Klim Atlas 26L Avalanche Pack Capacitor

acesup800

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I would prefer this style to reverse and suck the bag empty after a certain time limit to give you some head room.
 
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norona

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I would prefer this style to reverse and suck the bag empty after a certain time limit to give you some head room.


Not sure that makes sense, an air bag is meant to keep you on the surface, if you go down a 10 ft hole and that much snow comes down on top of you it will weight over 5000 pounds, having a pack that deflates quickly will just be filled in quickly by the surmounting weight, you are probably dead already from the weight. Being aware of hazzards like this are something each rider needs to be aware of. cheers dave
 

acesup800

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Not sure that makes sense, an air bag is meant to keep you on the surface, if you go down a 10 ft hole and that much snow comes down on top of you it will weight over 5000 pounds, having a pack that deflates quickly will just be filled in quickly by the surmounting weight, you are probably dead already from the weight. Being aware of hazzards like this are something each rider needs to be aware of. cheers dave
Weight doesn't kill you, suffocation does. If you are thrown down a 10' hole and buried, airbag or not, you are dead. No one is digging through 10' of snow before you suffocate.

So, if you are buried close to the surface and have a small chance of survival, a deflated bag gives you that extra head room and air for a few more minutes until someone either digs you out or suffocates.
 
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norona

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Weight doesn't kill you, suffocation does. If you are thrown down a 10' hole and buried, airbag or not, you are dead. No one is digging through 10' of snow before you suffocate.

So, if you are buried close to the surface and have a small chance of survival, a deflated bag gives you that extra head room and air for a few more minutes until someone either digs you out or suffocates.


When an avalanche happens the snow is basically water with the friction, which is why it sets up like cement, a 3 foot by 3 foot block can weight 3000 pounds, also the reason why you also suffocate is the ice bubble around you, from the heat and friction and then it freezes as it stops, yours is a great theory, but sorry it does not work like that. Also in your scenerio, if you are not deep then the air bag is on the surface. If it is on the surface you are on the surface.
 

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This conversation is kinda correct on both sides.
Suffocation can happen and be the cause of death in the case of an avalanche. I do not know the statistics but the majority of fatalities in an avalanche is crushing.
Crushing from debris and tree's not so much the snow but yes the snow contributes.
And you thought you were safe in the tree's LOL.

To add to the conversation, thinking that you have an avy pack, of any type your safe from being crushed in an avalanche is plainly false, an avy pack can easily be torn and destroyed in an avalanche. I personally survived 2 avalanches, one without an avy pack and one with an avy pack. Avalanche packs are not a guarantee but just a tool in helping you "SURVIVE" and that's the key here.
When i was with SAR's we spent hours training and viewing avalanche info and in most all avy fatalities, trauma was the main killer because of bodily injury like crushing.
Like getting pummeled by snow or smashed into a tree, rock or what ever the encounter is, maybe being buried 10ft under.

The biggest thing about avalanche studies, even the experts are not experts on the subject. So yes you can suffocate in an avalanche but your more likely to succumb to trauma.
 
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