In the last few years, the airbag system has made a push to become a backcountry necessity for skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers along with the beacon, probe and shovel.

The idea for the airbag is pretty simple. It helps someone caught in a slide remain near the top of the avalanche, help reduce head and neck trauma and it can help increase the visibility of the buried victim for rescuers.

Sales for airbag systems have been on the rise. Last season a highly publicized avalanche killed three skiers in the backcoutry near Stevens Pass. A fourth skier, pro, Elyse Saugstad was among the party swept in the avalanche, but survived, she said, largely thanks to the fact she deployed an airbag-equipped backpack.

Though equipment alone won’t guarantee safety if caught in an avalanche, a lot of snow science and avalanche educators agree that it couldn’t hurt to carry one.

Rich Rinaldi, owner of Yostmark Mountain Equipment and Yostmark Backcounty Tours said he’s seen the use of airbags rise mostly in mechanized ski guiding, like cat skiing or heli sking operations. For the average backcountry skier, they are not as commonplace because they tend to be more expensive and a little heavy.

There’s also been the argument that having an airbag could cause a sort of false sense of security and people will venture onto riskier terrain.

“That’s been the story when transceivers first came out or any of these types of things that could potentially help save your life and that’s the negative side of all this” said Rinaldi. “But if it increases safety then what the heck.”

At Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the tragic death of a patroller in an avalanche while doing control work in 2010 prompted the resort to adopt a safety policy of airbag packs for all its patrollers and alpine guides. The first ski resort in North America to do so, JHMR followed the steps of many cat and heli-ski ops that were already utilizing airbags.

The idea for the airbag was developed in the 1970’s, by a German forest ranger. The company he formed is today known as ABS, one of the three major producers of airbags, along with Mammut/Snowpulse and BCA.

Avalanche airbag packs, which range in price from around $600 to $1,300, have been used in Europe for years, but they have only recently gained popularity in North America. Other U.S. companies are now getting into the airbag market, too—The North Face and Dakine unveiled airbag backpacks at the ski industry trade show in January, reported ESPN.com.

Airbag backpacks help someone caught in a slide remain near the top of the avalanche, help reduce head and neck trauma, and they can increase the visibility of the buried victim for rescuers. “These airbag-float-packs, under tests, have doubled the victim’s chance of ending up on the surface,” says Chris Simmons, an IFMGA mountain guide and technical representative of Backcountry Access. “All avalanche safety equipment up to this point has addressed rescuing someone after being buried. It’s the other side of the equation that we’re addressing now: preventing being buried in the first place.”

As with other products and tools, an airbag pack doesn’t mean you can go anywhere at anytime and survive. According to a study from the Canadian Avalanche Center, it points to statistics saying a pack only adds a 14 percent survivability rate if caught in a slide. The best-case scenario is always to never get caught in the first place.

As airbags become more popular, buyers can choose different options such as size of the pack, removable airbags, and type of trigger. Prices range from just under $700 to about almost $1300.

ABS

ABS was one of the first airbag system companies to arrive on the scene. The original ABS self-rescue system has been developed, manufactured and tested by avalanche experts since 1985. According to the company’s website, they’ve replaced the round and rectangular mono-airbags with the more effective TwinBags system several years ago. They’ve also replaced the mechanical Bowden cable activation system. They patented the ABS Vario system as a “best-practice” solution for the individual demands of freeriders, ski tourers and mountain guides. The twin system consists of the ABS Base Unit with integrated ABS TwinBag system and the Zip-Ons with packed volumes of 15, 18, 25 and 40 liters. The snowmobile line zip on offers a five-liter for shorter tours or the 15-liter for longer rides. The Powder Line offers a lighter, narrower and more compact option.

Snowpulse

Snowpulse was next on the scene in the airbag game and have been acquired by Mammut. Snowpulse offers the Lifebag line as well as a removable system as well as snowmobile specific products, the Protech Vest and Highmark 22 pack. Under the Lifebag line they offer a 15-liter provider pack, Heli 22, Guide 30, Lite 35 and Tour 45 packs. According to the products website, they’ve developed a new inflation system to provide more power, more compact in the bag. They’re system uses the Venturi effect, which is the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe. The system, they say creates a low pressure and “sucks” in additional outside air to help fill the bag.

Mammut

During the 2010 -11 season, Mammut licensed Snowpulse’s RAS system to create their own line of packs. They developed the Ride RAS series. New this season is the Rocker RAS, Ride RAS ready, Rocker RAS ready, Pro RAS ready, Light RAs ready, and Protection RAS ready and Ride short RAS ready. The R.A.S. is a removable avalanche airbag system. It allows the user to independently install the system in a R.A.S. ready backpack and remove it as required. He or she can therefore use the R.A.S. ready backpack both with the airbag system (e.g. when free riding) and without (e.g. for a day on secured pistes). It also allows the user to always select the backpack best suited to the specific purpose.

Backcountry Access

Backcountry access is probably most recognized for their Tracker beacons. A few years ago they introduced a US made airbag pack at a significantly lower price than some of the European competitors. They over the Float avalanche airbag system. According their website, the Float systems was the first airbag that was both affordable and easily reusable and they also offer a wide network of BCA-authorized refill centers. BCA offers the Float 22, the minimalist model for out-of-bounds, off-piste and mechanized skiing/riding. It has a thin profile and is lightweight. The Float 32 is designed for pros, guides and dedicated backcountry junkies carrying all the essentials. The Float Throttle is designed specifically for snowmobilers. The trigger is located on the right shoulder strap leaving the left hand to be kept on the throttle.

Mystery Ranch

The Montana-based system was available for the first time last season and uses the WARY system, which is similar to Snowpulse and BCA. The Blackjack pack and WARY system uses a large T-handle, allowing for quick deployment. The Mystery Ranch website said they approached the problem of a ruck-based avalanche safety and survival equipment entirely from a professional, core-user standpoint. “That means we’ve optimized the fundamentals: simplicity of use, avy-tool access and organization, and, most importantly, head-up orientation in the event of airbag deployment.”