very comfortable for wear all day. when the bag is deployed it becomes very rigid. total squishes you face and protects your c spine and thorax. i love the design. i'm a bit of a safety nut. lots to live for.

[cliffhucker]

All of the above is very interesting, but this new tech raises some questions... over and over you hear that beacons and avalungs are no excuse to go trapsing around recklessly. However, with all this gear, beacons, avulung, air packs, almost makes it pretty safe to go get avalanched??? maybe a dumb comment. IDK obviously trauma overrides all else and you would still die in a traumatic ride, but anything else??? What next?

[verbier61]

I've heard this comment before. In my personal experience, I have not done anything more risky after buying the snowpulse. I just feel more safe, not more brave.... Just my 0.02...

[Ripzalot]

i still haven't bought one yet, but did a bunch of research over the xmas holidays.

fyi.....

there are 2 versions. a US version and a Euro version. they have different air cannisters in them, the US being a little higher IIRC. the US version cannister is stamped with a DOT approval which enables it to be taken on airplanes in the US and in Europe. The Euro version does not have this DOT stamp but a Euro specific approval stamp. The Euro version is *NOT* approved for travel to the US. So, if you are a Euro planning to take your Snowpulse on a trip to the US or Canada - forget it.


Also, the idea of the refillable cannister being a plus for the SnowPulse is losing it's luster with the necessity of having to purchasing o-rings (ok, only $5 a pop) plus the need for a special trip to a place with a high pressure air pump. (how much does that cost?) in the end, having a couple of cartidges like the ABS pack uses seems like a lot less time and not so much extra money.

2 centimes

edit: but i still like the snowpulse design > ABS pack

[Meathelmet]

there are 2 versions. a US version and a Euro version. they have different air cannisters in them, the US being a little higher IIRC. the US version cannister is stamped with a DOT approval which enables it to be taken on airplanes in the US and in Europe. The Euro version does not have this DOT stamp but a Euro specific approval stamp. The Euro version is *NOT* approved for travel to the US. So, if you are a Euro planning to take your Snowpulse on a trip to the US or Canada - forget it.

By the way,J : Were that you that were talking about the differencies in the canisters that the US canister was openable?
I mean,you could discard the pressure,remove the valve for security inspection (that the canister is depressurized) and refill it in the destination?


Or are all bottles openable?