Avalanche probe to snowshoe conversion...solution to "lost a ski in backcountry"?

[swissiphic]

Last weekend a solo ski tourer lost a ski in the backcountry adjacent to our local ski hill. Due to snow conditions, he couldn't make it back out and spent the night in a snowcave. Got rescued the following day.

Put the brain to it and came up with this idea as a potential solution.

This sectional probe pattern along with a sheet of poly woven through the 'arms' and connected to outer rim might provide reasonable surface area/float. Also, could provide a variety of foot position orientations for refinement of fore/aft and lateral weight balance for different snow conditions and/or injury compensation. Something to get ya back to where u wanna go. Compare potential surface area to one of my dairylandr milk crate ascension plates that are known performers in shallower boot pen snow.




320 cms long probe, electrical taped junctions to create a rigid cohesive structure, three ski straps to connect boot to the Probeshoe. Weave a precut sheet of poly through the 'arms' and attach to perimeter rim.

Would be great to a/b compare this system to the shovel blade and maybe a similar unit made from adjustable ski pole sections....advantage to using the probe is you still have use of yer ski poles...dunno about you but I rely on poles quite a bit for any kind of movement on snow.

[macon]

This is really well done and a cool thought experiment.

But I think this can be solved with ski leashes.

[swissiphic]

Update:

From thought experiment to field testing.

Tested the thing out in the back yard this morning. Overnight refreeze breakable temp crust over loose wet grains.

The pics tell the tale better than words can.

[adrian.bee]

Definitely a good solution, well done.

Another option is the avy shovel blade + straps.

[swissiphic]

Definitely a good solution, well done.

Another option is the avy shovel blade + straps.

Yeah for sure. Gonna have to field test with a/b/c comparos with other options like shovel blade. Off the cuff thinking is shovel blade will have quite a bit less surface area, so, less float as compared to the probeshoe with the sheet of poly woven through the arms of the frame and attached to the perimeter... t'would be a "bigger snowshoe".

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Very clever. Some of your best work.

[Dee Hubbs]

Definitely a good solution, well done.

Another option is the avy shovel blade + straps.

I have a buddy who lost a ski in a small backcountry slide.
He skied out on one ski and his avi shovel strapped to the bottom of his boot.

[galibier_numero_un]

I LOVE this !!

[macon]

I'll be damned. That's cool. Well done.

I'd be curious how to attach an avy shovel blade. My mammut alugator has holes in it and I feel like I could probably push a heli strap through them and fasten to my boot pretty easily. Could probably even skate on it if you do it right.



Maybe I'll give it a go later

[XXX-er]

Voile straps ^^ one won't do it so I always carry 3 of the longest Voile cuz when I blew a heelpiece I needed 2 to strap the boot to the ski

The Titan straps are even longer & stronger

[macon]

yeah I carry 5 of them, 3 in 20cm and 2 in 15cm

[XXX-er]

I had to borrow one off a lawyer ... I'm lucky he didnt bill

[skisurfmirth]

What about using pinebows as a filler between the probe lengths? Also titan makes a 36" strap that makes for a sweet light weight belt/emergency strap. Pairs nicely with 500/650mm ski straps like xXx says.

[XXX-er]

trees would work, you could even make the snow shoes from the pine bows, so a good reason to get the Swiss army knife with the lockblade which has the saw blade, or carry a saw of some kind i used mine swiss army all the time to modify office furniture running computer cable

but if yer above treeline no trees and so the probe thing is not only a good idea but the only idea

a ski strapped to one boot skins suprisingly well, my buddy lost a toe piece in december and would have had a shitty time getting out

I strapped his boot on with 3 long Voile straps and he was able to Terry Fox it out of there with the group no problem eh

the next day everybody in the group was buying Voile straps

[Core Shot]

Branches and pine boughs

The key is having duct tape. Even if I have no pack, I have a 1/2” strip of duct tape on each pole, just below the handle. Doesn’t affect swing weight. And it’s always at the ready.

