Probe poles or regular probe?

[bmxbandit]

what do you guys use?....and stuff the shovel in the pack or use a front shovel pocket?....thanks

[splat]

BCA shovel with probe in handle. Havent seen a pole probe that's long enough or goes together in a timely enough fashion to make me want it.

[trainnvain]

Probe/poles suck. My lekis happen to be probes, I had never tried them as I have a regular probe. So one day I broke 'em down and tried them while we were goofing around. Clumsy and too thick in the middle, catching.

[hop]

BCA shovel with probe in handle. Havent seen a pole probe that's long enough or goes together in a timely enough fashion to make me want it.

so you use the short and flimsy tent pole BCA thing? Eek. Those are just as clusterfucky as probe poles IMO. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer a totally separate probe and shovel. I have a burl SOS probe that is something like 320cm long and pretty heavy gauge aluminum tubing (aluminum tubing! Do you know what you can do with aluminum tubing???). It has the best end fitting thingy of any probe I have seen or used. That, coupled with an Indigo shovel, equals a pretty bomber setup. It's heavy, but it doesn't suck.

Adjustible probe poles are a BC marketing gimmick if you ask me.

[Trackhead]

Want a probe, buy a probe. Want some poles, buy poles.

The only hybrid product even remotely useful for two applications is the whippet. And even that is marginal. You can kill yourself with the pick and barely self arrest with the flimsy bastard.

[splat]

(aluminum tubing! Do you know what you can do with aluminum tubing???).

Jerry rig a bong?

[bad_roo]

Do you know what you can do with aluminum tubing???

According to the CIA, you can use it to make centrifuges that enrich uranium.

[Buster Highmen]

Ask my proctologist. I just hope he can't palm a basketball.

[Lurch]

Do you know what you can do with aluminum tubing???

[AltaPowderDaze]

Want a probe, buy a probe. Want some poles, buy poles.

The only hybrid product even remotely useful for two applications is the whippet. And even that is marginal. You can kill yourself with the pick and barely self arrest with the flimsy bastard.

i like my whippet a lot. i'd never put all faith in it, but it is nice to have and has worked well a few times for me.

probe poles? you're not going in the bc with me if that is what your using as a probe. i like a burly probe atleast 280cm but prefer 300+. if someone shows up with a cheap shovel and short flimsy probe, i'd offer to swithch with them. then we'll see how much they trust that crap.

[Telenater]

While we're on the subject, lets get rid of the plastic kitty scoops.

[AltaPowderDaze]

While we're on the subject, lets get rid of the plastic kitty scoops.

they come in designer colors to match the litter box.

it also doubles as a sand castle shovel for your kids. just don't use it on wet sand. it's too heavy.

[Spats]

what do you guys use?...

I use tech talk,

JONG

damn, y'all are slow today

[PNWbrit]

Have you taken an avie course yet? It should be your very first step. Their primary purpose is to teach how to avoid getting caught in an avalanche.

Most will supply equipment if you don't already have it. You'll get a chance to see other students using different types of gear and talk to the instructor about beacon/shovel/probe choices.

In the meantime don't even think of buying or using probe poles.....or a plastic shovel and keep your gear inside of your pack not strapped to it.

[board]

According to the CIA, you can use it to make centrifuges that enrich uranium.

In all fairness Roo there were several voices in the CIA that disagreed with that assessment. We all know though how well disagreeing with W and his boys works out though. They choose the one guy who thought the tubes were going to be used for centrifuges. basically they cherry picked the report that fit their needs.

proving once again every post has a political angle !

edit: probe poles suck and so do super short and lightweight probes...please don't skimp on 100 grams so you end up probing for your buddy with a car antenna just because those other probes are too heavy

[slim]

The only thing I like probe poles for is to attach a saw to the end so that I can perform a big ass rutschblock test. Life-link makes a nice pole and saw that mate together. G3's new saw is pretty sexy also.

