ISPO time is cat-out-of-the-bag time for the manufacturers. Here they show which products they hope to win the favor of buyers in the 2013/14 season. The PowderGuide crew was out and about for you at ISPO and took a look into the future. In several articles, we show you what news you can expect, especially in the areas of safety, skis, boots and bindings, but also take a look at the booming splitboards. But let's start with the most important things first: The safety equipment or emergency equipment. And the manufacturers have come up with quite a few ideas here: As with virtually all product categories, here too there has been skillful evolution rather than revolution. But even if there have been no ground-breaking innovations, the further development of existing systems is anything but disregarded. Here, too, there are many new ideas and concepts that are interesting.
Avalanche airbags
The avalanche airbag sector continues to boom and so the mass of providers and their diverse overall range is becoming ever larger and it is almost impossible to maintain an overview (for the current season, see here). But essentially there are still four systems represented on the European market: ABS Twinbags, Mammut/Snowpulse Lifebag, Mammut R.A.S. and B.C.A. Float. However, especially for the ABS system, but also for the two Mammut systems, there is now a wealth of other manufacturers who integrate these systems into their backpacks or offer compatible backpacks or attachments. Here is an overview of the most important innovations: Mammut
Mammut has come up with a real hit with the Protective Airbag System - P.A.S. for short. The system, which is based on the Snowpulse Lifebag balloons, is now also interchangeable and removable. Similar to the R.A.S., the system can be anchored in various backpacks using zippers and eyelets, or the backpacks can also be used without an airbag. Four different backpacks will be available for the new P.A.S.: Ride 22L, Rocker 15L, Pro 35L and a lightweight Light 30L. Functionality and carrying comfort have been significantly improved once again. Ortovox
Ortovox is launching two backpacks with an integrated ABS Twinbag system. Not a headline in itself, but the company has thought ahead and presented its own M.A.S.S. - Modular Airbag Safety System. With the help of this system, the ABS bags can be removed from the backpack in a similar way to the Mammut R.A.S.. The Free Ride 24 ABS and the Tour 32+7 ABS are two compatible backpacks. Ferrino
In addition to Scott, Ferrino is the second third-party supplier to integrate the Mammut R.A.S. into its backpacks. The Powdersafe 19 is a suitable backpack. But that's not all. The Cybersafe 13 is the first third-party backpack to integrate the Snowpulse Lifebag. However, as a permanently installed version.
Avalung
There are also some surprising innovations here. The Italian manufacturer Ferrino has developed a breathing gas demixing system similar to the BlackDiamond Avalung. The AirSafe works with simple ball valves, which are designed to allow inhalation in front of the chest and exhalation on the back of the body. Just like the BD Avalung, this system is designed to increase survival time after burial.
LVS
Even if there are no exciting new developments in the avalanche beacon sector, some product maintenance has been carried out. Pieps
Pieps presented the successors to the DSP and DSP Tour, which will be discontinued next season: the DSP Pro and DSP Sport. Operation and range have been slightly improved and the housing has been given a facelift. Arva
Arva is introducing a real innovation. The Neo represents an improvement in intuitiveness and efficiency of use. BCA
It is not a real novelty, as it has already been introduced, but the Tracker3 will now be available next season alongside Tracker DTS and Tracker2 and should surpass them in functionality and ease of use. Mammut
Mammut is taking the so-called "airport approach" to avalanche transceiver search one step further and optimizing the software for pinpointing. The device automatically remembers the minima and guides you through the pinpointing process with clear arrows and unambiguous instructions to the perfect starting point for probing. This minimizes user errors and optimizes the search time. From the fall, firmware 4.0 will be available in all Barryvox Pulse devices and can also be retrofitted to older devices. The update for the Element will follow shortly afterwards.
