Lawinensonde

What actually makes a good probe? Or: why is the Mammut Carbon Probe 280 speed lock particularly recommended, and what do we perhaps not find so good?

When it comes to safety equipment, not only the avalanche transceiver is important, but also the probe and shovel. Good equipment is available from many suppliers. The important thing is that you like the way it handles and that you get on well with it. As we all know, rescuing your comrades in an emergency is crucial for survival and every second counts.

An avalanche probe is actually nothing more than a "stick" made of several parts that you ram into the snow to locate the buried victim as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, there are differences that you should be aware of when buying one. I took the opportunity to get to the bottom of the avalanche probe.

If you haven't done it yet, you should definitely do it: get the shovel from the construction site, the probe from the flower bed (if it was used as a climbing aid, as it was for me in summer) and the avalanche transceiver from the basket for a mushroom search. It's winter!

As an elementary piece of safety equipment, the probe is (hopefully!) stowed in every freerider's or ski tourer's backpack and always ready to go. Actually, there is not much to such a probe and practically all models available on the market are likely to work reliably. For me, a "good" Sonder is therefore characterized more by a combination of the right little things.

The basic safety equipment - avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe - is preached like a mantra in every avalanche course. Of the three, the avalanche transceiver is given a lot of attention, while the shovel and probe are overshadowed. It's long past time that PowderGuide took a closer look at these products.

The i-Probe is a tension probe with a digital receiver built into the tip. There is an on/off button and the battery compartment (1x AA) on the handle. The receiver works according to the EN300718 standard, i.e. it detects 457 kHz transmitters. If you come within about 2 meters of such a transmitter, you will hear an acoustic signal (beep). From a distance of about half a meter, the beeping becomes a piercing continuous tone.

If, despite all caution, it does happen, a shovel and probe are part of your life insurance, along with an avalanche transceiver and personal know-how. No wonder, then, that the demands on robustness and user-friendliness are high. Can the new developments from SALEWA meet these requirements?