Do you ride with a beacon, shovel and a probe.

bbtoys · Nov 18, 2011

if you don't have them you don't ride with our group period. you will always be asked before we leave town if you have them and if you hook-up with us in the parking lot you will be asked and then before we leave the lot a beacon scan is always done.

BC Sno-Ghost · Nov 18, 2011

I totally agree that if I don't have the proper gear when riding in Alpine Terrain, you won't want me with you. I totally respect that. But now do I have to ask you if you have first aid/CPR and you've practiced it? Have you taken all the courses? Have you ever had to apply those skills. And is it right to say you can't ride with me if you don't have it? I feel there's so much more to it than just having the course and the gear. (IMO) :beer:

Snorider · Nov 18, 2011

proper equipment and the knowledge to use it. every time. me and another another guy have extras in case someone forgets stuff.

BC i don't think there is anything wrong with saying you can't ride with me. I know if something should go wrong I could be efficient at helping someone else from first aid to locating and digging someone out even if not in our group. I like to know that everyone in my group can do the same for me. I'm selfish that way.... to know that I have great people with good skills/practice/knowledge to save my butt or give it a valiant effort should I ever need it.

Most of the time we are the only people we see all day. part of it due to the days we go riding.

BC Sno-Ghost · Nov 19, 2011

Snorider said:
proper equipment and the knowledge to use it. every time. me and another another guy have extras in case someone forgets stuff.

BC i don't think there is anything wrong with saying you can't ride with me. I know if something should go wrong I could be efficient at helping someone else from first aid to locating and digging someone out even if not in our group. I like to know that everyone in my group can do the same for me. I'm selfish that way.... to know that I have great people with good skills/practice/knowledge to save my butt or give it a valiant effort should I ever need it.

I don't consider that to be selfish at all. Sometimes I get frustrated with some of the guys on here who are on such a high horse because they have "Avy Training" and all of a sudden are so dam self righteous because they think they are so much better prepared than those of us who haven't taken a formal course, to the point where some say.."you can't ride with me, cuz you haven't taken the courses". ("Bite Me"!) Some of our smartest "classroom" firefighters were the most useless POS on the fire ground when chit hits the fan. Some/most will pass the classroom avy tests but the class doesn't test your ability to control your adrenaline and emotions at an emergency scene. I understand the whole hazard recognition/avoidance aspect of the courses but where and how I ride, I won't be putting myself intentionally in harms way with a "False sense of confidence" because I have an "Avy Course". I know it sounds like I'm bashing taking the course. Please understand that I'm not. I just want some guys to be honest with themselves and admit they are not as "Completely Prepared" as they profess to be. Of course when the AST1 Course comes to Kelowna this month, I'm gonna be in Puerto Valarta, otherwise I would be taking it.

bobsledder · Nov 19, 2011

BC Sno-Ghost said:
Snorider said:

proper equipment and the knowledge to use it. every time. me and another another guy have extras in case someone forgets stuff.

BC i don't think there is anything wrong with saying you can't ride with me. I know if something should go wrong I could be efficient at helping someone else from first aid to locating and digging someone out even if not in our group. I like to know that everyone in my group can do the same for me. I'm selfish that way.... to know that I have great people with good skills/practice/knowledge to save my butt or give it a valiant effort should I ever need it.

I don't consider that to be selfish at all. Sometimes I get frustrated with some of the guys on here who are on such a high horse because they have "Avy Training" and all of a sudden are so dam self righteous because they think they are so much better prepared than those of us who haven't taken a formal course, to the point where some say.."you can't ride with me, cuz you haven't taken the courses". ("Bite Me"!) Some of our smartest "classroom" firefighters were the most useless POS on the fire ground when chit hits the fan. Some/most will pass the classroom avy tests but the class doesn't test your ability to control your adrenaline and emotions at an emergency scene. I understand the whole condition recognition/avoidance aspect of the courses but where and how I ride, I won't be putting myself intentionally in harms way with a "False sense of confidence" because I have an "Avy Course". I know it sounds like I'm bashing taking the course. Please understand that I'm not. I just want some guys to be honest with themselves and admit they are not as "Completely Prepared" as they profess to be. Of course when the AST1 Course comes to Kelowna this month, I'm gonna be in Puerto Valarta, otherwise I would be taking it.

Click to expand...

Agree SnoGhost, Sitting in a classroom is no substitute for experience. It is sad to see people with their "I have AST1, airbag, probe, beacon and shovel so I am good to go" attitude ripping up and down avy terrain and claiming they don't ride in avy terrain.
I used to do avy control work on the ski hill and have spent a lifetime in the hills learning how to avoid. I was fortunate to grow up in the mountains and in no way consider myself an expert. Listen to Karl Klassen and those guys, when they say stay off the hill do! Have you noticed a lot of these incidents have happened when these guys are saying to stay on low level terrain.

I will be ready to dig with my Costco shovel though

Treedragon · Nov 19, 2011

I will never leave to ride the mountains with out a shovel/beacon/probe/airbags/spot never can be too prepared, and if someone we are riding with has an old beacon i'll give them mine and show them how to use it, Because there's no room for error when an emergency happens! And i feel a lot safer if they have a good beacon that's user friendly to search for me with(Knock on wood)!

Snorider · Nov 19, 2011

BC Sno-Ghost said:
Snorider said:

proper equipment and the knowledge to use it. every time. me and another another guy have extras in case someone forgets stuff.

