LVS-Gerät

The Tracker series from the US company Backcountry Access, part of the K2 Group, has been a firm fixture on the avalanche transceiver market for years. Although the trackers are not as widespread in Europe as they are in the USA, their owners in the old world still appreciate them for their ease of use and speed. With the Tracker 3, BCA has had a current 3 antenna avalanche transceiver on the market since last season, which should once again shine with the proven features and some enhancements. We got an impression of the Tracker 3 in an extensive practical test and learned to appreciate its strengths, but also found some weak points.

Part 2 of the ISPO Report 2016: Pieps and Arva present new avalanche transceivers at ISPO, while the other manufacturers stick to their existing models. When it comes to airbags, various manufacturers are in a fierce race for the lightest system. Arcteryx and Arva are presenting airbag backpacks for the first time. Ortovox is now also using its own system.

Together with risk'n'fun, we raffled off participation in a three-stage r&f freeride training course. This year's winner Max Loidl completed the first camp (level 1) in Sölden and reports on his experiences. He also brought us a little video!

Product cycles are getting shorter and shorter in our consumer society. While by the fourth generation of the VW Golf at the latest, I no longer knew whether I was looking at a 4 or 5 Series Golf, Suunto had the Ambit in its range for years. But within a few years, we have reached the third generation here too. We have tested for you what the latest generation of the Suunto family can do and how the watch has developed since the last test.

Once again this year, we will be out and about for you at the world's largest winter sports trade fair, ISPO in Munich. At the Munich exhibition center, almost all manufacturers will be presenting their products and innovations for the snow of the day after tomorrow: the 2015/16 winter. As in previous years, we will be presenting the most important product innovations and developments for winter 2015/16 in several articles, with our thematic focus on avalanche emergency equipment (part 1), touring and freeride skis (part 3) as well as bindings, boots (part 2), clothing (part 4) and splitboards (part 5).

23.12.14, 5.13 p.m. I'm now sitting at Innsbruck train station and looking back on a great week. It was great there in Sölden during the Risk'n'Fun session.

A small backup with a big impact? Pieps launched another safety feature on the market with the Pieps Backup. In winter 2014, I tested whether it is worth investing in the backup and what it can really do.

Adrian Sauter is the winner of the three training levels that Risk'n'Fun and PowderGuide have jointly awarded. The 20-year-old freeskier will take part in the Risk'n'Fun camps "Training Session", "Next Level" and "Chill Out" and report on his impressions and learning progress on PowderGuide.

The Barryvox Element is the new entry-level device in Mammut's Barryvox series and therefore the little brother of the Barryvox Pulse, so to speak. PowderGuide Japan correspondent Patrick Fux tested the avalanche transceiver in practice between North America, the Swiss Alps and deep Japanese powder.

Avalanche safety and stylish freeriding combined to perfection; the revolution for freeriders! Reduced to the essentials and with innovative safety features, the Bro-Tector® takes avalanche safety to a new level: stylish helmet camera videos and avalanche safety perfectly combined. Thanks to the Double-Safety® feature, the Bro-Tector® offers optimum safety for less experienced riders, even off the secured ski slopes.

The first impression of the Ortovox 3+ is appealing and the device makes a handy impression. The positive first impression is also confirmed in practical use. With a total weight of 315 grams including the carrying system and battery, the 3+ is about as heavy as the old M2 from Ortovox, which accompanied me for 10 years, and is therefore slightly heavier than stated by the manufacturer.