ABS

We from PowderGuide were at the TouringPreview 2025 in Hochfügen - an exclusive event where specialist retailers and experts can discover the latest freetouring and freeride highlights for the 2025/26 season. In a relaxed atmosphere, we tested skis, bindings, avalanche equipment and more, gaining exciting insights into the innovations of the coming winter.

PowderGuide was invited to the VDBS Media Days at the end of the 2024 season. An illustrious gathering of brand and media ambassadors for networking and to find out the latest news from the Association of German Mountain and Ski Guides. There was no shortage of turns in the powder snow either, and those who wanted to were allowed to plunge into a crevasse.

The danger of avalanches accompanies us winter sports enthusiasts, but modern equipment such as avalanche airbag backpacks can significantly improve the chances of survival in an emergency. Various scientific studies have investigated how effective avalanche airbags actually are. In a study on the effectiveness of avalanche airbags by Haegeli et al. (2014)[1], it was found that an inflated airbag can prevent around half of all fatalities in avalanche victims caught in an avalanche of size 2 or larger. The non-deployment rate found is 20% and is therefore the limiting factor of the airbag.

Once again, a small, innovative company becomes a brand within a larger one: EDELRID takes over ABS; the inventor of avalanche airbag backpacks that has become synonymous with the brand. Here we present all the background and information on the new developments in an interview with ABS Managing Director Andreas Balk.

Skis, boots, clothing, emergency equipment: the sharing economy has arrived in winter sports. But how do the services work and when does renting make sense? And can it be a sustainable alternative to buying?

With the A.LIGHT, ABS has launched a completely redesigned backpack system onto the market. The release system with the two balloons, the familiar cartridge and release unit remains the same, but the backpack concept has been completely revised. There are currently two zip-ons in different sizes for the base unit, which contains the airbags, release unit and cartridge. We tested the backpack with the larger TOUR attachment.

Most of the avalanche transceiver and airbag manufacturers were not represented at the virtual ISPO. Ortovox presented a talking avalanche transceiver at the same time as but not "at" ISPO. ABS announced a new release mechanism for airbags for 21/22 and Black Diamond presented an avalanche transceiver similar to the Pieps Micro in Black Diamond colors. There was little else new to report in this area of equipment.

We were at ISPO in Munich again this year and have already reported on the latest innovations in skis, safety equipment, ski boots & ski bindings, snowboard equipment and clothing. As every year, we will also be presenting selected, interesting products from PowderGuide partners that we took a closer look at at ISPO. The second part of the partner news is about new airbag backpacks from ABS, the latest Fritschi pin binding, new skis from Scott, Line and Salomon, merino-mix underwear from Icebreaker, an Evoc touring backpack, an insulation jacket from Penguin and a helmet from Uvex

The almost unbelievable success story of what is currently probably the most popular avalanche emergency equipment began 30 years ago: the avalanche airbag. This story is inextricably linked to the Bavarian engineer Peter Aschauer, who fought for his idea for a long time against many obstacles. And the result was nothing less than a (small) revolution: the avalanche airbag is now virtually standard equipment for countless winter sports enthusiasts. The idea for the avalanche airbag was based on a rather accidental discovery ...

It is not only freeriding and ski touring that has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years, but also the desire for as much safety as possible when practicing these sports. The range of avalanche airbag backpacks is therefore increasing significantly ...

Freeriding and ski touring is 'en vogue' and one of the few areas that is still growing in the winter sports industry. As a result, the range of avalanche airbag backpacks has multiplied in the last five years and there are now several dozen backpack models with avalanche airbag technology available for freeriders and ski tourers. But a lot has also happened with the various airbag technologies: a decade ago there was only the ABS airbag system, but now there are five different systems competing on the European market, which tends to lead to falling prices, but also makes it difficult to keep track of this dynamically growing market.

The Bavarian avalanche airbag manufacturer ABS is recalling all its European steel cartridges and TWINBAG systems that have been on the market since 1996. Tests have shown that some of the steel cartridges supplied were contaminated with machining residues during filling. These particles can block the release.