Avalanche Gear
The basic avalanche safety gear consists of an avalanche
transceiver, an
avalanche probe, and
an avalanche snow shovel.
These three pieces of avalanche gear can significantly improve the odds
of surviving burial from an avalanche, but only if the members of the
party that were not buried by the avalanche know how to properly use
the equipment.
The best way to survive an avalanche is to avoid them all together. For
your safety and others, enroll in an Avalanche
Safety course. Do
not let avalanche gear give you a false sense of security. Many victims
of avalanches do not survive the trauma associated with being swept
down a mountain side by an avalanche.
 An
avalanche transceiver
(also called an avalanche beacon) is
an electronic device that emits radio wave signals when switched into
send mode that can be picked up by other avalanche transceivers that
are in search mode. This radio waves can be picked up between
10-50m radius by the searching avalanche transceivers. Avalanche
transceivers play an initial toll when rescuing avalanche victims.
It is very important to be properly trained on how to operate an
avalanche transceiver, and to practice using it to locate burried
victims. Most Avalanche
Centers offer classes on avalanche safety and how to properly
operate avalanche transceivers.
Once the buried victim is located by the searching transceivers, an
avalanche probe is used to pin-point the exact location.
An avalanche probe
looks like a long, very thin stick that can penatrate snow
easily. Properly using an avalanche probe will determine the depth and
position of the burried victim.
 An
avalanche snow shovel is a small shovel made of metal or tough
plastic. They typically can be collapsed down or disassembled so that
they can fit into a small backpack. The avalanche snow shovel is used
to dig out the victim. Avalanche snow shovels can also be used for snow
profile testing(extended column test), and can be used to create a snow
shelter.
Additional avalanche gear consists of snow study kits and snow
analysis equipment. This gear is mostly used by mountaineering guides,
avalanche
forecasters, or snow scientists but can also be beneficial for
recreational users.
A snow crystal card and magnifier glass are effective tools when
evaluating snow
stability and crystallization.
A Slope Meter measurers the steepness of a slope. Slope steepness is an
important variable when evaluating avalanche danger. A
difference of a just a few degrees can make a significant difference in
avalanche hazard. Know the correct slope to avoid avalanche risks.
A light weight snow saw is useful for isolating columns in
snowpits and rutschblocks, and for sawing off cornices to test slopes.
Folding models take up less space and prevent the teeth from damaging
your pack and other gear.
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