Surviving an avalanche with an airbag

[marcski]

 

[speden]

I love it when a plan comes together.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Worked real well..

 

[BenedictGomez]

I dont understand how that's helping.

 

[from_the_NEK]

I dont understand how that's helping.

It's helping idiots think they can ski in terrain that has a high probabilty if avalanching without having to worry about dying. uke:

 

[Nick]

This reminds me of that other video with the avalung that was POV not that long ago. Freaky though, I think I'd panic pretty bad if I were ever caught in an avalanche.

 

[atkinson]

The airbag helps keep you floating on top of the sliding snow and partially protects your head, neck and back. The real world success rate for staying unburied is pretty impressive, but the potential for real trauma is still there.

Like a helmet, it's just an insurance policy that may not cover you when the poo-poo meets the spinning blade. Having insurance is often required for truly dangerous activities, like driving.

 

[BenedictGomez]

The airbag helps keep you floating on top of the sliding snow and partially protects your head, neck and back. The real world success rate for staying unburied is pretty impressive, but the potential for real trauma is still there.

That's the part I'm not conceptualizing. It just doesn't seem that would do the trick, but I guess it does?

 

[Hawkshot99]

That's the part I'm not conceptualizing. It just doesn't seem that would do the trick, but I guess it does?

I am on a forum and the creators of these bags is a member on there. He was posting the test videos when they were developing the system. It was amazing watching the dummies that they put into avalanches. They would put the air bags on some dummies and no bag on others. The ones wearing the bag, surfaced after the slide far more often than the ones without.

 

[kingslug]

The physics is the same as what happens with a bag full of mixed size particles or whatever..lets say nuts..the large ones end up at the top..thats it...

 

[BenedictGomez]

They would put the air bags on some dummies and no bag on others. The ones wearing the bag, surfaced after the slide far more often than the ones without.

I'd be curious to see how many test runs they have to see just how successful it is (i.e. does it work 95% of the time or 55% of the time etc..).

 

[kingslug]

There is no way to predict what an avalanche will do to you..best bet is in an open field..rocks and trees will kill you...I spent 3 days at Alta doing a level 1 avi course..learned a lot but still have miles to go..what I learned most was..avi's kill you..being prepared and knowing how to avoid them is your best bet, everything else comes in a distant second..these bags are a great idea and are proven. They are standard issue for many guides out west. I have an avalung...but sure as hell would not want to test it..

 

[drjeff]

I'd be curious to see how many test runs they have to see just how successful it is (i.e. does it work 95% of the time or 55% of the time etc..).

Exactly! What's the "n" for the sample size??

Also, is it just me or does it look like in this particular video that the "test subject" ended up behind most of the volume of the slide?? I if there would be similar results if the person was either in the middle of the volume or towards the front of the slide(i.e. they trigger the slide and are caught from behind as they're trying to out run it??"

Lastly, if the person gets say carried over a cliff or carried into a stand of trees as the slide is running out, i'm thinking that all that the air bag might do is just give the search and rescue crews a larger orange target with which to locate the body of the victim??

 

[ScottySkis]

Looks like fun

 

[SIKSKIER]

No doubt these devices work and will help in some cases but of course not all.Like many safety devices they have their limitations.I had the unfortunate but lucky experience of being in a small avi while catskiing in the Monashee of BC.I never realized I was even in it till I was almost stopped.Very strange feeling.I didn't know why I fell and why I was not stopping until almost stopped at the bottom of the runout and the lead guide was yelling at me to swim swim swim.I started to try to but it really had no effect at keeping me aloft in my opinion.I only ended up being buried to just above my waist but let me tell you that it was very difficult to extract myself even from that encasement.I can see this device helping to keep one near the surface.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Looks like fun

What?

 

[Nick]

What?

Same thing went through my head 8)