Stay on top to stay alive
The ABS airbag is the original avalanche airbag since 1985.
Avalanche Backpacks by ABS are leading world-wide. For good reasons!
“Prevention is the best way to stay safe, but even the most careful mountain traveller faces dangers that cannot be predicted. When an avalanche strikes you do not want to rely solely on luck to survive. So, when the unexpected happens it is critical you also use the most effective technology to help you survive.”
Dale Atkins, US avalanche researcher and educator
It doesn’t matter how careful one is – to release a slap of snow or get caught in an avalanche away from the patrolled pistes is a realistic risk for everyone. In order to dig out a victim buried under an average snow depth of one meter requires at least ten minutes – plus the time required for probing and locating the victim. Statistically the chance for survival of completely buried victims already rapidly decreases after 15 minutes. This is the reason why 50 % of these victims have not been rescued alive. The ABS Avalanche Airbag generally prevents complete burial. 97 %* off 262 registered avalanche victims with activated ABS-Avalanche Airbag survived nearly unharmed.
* Source: SLF, documented avalanche accidents with ABS-Airbag, August 2010.
In theory more volume will keep you afloat. In practice the ABS
It is a simple law of physics: when several parts are moving at the same time, the larger ones will rise to the surface. And that is exactly how the avalanche airbag works. In order to not sink down into the avalanche your volume must increase by 1.5 times your body weight. The additional 170 litres of the activated ABS Airbag give you the necessary buoyancy to stay on the surface and most likely alive.
Reduced risk of injury
The two airbags of an ABS backpack are located at the sides of the pack. This concept has proven itself over 10 years. It facilitates the maintaining of the center of gravity and the buoyancy of the entire body. With the ABS the avalanche victim is able to float horizontally on top of the moving avalanche. The flatter the body position on top of the avalanche the less impact the body has to endure due to the enormous dynamic forces within the avalanche which in return greatly reduces the risk of injury.
Two airbags, double the safety
The original ABS is always outfitted with two airbags. Even though they are being filled simultaneously both are equipped with separate shut-off valves. The advantage is that even if one of the 85 liter capacity airbags is damaged, the second one will stay adequately inflated. The ABS Avalanche Airbag generally prevents burial. That is why experts recommend it along with a transceiver, shovel and probe as the optimal rescue equipment.
ABS TwinBag for life
For avalanche experts, the main priority for people caught up in an avalanche is to avoid being buried. A quick tug on the ABS® TwinBags activation handle is all it takes to instantly inflate two airbags with a total volume of 170 liters. This extra volume will almost certainly prevent the wearer being buried.
The two ABS® TwinBags are positioned at the side of the body, keeping the avalanche victim as flat as possible on top of the avalanche, and creating a dynamically shaped lifting surface. Compared with mono airbags, this generates a much greater lifting effect precisely where it is needed the most – in the critical avalanche run-out zone.
The two separate airbags make the system twice as reliable, with clear lines of sight and complete freedom of movement even after the airbags are activated. After all, you can only help your companions if you are not buried yourself. The results of the studies speak volumes in support of the ABS® TwinBag system: Out of 262 people who activated their ABS® avalanche airbag, 97% survived and 84% of them were uninjured.*
*Source: SLF, known and documented accidents with ABS avalanche airbags, August 2010.
