Gear

ORTOVOX ALU 240 PFA PROBE £55 www.ortovox.com Ortovox market this as a ‘rookie’s probe’ as it’s reduced to the essentials for quick and easy assembly and use, although that’s surely all you need in a probe whether a rookie or a professional? Anyway, what this means is that you get a 200g aluminium probe which can be assembled and collapsed in seconds, with the tension set by simply turning the optimized adjusting screw. The large probe tip, which has a significantly larger diameter compared to the probe elements above it, ensures improved penetration even in hard packed snow. The probe also has easy-to-read depth markers, a clear one-meter marker and there’s a plastic outer sleeve at the top for a…

MAMMUT BARRYVOX S £330 www.mammut.swiss The Barryvox S transceiver is recognised as a benchmark in modern avalanche transceivers and is what you’re likely to see rescuers and guides using, so if you spend a lot of time in the backcountry it’s worth considering if you're in the market for a new transceiver, irrespective of the expense. The Barryvox S is also worth considering for the simple reason that it speeds up avalanche rescue times thanks to a wider search strip and reception range than previous models; the search strip width is 70-metres and the transceiver has a reliable reception range of up to 70-metres, and it’s capable of dealing with single or multiple burials, the latter even when signals overlap.…

ORTOVOX 3+ AVALANCHE RESCUE KIT £230 www.ortovox.com If you’re getting into backcountry skiing and looking for all the basic safety equipment without breaking the bank this is a great option as it costs less than buying transceiver, shovel and probe separately and it’s actually cheaper than it was last winter. The 3+ set consists of an Ortovox 3+ transceiver, an Ortovox Badger shovel and an Ortovox 240 Light PFA probe, along with an Ortovox Safety Academy Guidebook which explains the basics of avalanche rescue and also contains a lot of useful, additional background information. The 3+ transceiver automatically switches to the best transmission antenna when in use so an avalanche victim can be found quickly and easily, and has an…

SCOTT ALPRIDE 24 ABS PACK £620 www.scott-sports.com Yes, at over six hundred smackers the Scott Alpride is a costly backpack, but how much is your life worth, because the integrated ABS system may well save it? The 24-litre capacity pack is one of the lightest ABS bags on the market at 1240g, and is a good size for daytrips although you’ll struggle to get all the gear you’ll need for an overnight stay in it. The trigger handle is height-adjustable and glove-friendly and has multiple grabbing options – when pulled it will inflate the 150-litre airbag in just three seconds. Scott claim that the system is maintenance free; it uses two cartridges containing a mix of compressed argon and liquified…