Avalanche Beacons
Do you love to ski the backcountry? Hike up brutal mountains to make those elusive fresh tracks in a blanket of fluffy white powder? Drop into uncharted ski territory? Ski back bowls or even occasionally duck the ropes at your favorite ski area? If you are a powder junkie, big mountain skier, and/or freerider, it’s likely that you have already or need to invest in a trusty avalanche beacon. Here’s a short run down on all the different beacons out there, because when it comes to buying a device that may just save your life one day, you want to do your research.
Looking to buy one? Here are some choices:
- Pieps Freeride Avalanche Beacon (buy)
- Backcountry Access Tracker DTS Beacon (buy)
- Ortovox Focus Avalanche Beacon (buy)
- Ortovox M2 Avalanche Transceiver (buy)
- Ortovox Patroller Avalanche Beacon (buy)
- Mammut Pulse Barryvox Avalanche Beacon (buy)
Of course, the main thing to remember that having a good beacon with you will really only serve its purpose if whoever you are skiing with also has one that can receive the signal. Of course, when heading out into the backcountry it’s always a good idea to stick with others, test out the snow before you bomb down something that may be avalanche prone and also carry a shovel. Check snow reports and remember that big dumps after a dry spell when the under layer may be crunchy could mean avalanche city.
So, avalanche beacons aren’t cheap, but my guess is that none of your equipment that allows you to bomb the backcountry is. Backcountry skiing is certainly not for wimps and only the most serious skiers like to venture out beyond the ski area boundaries in search of the truly rugged terrain. While these beacons may set you back a couple hundred bucks, that’s nothing compared to the $600 skis you’re rocking or the $300 coat.
For all those backcountry skiers and powder fiends out there, do you have an avalanche beacon? Which one is your favorite?