Snowpulse Airbag vs ABS????

[Sleeper700]

According to Snowpulse, if the canister is at 3000psi at 20C, it will have enough pressure to properly deploy regardless of temperature (I would assume it might not work so well below -30C...). I would like to get confirmation of the weight of a properly filled bottle, that way I could use a scale to check instead of looking at the obviously cheap gauge. I have seen some documentation that the canister is 500grams, but I could not confirm whether that is empty or full. If anyone has a Snowpulse canister that is 3000psi, and has a scale accurate enough, it would be awesome to get a number. Next time I deploy mine (hopefully next fall), I will weigh the bottle empty and full. I haven't checked to see if Snowpulse is replacing the faulty gauges at all, but it sure would be nice to have a properly functioning gauge.

 

[sakullic]

Just note that there are two different versions of canister for Snowpulse.
In Europe, there is smaller canister filled for 300 bar - means 4351 PSI.
And the US and Canada version has larger canister for 3000 PSI.
I recently bought 45l version, and the salesman in Prague demonstrated with larger one, however, my canister is the european, small (higher pressure) one.
Seemed however similar in weight, perhaps the larger one is aluminium, mine seems to be from steel...
L

Has anybody else noticed that the guage on their snowpulse canister is not accurate after being deployed? My brother in law and I deployed our bags before the Snowmobile show in Edmonton, and then took them to get refilled. Avalanche Safety Solutions filled them both for free, and gave us "boosters" to install on our packs. After getting the canisters refilled, they both showed in the blue "cold" area. I took them to a local SCUBA shop, and when they confirmed that the canisters were between 3000 and 3100psi, the gauges still showed in the blue. I am wondering if we should be trying to get replacement canisters or what. If we knew how much a properly filled canister weighs at 20C, we could at least check that way, but I can't find the weight published anywhere. The joys of expecting your expensive equipment to work properly....

 

[Zig Zag]

I went with the Snowpulse Prorider and I love it great setup. Really it doesn't matter which one you got so long as you got one. :d

 

[sledslut]

here is some fun facts.

1. ABS 26yrs exp.

2. other bags either STOLE all the info from ABS, or have no testing at all / limited.

3. throught on a snowmobile helmet and deploy the bag. it pushes ur neck up and down looking at your cheast, and can brake your neck as well. how easy is it to breath with your chin pressed down restricting your airway.

4. look at any person that had an avy bag in an Avy last year and if they stayed deployed for more then 1hr or deployed at all.

the list goes on to get an ABS bag.

i have deployed ABS, BCA, and Snowpuls. i am now an owner an ABS bag. and it costs me $40.00 to get a new trigger and canister

 

[Zig Zag]

Sledslut 1 fact 26 yrs rest B.S and opinion. Like I said so long as you got 1.

 

[Sleeper700]

here is some fun facts.

1. ABS 26yrs exp.

2. other bags either STOLE all the info from ABS, or have no testing at all / limited.

3. throught on a snowmobile helmet and deploy the bag. it pushes ur neck up and down looking at your cheast, and can brake your neck as well. how easy is it to breath with your chin pressed down restricting your airway.

4. look at any person that had an avy bag in an Avy last year and if they stayed deployed for more then 1hr or deployed at all.

the list goes on to get an ABS bag.

i have deployed ABS, BCA, and Snowpuls. i am now an owner an ABS bag. and it costs me $40.00 to get a new trigger and canister

I have deployed my Snowpulse with my helmet on and had no problems with range of motion once deployed. I don't understand what you are trying to say in point 4. 26 Years of experience doesn't have that much relevence these days, as everybody INCLUDING ABS is using different materials and technology than even 10 years ago. Having that much experience can also make a company less willing to look at innovative ways to make their product better. I think that each of the manufacturers offer something different, and I made my choice based what I had as priorities (trauma protection, ease of refilling, no risk of damage when deployed with no canister, among a few). Each to their own i guess.

 

[CUSO]

here is some fun facts.

1. ABS 26yrs exp.

2. other bags either STOLE all the info from ABS, or have no testing at all / limited.

3. throught on a snowmobile helmet and deploy the bag. it pushes ur neck up and down looking at your cheast, and can brake your neck as well. how easy is it to breath with your chin pressed down restricting your airway.

4. look at any person that had an avy bag in an Avy last year and if they stayed deployed for more then 1hr or deployed at all.

the list goes on to get an ABS bag.

i have deployed ABS, BCA, and Snowpuls. i am now an owner an ABS bag. and it costs me $40.00 to get a new trigger and canister

Do you have any idea as to what you are talking about?? LOL

 

[SLY]

Personally I use an ABS because I think they are the best bag available today, and if I ever have to use it I want to be sure I have given myself the best chance of survival. But like was already mentioned on here, any bag is better than no bag. We also sell ABS and BCA, if you don't want the spend the money on an ABS we sell the BCA's for $599 + gst

 

[Mr. Highmark]

I like the ABS bag personally. I have the ABS Freeride and love the storage and light weight.The fact that the Snowpulse's canisters can be filled at your local SCUBA shop etc. is cool but for the small hassel of bringing your bottle into an ABS dealer for an on the spot exchange is worth the trade up for the Nitrogen system. The pressure tends to remain a lot more consistent in colder temps. Also the experience level with ABS is solid and has an impressive survival rate for the number of years it has been on the market. And as for the bag design, a small number of avalanche deaths have resulted in head trauma(Snowpulse) whereas spinal fracture (ABS) is much more common. All in all, your best bet will be to head down to your local sled show and measure out the pros and cons and see which is best for your needs.

