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Im planning on going on my first hut trip in january. I really like the abs vario but the biggest they have is a 40. Is that enough for a two night trip ( janets cabin). Anyone know where i can get a 50? Is that enough? Thank you. I appreciate any advice.

why not tow a sled?

Thanks zude. I thought about that. Its a great idea.
I wonder what other people do for hut trips if they want to carry an air bag.

I towed a 60 lb sled while carrying a 40 lb pack into Janet's and breaking trail early season.

Honestly, for two nights, you should be able to get away with a 40L pack unless you are looking to really do it up. +20ish sleeping bag, change of clothes, and some food and smaller accouterments. Totally doable.


Honestly though, when heading into the backcountry, especially in remote areas, your first goal should be avoiding even coming close to anything that could slide. ABS packs are awesome, but I think that people forget the fact that staying afloat is only half the battle, staying in one piece is the other half. You can still have fun on terrain around Janet's without getting into serious avy terrain.

The Sauna at Janet's is the shit, do not miss. Hopefully we get plenty of snow by then and you aren't mountain biking in.

Mammut has a 45 liter RAS pack out this year, also there's Snowpulse Tour 45 that's been around for a while. But I think the Mammut is sort of replacing that one so you should be able to get a good deal on the Snowpulse then...

That's the biggest two options, and no bigger tourbags coming this year. Out of those two the Snowpulse feels like it can hold more gear, the Mammut doesn't have proper compression straps so it's more of a large daytour pack.

Not sure if a large ABS pack would ever work as a zip-on. The base is just too small for it I think.

What he said -



I'd focus less on an airbag and more on "avoidance"!

40L sounds a little on the small side for 2 nights gear, but not sure how well equipped this hut is i.e. how much you need to take.

Yes, i second all that. I look at these packs as a last resort tool for safety, the tests on these pack systems are very impressive. I'm saving up for one, knowing full well my primary goal is to stay informed and make the best desicions in the field i can, based on the best snow tests i can conduct....

for what it's worth, i use a 40l pack for everything from (unfortunately) day trips to 4-5 day winter trips in extreme comfort. you should be able to get everything in a 40l for a two night hut trip. you could get a 40l from rei, try it out with all your gear, and then send it back. or find a friend who has a 40l.

light is right and i've really found the less you pack the more thankful you'll be when you have that much more energy to get a couple of laps in after getting to camp.

Janet's is fully equipped with Pots and pans, a badass woodstove, coffee makers, two cook stoves, a snow-melt water jug for the stove, solar powered lights, beds, ect. Seriously, it's well equipped. The approach is super mellow until the very last bit, when it gets slightly less mellow, but still easy.
The hut stays pretty warm if you mind the fire well and have a bunch of people. I brought a +20 down bag and was plenty warm on a sub-zero night. Your biggest haul is gonna be food, and beer/liquor, because that's the fun thing about hut trips.

Not that an ABS is a bad thing, but being that far out (6 miles), if anyone was to get injured, it could be a very difficult rescue regardless of airbag, avalung, beacon, whatever. Gotta think about that kinda stuff.

I'd focus less on an airbag and more on "avoidance"!



Ya, just like when transceivers came out in the early 70's and people were saying concentrate more on avoidance than some new fangled radio thing.

I try and drive safely but I don't take my seat belt off.



http://www.wildsnow.com/5014/avalanche-airbag-backpack-overview/

Show me someone who has never made a mistake in the backcountry and they can be the ones to leave the safety gear behind. Travel enough in the BC and you will make mistakes. I think most of us have seen folks taken massive risks in the BC for one reason or another and getting away with it. I think most have all also seen folks caught/killed in seemingly much less risky situations. Most of our mistakes in the BC go un-noticed because of the lack of consequence, but that doesn't mean we aren't making them. It's not hard to avoid the massive, obvious mistakes, but subtle minor mistakes can still kill. The airbag is a tool to help tip the scale regardless of the severity of the mistake. I think we should all be aware of the potential airbags have for taking larger risks in the BC. Maybe that's fine, and it allows people to go futher/steeper/gnarlier with the same level of assumed risk. This isn't a bad thing, it's a richer more robust life for the same level of risk taking. On the other hand, it may also make the same terrain you were going to get on already safer. Not safe, but safer. This is also a positive thing. Maybe it's somewhere in between. Going slightly further/steeper/gnarlier and still being slightly safer. All these things are good and they don't take away from any previous good ideas about travel in the BC. Airbags have a proven record of keeping riders on the surface and reducing trauma. That's a good thing.

40 liters should be plenty if you pack right. Last hut trip a brought a cheapo sled for the beer. I outfitted it with some 1" diameter PVC pipes for steering and ubolts for tie-downs. It worked pretty well, though a little bit of a PITA for sloping sidehills. You shouldnt have a problem getting up to Janets. I use the 45 liter snowpulse. It has a lot of carry options including tent/sleeping bag strapped to the bottom.

Plenty of good info here:

http://www.skipulk.com/

I think the one I built cost around $30 bucks. The key is to make sure the connections between your pack and the sled are tight, so it doesnt bounce on you with each pull up the hill.


Then I ended up buying a kid carrier for my son so I can still get out when its the two of us. It looks like it would be great for hauling a lot of food/beer to the hut. Haven't had a chance to try it yet....

40 liters in an airbag pack is much smaller than a normal 40 liter pack. the airbag tank takes up a lot of that room.