How It Works
	-How It Works- Several Pack Designs, Same Result The result?  Ending up on top of the snow. When you decide to activate the AA all you do is pull the release handle. The system then fills the bag(s) with a nitrogen/air mixture in approximately 2 seconds.  At this point the added volume provided causes you to be pushed to the top.  As long as you are moving with the snow simple physics keep you "afloat"  The principal is simple and logical.  Almost 20 years of use have shown it to be sound.  The AA and it's functionality are not theory but reality.  Real world use, studies and tests have documented it's success.   With a 99% survival rate the AA is proven to be the most effective avalanche rescue device available on the market today.   -Why it Works-   An avalanche consists of different particles of snow. Those particles move underneath each body and push it to the surface by rotating until the avalanche slows down. This and direction changes of the avalanche are the reasons why approximately half of all avalanche victims end up on top of the avalanche. This is where you want to be. There is a 95% survival rate of victims who are able to avoid being buried in the snow. .... others die in the avalanche. A completely different scenario exists for those who do not end up on the surface of the avalanche. Once the avalanche slows down, rotation and lifting abilities also slow down. The victim cannot reach the surface anymore. In most cases this burial is deadly. With the AA you have 5 cubic ft more volume ... Once activated, the AA equalizes the volume and density of the victim relative to the surrounding snow. ... and you are on top within seconds. As with a life vest in the water, the victim floats on the surface of the avalanche. The added volume of 5 cubic ft has been calculated to be needed for cold, dry and loose snow. If the snow is denser, wetter and heavier less volume is needed. It is impossible to get pulled back into the snow mass. The AA has proven its worth in many tests already.  However, the real proof is that an increasing number of avalanche victims owe their lives to the use of the AA.   The VARIANTE airbag pack: This was the original system. These Mono-style packs are no longer on the market, as the have been replaced by the Dual-style system. The Mono was an excellent pack and served many a Snow activist quite capably.   All other packs are a dual airbag design:  Two 2.5 cubic ft airbags stored in the side pockets of a backpack leave room in the middle of the pack for personal belongings. Handling and comfort are similar to mountaineering packs used by backcountry skiers. The Dual System is activated with air pressure. The detachable trigger handle contains a pressure capsule which activates the inflation cartridge when the user pulls the handle.  All systems, including backpacks have been tested according to the guidelines for personal safety equipment by the TÜV and are stamped with the CE decal.  Both the Dual and mono systems provide the same level of protection to the wearer.  Each and every ABS undergoes detailed inspection and is fully tested before leaving the factory. The Avalanche Airbag System has been recommended by many organizations, including: IKAR - International Organization for Alpine Rescue Bavarian Ski Patrol Austrian Mountain Rescue   Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety Austrian Alpine Club German Alpine Club -Rescue Options- Once caught in an avalanche two undeniable conditions exist. You just became an avalanche victim You need to be rescued from the avalanche The fact that you just became a victim is one you have no control over.  You do have control over your rescue.  You can choose to allow yourself to become buried and have others locate and dig you out, or you can do everything you can to rescue yourself.  Lets take a look at both options.   Option #1: Accept Burial The avalanche victim who accepts the option of becoming buried, and does: Gives away the best chance of survival Relies solely on the help and abilities of others to rescue him/her. Risks at least a 50% chance of dying through suffocation. The risk goes to 75% if your companions are buried too.  Remember, you only have about 15 minutes to survive once you are buried.  The average depth of a victim buried under the snow is approx. 3 feet. Digging out the victim from under this compressed, hard snow is extremely difficult. Rescue beacons, shovels and probes cannot prevent burial. This type of equipment is designed to be used after someone is already buried. In the US the survival rate of buried beacon wearers is around 30%. Beacons cannot be actively used by the buried victim, they are useless apart from giving out an electrical signal. Only those not buried are able to actively use beacons and time is working against them and the victim. This is sobering given the fact that most people that purchase beacons do not regularly practice using their beacon, something you must do to be proficient with it.  Remember, in most cases you only have about 15 minutes before the victims chance of survival all but disappear.  It therefore stands to reason that carrying this type of equipment alone is a conscious decision of the wearer to accept burial and a 70% chance of death.  Why would you do that when there is a better way   Option #2:  Reject Burial The avalanche victim who rejects the option of becoming buried and stays on top: Embraces the best chance of survival Relies solely on themselves for rescue Enjoys a 95 - 97% chance of surviving. (Approx 95% of avalanche victims remaining on top of the avalanche survive) Only the person who avoids burial can help others who may have become buried.   Once caught in an avalanche, preventing one’s own burial is only possible with the Avalanche Airbag. The AA is designed to keep you on top of the avalanche.  To date it has done just that with a documented 99% success rate.   The AA was not developed to change common acknowledged safety standards attitudes. To wear the AA and think "now I can go down any slope because I am invincible", may be the last mistake a backcountry skier, snowboarder, or snow-mobiler will make. To avoid the avalanche is still the first goal. Safety standards, including the use of a beacon, training, etc,  are there for a good reason.