 

[SLEDJED]

here's some interesting info for everyone saying nitrogen is better than air. That said I wear ABS. POWERTANK - CO2 Air Systems

 

[fnDan]

ABS has a bigger success rate than the others but not necessarily a better success rate. They've been around a lot longer. Safety records are all about where the trend is going and not where it's been. As far as testing... all of the manufacturers test their own products. I would guess that no one gets into the life saving business hoping their product works.
They all have subtle differences and none of them actually guarantee you will survive an avalanche with their pack. They increase your chance of survival and depending on a lot of factors, that can be a significant increase or very minimal. Some situations, no matter what, your chances are slim.
Having a bag is better than nothing and until the government develops a testing standard there is no way to argue which one is better.
Which would you rather have: caught in an avalanche and thinking "god I hope this thing works" or "my group should find me, cause we practice all the time".

 

[rgutmann]

Does anyone know anything about the Snowpulse airbag. I saw one perform at Ghostrider in Fernie. Re-fillable bottles are a nice touch. Does anyone have any thoughts...I am assuming the dealer will be at the sled show...

Welcome to Avalanche Safety Solutions

I got a snowpulse last year at the Edmonton sled show. There were several dealers at the show last year with different types of airbags. Nice to see them demonstrated and what kind of protection they give.

 

[Shibby!]

1 year has gone by since purchasing my ABS Vario 30l. Not a single thought of wishing I went otherwise on a different bag.

I agree, any bag is better then no bag, however history and proven results can't be argued with.

Don't listen to the marketing, think and do your own research.

I think the most important part is to get one. I'm sure everybody can understand twice the cost for a ABS is tough to swallow.

Another question would be to leave cost out of the equation. Look at each bag and think which one would you go with if the tags were off the bags. Then consider cost and if the cost differences are worth it.

Looking forward to a good year of sledding! Seeya guys on the hill!

 

[inside]

Last year at the Calgary show I tried on a abs and the bca bag. I didn't really like the looks of snowpulse (just me). I thought the fit of bca was better. The year before 3 guys in my group bought abs because they were the only real choice. I would buy the one you like best and can afford. 1200 seemed like alot to me.

 

[jeremy8]

How about the Avi Vest? What are your guys thoughts on this equipment?Welcome to the Avi Vest Site

 

[takethebounce]

How about the Avi Vest? What are your guys thoughts on this equipment?Welcome to the Avi Vest Site

It appears new! OMG, its not a proven safety device!!!!!

Thats what I get from a lot of these posts.

Anyhow, I won't copy everything I said in the Avalanche Safety forum, you can go read my opinions on the ABS vs SnowPulse. But those opinions are my own evaluations of the products based on me using it.

As I did say before, someone always has to be first, just because it was the first, doesn't mean its better. The ABS is an awesome product and I could have had either one. I went with the SnowPulse based on all the info I could find.

Anyone of them has its pros/cons. Weigh the differences and make a choice. Its another great tool to help you get home safely. Training, beacons and probes go hand in hand, practice, practice and more practice is just as important as the learning and using portion, an air bag device is more of a "we never expected to use it" but I am glad I had it item for me.

 

[SLEDJED]

one thing most people seem to over look in the "what avy backpack is better" is the backpack part. I never intend to use mine as a avy bag, but use it every time I ride as a backpack. The most important thing to me when I bought mine was how it felt to wear and how the stuff I carry was going to fit. I didn't like the bulkyness of the shoulder straps on the snowpulse. As for what works better in a avy, I never intend to find out, but after doing some research and test firing both at a sled show, I was confident that if I ever did have to use either as a avy bag they both would be better than nothing but still guarantee nothing.

 

[T-BO]

Has there ever been a case of either bag failing to open in any circumstance, testing or in an emergency?

 

[CUSO]

Has there ever been a case of either bag failing to open in any circumstance, testing or in an emergency?

I heard of a BCA one failing, but I think it was because it was a demo unit at the show and the o-rings were not changed out.

 

[white6]

heard of and know of abs bags not deploying. heard of the abs bag straps ripping. note heard of vs know of snowpulse and bca seem newer hence less opportunity for stories of failure to circulate.

this will be my first year wearing a pack and i purchased the snowpulse last spring at an end of season sale. as a backpack for what i need it is the better choice than the abs bag of comparison, just need to make some minor adjustments to the exterior to better fit my probes and shovel. my man wear's the abs bag so i did have the abs to compare against the snowpulse. hope i like it!