Has the Avalung become a joke?

[icelanticskier]

A wide berth... into the other treewell?

no silly, levitate. works for me.

rog

[Greydon Clark]

Greydon FTW.

In no way trying to downplay NARSID (kind of a fun word to say narsid narsid narsid!), but not falling does tend to work.

All problems can be solved if you ski the fall line as fast as possible and don’t fall.

[userA]

i have watched this technique work great till it doesn't.
b

[icelanticskier]

i have watched this technique work great till it doesn't.
b

nonsense, bobbles. the technique that didn't work was a whole different technique. maybe Z can enlighten us on the subject. probably not tho. tree wells only kill if you fear them. kinda like avalanches. the dragon fears the fearless. now we're friends. you get to learn this phenomenon in avy level 11.

rog

[Rip'nStick]

Originally Posted by systemoverblow'd
...I would prefer not to be buried...

Do the rest of us get to vote?

Regarding avalungs: I have never been caught in a slide but definitely one of the most scared I have ever been was in a tree well in Tahoe. The feeling of choking on snow as it settled over my head was not one I want to repeat. Took me at least 45 minutes to extricate myself and by then the lifts had stopped turning and I felt very alone. That was many years ago and years after that I bought one of the original vests-avalungs and it definitely brought me some peace of mind when I used to tour during big storms in the PNW. I wouldn't go out on big slopes during those large storms so I found myself in tight trees a lot.

I haven't toured in a few years, but if I did during a large storm cycle, you better believe I would have that funky vest underneath my jacket. As far as the airbags go, they sound awesome. Would still want my breather with me.

[strawjack]

this thread is fun!

I was solo when I went into a tree well once in Taos and it was not f'n fun...at all! My head was below my feet and I was face up. I think that was a good thing because I was able to clear the snow from my face after several times of the snow refilling back in. That was also on of those times when I wished my DIN was about 6 digits below what it was. Probably the most haunting memory of skiing for me.

When I move back west I will have an avalung, airbag, jetpack, teleporter, and whatever the hell else is available for me to ski another day!

[skifishbum]

fucked up and went for a ride seemed like it all happened in slow mo the collapse, fracture,slab moving fighting to grab trees & self arrest one ski fianally got caught and spun me around on top
Fucked up and tried to point er through some tight trees on a big dump day caught a tip and almost instantly was upside down in a well with snow falling down my face/throat one arm and pack pinned to a tree the other stuck in the snow at my side. Thankfully i was able to spit out and clear my throat and no more snow fell, but those few seconds of breathing in the sweet pow that seconds early
was my friend and driving force of my life, were terrifying.
like rns it took me a good 30-45 to free one arm then slip out of the pack to free the others. It was inbounds and I could here people above on the egp traverse above and was almost to a point of calling for help a couple times.
The slide and was pre avalung I'd like to think I'd been able to get it in my mouth but at that time I recall being more worried about being strained through trees and over cliffs as being buried.
The near narsid i give myself 0 chance of getting it in my mouth until i was able to free an arm.
I wear a bd avl pack because it fits me well has the features i like in a pack including one that could be lifesaving and is a quality product and any issues with their products are easily fixed by their fkna outstanding warranty department.
that and yet ready to give up that product for one with a different potentially life saving device
that imo would have made 0 differences in the outcome of both my fuck ups

[PNWbrit]

you better believe I would have that funky vest underneath my jacket.

It needs to be worn on top of your jacket.

[NoPostholio]

nonsense, bobbles. the technique that didn't work was a whole different technique. maybe Z can enlighten us on the subject. probably not tho. tree wells only kill if you fear them. kinda like avalanches. the dragon fears the fearless. now we're friends. you get to learn this phenomenon in avy level 11.

rog

Or dumb luck level 4

I once won four hands in a row at blackjack - had a nice fat stack in front - it was the 5th hand that had me borrowing money to get home.

Cards are nice that way only making you broke and shit....

[icelanticskier]

When I move back west I will have an avalung, airbag, jetpack, teleporter, and whatever the hell else is available for me to ski another day!

don't forget to bring a cane WHEN you move back west

wait, you fell while skiing? i may have to reconsider going skiing with you. joey.

rog

[strawjack]

don't forget to bring a cane WHEN you move back west

wait, you fell while skiing? i may have to reconsider going skiing with you. joey.

rog

dude, i'm going bionic soon!

Ya, I couldn't belive I fell. That was '93 maybe. Coulda been '92. I haven't fallen since.

[Pow_Chaser]

I ride with the avalung. I don't ride with an airbag at the moment because of budgets. I wear mine on the outside, but not attached to the pack. Maybe I will do that.

[woodchopper]

The avalung is no joke. People have survived for over an hour with the avalung. As far as attaching to an abs pack, packs can get ripped off during a slide which would leave you with neither. I would wear the sling under the pack. Also you can replace the mouthpiece with a snorkel mouthpiece which has a larger flange that will help prevent it from getting ripped out of your mouth. One thing about either device is you should act as if you don't have either when in the backcountry because there is no guarantee. Ride it don't slide it.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

The avalung is no joke. People have survived for over an hour with the avalung. As far as attaching to an abs pack, packs can get ripped off during a slide which would leave you with neither. I would wear the sling under the pack. Also you can replace the mouthpiece with a snorkel mouthpiece which has a larger flange that will help prevent it from getting ripped out of your mouth. One thing about either device is you should act as if you don't have either when in the backcountry because there is no guarantee. Ride it don't slide it.

.responding to a thread thats months old with absolutely no new information or insight.......its morans like you that give us JONGS a bad name

[SkiGreenGuy]

How about an airbag pack that also deploys a go-pro?

Nice.

[baron]

Both items sound great for an-Immersion Type Avalanche

Anyone sayin you can '' swim to top '' really never feel how compacted the snow is in real slide>plastic shovel means death for your partner...even metal shovel can be super difficult to dig into the slope after a slide.

...neither avalung nor airbag ,will save you if you are in the front of a slide-that is where all the force is concentrated, and is akin to being inside a cement truck back full of rocks twirling at hurricane speeds .

[m0c442]

good to re read!