[PNWbrit]

Was this prompted by the guy lost at Shames that they were posting about?

I hadn't seen any more news and feared the worst.

[BCMtnHound]

yeah I carry 5 of them, 3 in 20cm and 2 in 15cm

I hope you mean 20 and 15 in freedom units, or those are the shortest straps I have ever seen

Strong work there Swissiphic! The stays or whathaveyou back structures in many packs might work as ribs as well. Probably not as easy to recover/re-use after getting out but another resource to consider.

[macon]

I hope you mean 20 and 15 in freedom units, or those are the shortest straps I have ever seen

Oops, you're right haha

[XXX-er]

Was this prompted by the guy lost at Shames that they were posting about?

I hadn't seen any more news and feared the worst.

https://www.terracestandard.com/news...ntry-rescuers/

" a 44-year-old man with extensive backcountry experience. "

Couple snow mobilers were caught out as well,

I use brakes even tho the dynafit vert & rad brakes aren't the best they are > nothing, I never could get the noleash- no brake thing

[nickinbc]

We had someone 'snowshoe' out from the Bow Hut on shovels after losing a ski. Worked surprisingly well.

[swissiphic]

Evolution of the, dare I say, potential revolution? Will it be a game changer? Or, just add pain and danger? Dunno, time will tell if this is just a 'half baked' or 'fully baked' idea, eh, XXX-er?

$4.49 crazy carpet was sacrificed to add some float and structural integrity to the probeshoe

4 zip ties kickin' around the house were also laid at the alter of innovation.

I think the ski straps oriented in a figure of 8 pattern and slotted through the underside of the two foot platform braces will add both strength AND a bit of grip for walking. The strap layout has been extensively tested on my Dairylandr milk crate bottom and/or sides ascension plates and it works awesome...super tight, secure lockdown of boot to plastic and allows for micro adjustment of fore-aft, and, inboard/outboard angle of boot to optimize for terrain and snow conditions presented. Easy to add more slots for another ski strap or more...to add to the secureness of attachment of boot to probeshoe, and, potentially add more strength to the unit as a whole...I think in this case all attachment methods/items and the ski boot itself work in synergy to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

I didn't have enough zip ties to fully, completely create the final finished form that might be ideal. Add more zip ties to create a stronger, more cohesive unit...i figure the more attachment/tie in points, the better.

I consider this project done until I can find old junker probes to really give it a field test.

My little walk of 50 meters in the back yard yesterday dented the alu..probe still functional but, not gonna risk further damage. Highlighted a potential concern of durability for getting out of a far away predicament in the back country, however,...i kinda figure the more zip ties and tie in points a person adds will add to the structural integrity of the unit as a whole...time will tell though, no clue at this point, all conjecture.

[XXX-er]

Emergencies can be whatever if they get you out cuz its an emergency

If you want to keep suggesting ideas to me be prepared to be told something you might not like

[swissiphic]

Emergencies can be whatever if they get you out cuz its an emergency

If you want to keep suggesting ideas to me be prepared to be told something you might not like

Emergencies are less of an emergency if one knows a few unknowns. As for your second sentence; that is a known unknown.

[macon]

Emergencies are less of an emergency if one knows a few unknowns. As for your second sentence; that is a known unknown.

Known unknowns are why you have contingency.

Unknown unknowns are why you have margin.

[XXX-er]

An emergency is still an emergency , a good analogy would be that a woman can't be a little bit pregnant


Rumsfeld stated: Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.

according to Donald Rumsfield's " logic " the my second sentance is actuly a known known,

because we know if you make a half baked suggestion to me I will tell you its half backed,

If I didnt tell you if an idea was half baked ( cuz you didnt ask me) that would be a known unknown

this does not mean I didnt think the idea was half baked it just means I didnt say anything

so my thots are all known unknown's until I verbalize them

if you want a known unknown just don't ask me what I think

if you want a known known just ask what I think of your idea(s)