BC i don't think there is anything wrong with saying you can't ride with me. I know if something should go wrong I could be efficient at helping someone else from first aid to locating and digging someone out even if not in our group. I like to know that everyone in my group can do the same for me. I'm selfish that way.... to know that I have great people with good skills/practice/knowledge to save my butt or give it a valiant effort should I ever need it.

I don't consider that to be selfish at all. Sometimes I get frustrated with some of the guys on here who are on such a high horse because they have "Avy Training" and all of a sudden are so dam self righteous because they think they are so much better prepared than those of us who haven't taken a formal course, to the point where some say.."you can't ride with me, cuz you haven't taken the courses". ("Bite Me"!) Some of our smartest "classroom" firefighters were the most useless POS on the fire ground when chit hits the fan. Some/most will pass the classroom avy tests but the class doesn't test your ability to control your adrenaline and emotions at an emergency scene. I understand the whole hazard recognition/avoidance aspect of the courses but where and how I ride, I won't be putting myself intentionally in harms way with a "False sense of confidence" because I have an "Avy Course". I know it sounds like I'm bashing taking the course. Please understand that I'm not. I just want some guys to be honest with themselves and admit they are not as "Completely Prepared" as they profess to be. Of course when the AST1 Course comes to Kelowna this month, I'm gonna be in Puerto Valarta, otherwise I would be taking it.

Click to expand...

I didn't take an avy course for a long time. I learned much of my knowledge on the hill, back country skiing with guys that KNEW their chit. But they would also talk about it, point stuff out, and even recommend area's to stay clear of and why on the descent down when we were taking skins off and taking a quick break. when I took the class I already knew much of it thanks to those old guys(or so I thought at the time lol) that took a kid with them to ski.

I'll agree with the false sense of security completely. not only with the course but with technology advancements in safety equipment.

as for people not being able to function when chit goes south I see it all the time. as we are a rural county, our fire department is 100% volunteer for structure and wild land(they get their use outta us, but we get a crap load of training) we get people applying that i don't think can remember to blink or breathe in just training. but that is one reason to practice. so you can control/push those feelings and adrenaline aside and go quick, efficiently and safely to the tasks required at hand. Some people can do it naturally, some takes lots of practice and some I wonder if they ever can.

polar sledhead · Nov 20, 2011

i have ast training and gear same as son
we dont have avy packs but maybe soon

-lenny- · Nov 20, 2011

Gearing up at the staging area one day, realized my beacon was still in the hotel room. Had to drive all the way back to town to get it. Since then I have purchased a spare incase anyone else forgets theirs.

MEVV · Nov 21, 2011

Always have my Peep, Shovel and Probe and refuse to ride with ppl who don't!

inside · Nov 22, 2011

I just thought in the hotel room when you get dressed you turn your beacon on and put it on.... we make look foolish getting ready for the day in bibs and a becon but if you forget to put your coat on and head up the hill you will notice, a beacon not so much.

Nixonguy14 · Nov 23, 2011

i always wear my beacon and carry the appropriate tools including a first aid kit you hope you never need them but i wouldnt want to be caught without em

hurtinalbertin · Nov 25, 2011

i always wear an avy back pack, c/w first id kit, survival kit, shovel and probe. i always wear a beacon. I also carry extra shovel and probe in my sled in case i get stuck on a hill I'm not taking off my backpack to get it. I ride to get away but still want to go
back home

Longhairfreak · Nov 26, 2011

I dont ride. Just ask numbnuts.

Steve O Nytro · Nov 26, 2011

Without a dout wouldnt go without the. The wife n daughter would never forgive me if i didnt come home cause i wasnt carrying everything

put it to the bar · Nov 27, 2011

how much is that stuff to rent? i just got 2012 summit and can not belive how much that stuff is worth

SledMamma · Nov 27, 2011

put it to the bar said:
how much is that stuff to rent? i just got 2012 summit and can not belive how much that stuff is worth

If you can afford the new sled and the gear to stay warm and protect your melon.... Big question: How much is your life worth??

That said: rental runs right around $50/day and gives you a chance to try a few different styles before you buy. It's useless if you can't use it effectively- look up the "ABCD's of avalanche safety" videos to start, practice as soon as you can with real equipment and get thee to an AST 1 course, STAT!!

lager99 · Nov 29, 2011

put it to the bar said:
how much is that stuff to rent? i just got 2012 summit and can not belive how much that stuff is worth

What's a life worth?

clifford the big red dog · Nov 29, 2011

The reason that I were a beacon is so that you can find me if there is an avy, the rest of the equipment is to help you. I will not ride with you if you dont have this equipment, I have extra and chances are you can use it, If this hurts your feelings that is ok because if you get burried in an avy and I spend hours looking for you and dont find you because you dont have a deacon on I will have to live with that even if I have every course that I need to have, by the way I have cpr training. I thought this thread was asking a stupid question but after reading it, Wear Your Gear

milton · Nov 29, 2011

How about snow shoes? Can you imagine trying to walk out of boulder if you were off the trail. i carry a mini pair of snow shoes and retractable poles in my tunnel bag. They came in handy last year when we ducked down into the trees and had to leave a sled there. Threw on the snow shoes and walked to the top like nothing.

Do you ride with a beacon, shovel and a probe.

Do you ride the Mountains with a Beacon (Probe and shovel)

I always, always, always do wear a beacon etc

The odd time I haven't worn a beacon etc

I never wear a beacon etc

This is a bogus poll

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