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Esteemed bc bros and sisters,

Looking for some thoughts from the avy experts out there.

Is it acceptable to stash your avy beacon in your daypack, or should it be attached directly to your body? Don't know if you need to worry about getting seperated from your pack in an avy Thx.

It should always be on your body in my oppinion. Getting seperated from your pack is one problem, but extra time it will take you to get it out of your pack if one of your friends goes down and you need to search for them, while it seems short, could meen the difference.
-Barret

K. Dan says:

seriously? take an avi course and answer that question for yourself.

yeah, I'm signed up but I just got my beacon and started thinking ahead. (what was I thinking???)

BTW (moderator correct me if I'm wrong), this is an avy discussion forum. To me that means a place where less experienced riders can ask ?'s to more experienced riders.

Dave, you made a very valid point about taking an avy class, I agree 100%. Mine is the week after next. I wasn't trying to get certified through this discussion forum

I pretty much assumed the answer to my question, but figured if I was asking it, others might be too. Also, there's not all that much avy discussion here, so I thought I'd ask a stupid question to get things rolling The unfortunate reality is that there are people in the bc today with less experience than even I... Point us to a class, but please entertain our dumb questions. Lots of it comes from hours of daydreaming about the bc.

Finally, an avalanche expert could be buried by an avy triggered by an avy idiot (see UTARDS thread). Trust me, you want us to know as much as possible.

Sorry to rant, I think people shouldn't be intimidated to ask questions that might be deemed stupid. I'd rather not wonder the answer to that stupid question while struggling to breathe under 6 feet of snow.

Peace!

Dave,

Ken has a point. As the old saying goes, “there are no stupid questionsâ€Â

When I took my class not to long ago, the guys teaching it said it was ok to put it in a zippered pocket, preferably on your pants. I think I've heard about poeple having their jackets ripped off, but not sure about pants.

ok. i didn't mean to discourage the question. sorry folks, but we're talking about a device that comes with straps that are fixed to it so that you can attach it to your body. how could you not realize the importance of attaching it to yourself? yes, your bag can get ripped off you in a fall or slide, and well before your jacket. if your jacket gets ripped off in an avi or a digger then it may be safe to assume that the transciever just becomes a tool for a body recovery.

i get loads of "uninformed" questions all the time.... will it be packed down enough to boot it? (it just snowed 10") do i need snowshoes/skins? do i need a shovel? how much water do i need to bring? and the most open ended; what do i need to bring? etc etc. it comes with the territory i guess, so... i guess i just get sick of hearing ?'s like this after a while. ( no offense or discouragement intended)

this has all been said before: however, the focus which lies on the importance of a transceiver as being a safety device is a strong misnomer (sp?). everyone should have one in the backcountry, along with a shovel, probe, partners and they all know how to use the equipment. HOWEVER, this should not act as our ticket or our right to enter the backcountry. our head is the most important tool we've got; use it!.... with all the common sense we all say we have. i'd rather not preach about what common sense is and what it isn't. that's for each individual to decide for themselves. IMO (and i hope most everyone entering the bc), wearing a transeiver on your body would be considered common sense. oh, and don't forget to turn it on either!

K, Dan-

The only stupid question is one not asked. Congrats to you for seeking education.

Every splitter I know takes their pack off for the transition. Imagine having your pack w/beacon lying in the snow while you begin transitioning your board. Suddenly someone up above triggers a slide, and you and your pack (beacon) are separated.

This is a definite possibility, and I'm certain that you'd rather have the rescuers searching for you rather than your pack.

Welome to splitboarding, best wishes in your search for bc turns!

Thanks for the thoughts all. Beacon on da body!

Dave, I feel ya man. In my profession, I deal with uninformed consumers every day. It's frustrating. Luckily they pay my check to fund my snow addiction, so it's tolerable.

I'm a cross country skier turned snowboarder from the midwest (do you think I'll like splitboarding? ), so i'm not exactly a bc virgin, but the avy part is all new to me. I'm taking it very seriously and starting from butt-scratch.

Anyway, thanks again for the replys, happy turns all!

My reply is not a "pile on" to K Dan's post. I would never jump on anyone asking newb questions as I am perfectly capable of asking the same newb questions, and I don't want to be jumped on by the vets here either. I hope that this board stays cool and does not discourage newbs like K Dan and I from asking such things.

So in that spirit: I just wanted to point out an observation... my Ortovox beacon (and those of all my regular crew) will not activate/turn on unless you have the straps' one end inserted and turned 90 degrees. This design makes it pretty obvious that it must be strapped to the body. You could engage it then stuff it in a pack or pocket but you will be pretty well aware that you've just defaeated a mechanism that encourages the beacon be on your body.

Do other beacon designs not have this sort of "safety feature" ?

no, not all beacons have that feature. I really like that about my ortovox too.

My beacon always goes in my pack. When I'm in an avy zone my pack is on. If an avy is strong enough to rip my pack off, then I'm dead and the beacon is no use to me anymore.

BTW my avy instructor said it was okay to just put your beacon in your pocket, or jacket, or pack.