[BakerBoy]

BCA shovel with probe in handle. Havent seen a pole probe that's long enough or goes together in a timely enough fashion to make me want it.

Aren't the BCA shovel probes a whopping 6 feet long? That's as long as the probe poles. Be a man and carry at least a 9 footer if you mean it.

[tibaher]

I always thought it was strange that the probe is in the handle.
You have to take out your shovel to then use your probe to then use your shovel.... prolly just me but it seems backward that way

[Big Blue]

i like a burly probe atleast 280cm but prefer 300+.

I agree that probe poles are stupid, but I carry a 240cm (8 ft) probe and feel that it's long enough. Think about how long it would take to shovel through 8 feet of debris. The magic window is 15 minutes. If someone is buried deeper than 8 feet you're doing a recovery, not a rescue. My opinion.

BTW, probe poles are useful as monopods for camera work. The screw that holds them together is the same as for a camera.

[fattwins]

probe poles arent bad if you also carry a separate probe.

they can be passed off if you ever have to do a probe line.
other than that a regular probe is best.

[AltaPowderDaze]

I agree that probe poles are stupid, but I carry a 240cm (8 ft) probe and feel that it's long enough. Think about how long it would take to shovel through 8 feet of debris. The magic window is 15 minutes. If someone is buried deeper than 8 feet you're doing a recovery, not a rescue. My opinion.

so you're saying that you bend over and put every cm of usable probe into the snowpack. that'd be hard on your back. if i recall, the deepest live recovery was just under 6 feet. how tall are you?

[cj001f]

so you're saying that you bend over and put every cm of usable probe into the snowpack. that'd be hard on your back. if i recall, the deepest live recovery was just under 6 feet. how tall are you?

Your usually probing at the end of the beacon search - and to work on pinpointing using techniques like the vertical plane I'm usually on my knees/as close to the snowpack as possible. Especially if your trying to find a beacon 6ft down.

[splat]

Aren't the BCA shovel probes a whopping 6 feet long? That's as long as the probe poles. Be a man and carry at least a 9 footer if you mean it.

Actually, that BCA pole is in addition to a black diamond guide probe 300.

Got one of these,too.


K2 is offering an avalanche rescue device called the Avalanche Ball. The ball is intended to speed up the search process by allowing rescuers to visually locate the victim before beginning a beacon search.

The ball is contained in a lightweight pouch that attaches to a pack, and secured to the wearer by a waistbelt. If the wearer becomes caught in an avalanche s/he pulls the ripcord to deploy the ball.

Theoretically, the ball then floats on the surface of the snow, allowing searchers to easily locate the victim. The ball can then be repacked and reused. K2 emphasizes that this technology is not intended to replace a transceiver and should be used in combination with standard avalanche safety tools and practice.

[AltaPowderDaze]

Your usually probing at the end of the beacon search - and to work on pinpointing using techniques like the vertical plane I'm usually on my knees/as close to the snowpack as possible. Especially if your trying to find a beacon 6ft down.

but what happens when you have to rescue some guy in the bc that was not wearing a beacon? that happened last year during the recovery effort for the snowboarders. it also happened on sunset three years ago. if you're ever in a probe line w/o benefit of the beacon, you'll appreciate the extra length.

[cj001f]

but what happens when you have to rescue some guy in the bc that was not wearing a beacon? that happened last year during the recovery effort for the snowboarders. it also happened on sunset three years ago. if you're ever in a probe line w/o benefit of the beacon, you'll appreciate the extra length.

For most recreational users probing is to confirm the victim location they got from their beacon search to better pinpoint where to dig and/or quick probing of likely features for a victim. 240cm is sufficent for this (REI has a nice sale on BC Access Shovel ($35) and seperate 240cm probe ($43) now)

Yes, a long probe is nice (necessary really) for a probe line, but if your running a probe line it's body recovery mode, and I doubt is what the above user is looking to do.