Avalanche backpacks

Avalanche backpack: for more safety in the snow

Do you love steep descents, ski touring or snowshoe tours, preferably through fresh powder snow away from the slopes? Then you should take an avalanche backpack with you, as the special airbag backpack can be a lifesaver in an emergency. An avalanche backpack is worn like a normal sports backpack, but its special function can save your life if you get caught in an avalanche.

The avalanche backpack, also known as an avalanche airbag or ABS backpack, should be part of your winter equipment and is available in numerous designs and sizes. There are models for women and men to suit your body size - so you will definitely find a model tailored to your needs.

The avalanche backpack: for safe winter activities

Whether it's a snowshoe tour through the winter forest or a descent on skis, snow or a splitboard, an avalanche backpack protects you wherever the snow is low and the risk of avalanches is high. Avalanche backpacks should therefore be part of your safety equipment away from the protected slopes.

You can recognise a good avalanche backpack by the following features:

• An avalanche backpack is equipped with a special airbag system that keeps you on the snow surface, similar to a life belt, should you be surprised by an avalanche. Depending on the model, one or two fixed balloons are integrated.
• The additional weight of the airbag system, including gas cartridges, release system and airbags, is between 1000 and a maximum of 3000 grams.
• The airbag backpack has additional, light compartments in which you can store an avalanche shovel, avalanche probe and other accessories to help you rescue others from avalanche snow more quickly.
• There are also several attachment options on the outside so that you can attach other accessories such as a rope, ice axe or helmet to the airbag probes.
• Depending on the model, the backpack with avalanche airbag can be opened at the top, side or back.
• At the back, some avalanche backpacks have reinforced back protectors to protect your spine in the event of a fall.
• The inside of the avalanche backpack usually has a large main compartment and several inner compartments for organising your equipment.
• In some airbag backpacks, the airbag system can be removed from the backpack and integrated into another compatible backpack. This means you can easily switch between different backpack sizes.

ABS avalanche backpacks: how they work

As soon as you get into an emergency and are buried by an avalanche, the airbag inside the avalanche backpack is triggered. Depending on the backpack model, one or two balloons are released just a few seconds after the burial, so that they inflate with a lot of pressure thanks to an integrated gas cartridge and allow you to float to the surface. This prevents you from being buried lower and lower, which would significantly minimise your chances of survival. However, as the avalanche backpack keeps you close to the surface of the avalanche, in most cases you can free yourself very quickly or, if you are injured, be found more quickly by rescuers. An avalanche backpack increases your chances of survival in the event of an avalanche by more than 40%.

The lightweight safety plus

Despite the integrated technology, an avalanche backpack is relatively light and does not hinder you when hiking or ski touring. You can also use it for your other luggage that you need for skiing or snowboarding, but also for tours through the forest. You are sure to find the right avalanche backpack for your next winter holiday among the numerous model variants available from Transa.