Erste Hilfe

In addition to the classic avalanche equipment, a good selection of first aid material is also essential and should not be missing in any backpack. In my opinion, one very important product is missing from the standard first aid kits: the aluminium padding splint. Because honestly, what am I supposed to do with all those plasters if I need to treat a fracture in the outdoors?

The gold and silver-coloured rescue blanket has a Christmassy look. And just like the Christ Child, it comes from heaven.... Well, almost.

January wasn't exactly at its best: down in the valley, climbing and mountain biking were already back on the agenda and up on the mountain, the last remnants of snow and artificial snow slopes were slowly but surely melting away. But before we get back into winter mode and start thinking about ski tours and freeride adventures, we ask ourselves when we last really took a close look at our equipment.

The Austrian Society for Snow and Avalanches (ÖGSL) is organizing an open Zoom workshop on Monday, 29. 11. 2021, at 19:00 on the subject of first aid in avalanche accidents with Manuel Genswein.

Last spring, the inner shoes of my ski touring boots started to show signs of disintegration. I get blisters relatively easily and started taping my feet where the chafed inner boots rub so that I don't lose more skin with every tour.

How did the stable lateral position work again? What about the 2020/21 PowderGuide season? Will our tent stay waterproof even in heavy rain? These were the central topics of this year's PG core team meeting.

In spring, when the fun of the lift becomes less for the common freerider and the joyful high skins become more, the additional equipment changes in small but important areas.

I can still remember the first time I saw an outdoor headlamp, even if it was quite a while ago. You don't get any younger... Although the models back then were still really big and heavy and not too bright, I immediately thought to myself: "really practical thing". After all, it not only keeps your hands free, but also automatically illuminates your field of vision.

Have you ever helplessly scraped ice out from under the spring bar on the toe piece of a Tech binding? Do other bindings make hairpin turns look much easier? No idea what the difference between brittle and non-brittle drift snow, which may be vital for survival, actually means? SnowFlurry helps.

The Austrian Alpine Club combines the various facets of its training program under the umbrella term "Safe on the Mountain" (SAB). In addition to the SAB courses on various mountain sports disciplines for section members, there are the so-called SAB booklets, in which the relevant teaching content can be found. In addition to the already well-known booklets on ski touring, via ferrata, sport climbing and mountain biking, there is now Hochtouren - Sicher unterwegs im vergletscherten Hochgebirge.

Börm Bruckmeier Verlag, which specializes in medical literature in a "compact format", presents a detailed guidebook to take with you into the mountains, subtitled: From day trip to Himalayan expedition.

It has to be small, light and practical - today's emergency backpack. In addition to the first aid kit, it should not be missing in your backpack, because the weather changes quickly in the mountains and you need a safe shelter in an emergency. The Ultra Light bivy sack is also a real emergency talent.