Avalanche Airbag Packs: How They Work and What to Check
An airbag pack can lower your chance of a deep burial in some avalanches, but it adds cost and weight, replaces nothing in your rescue kit and needs training.
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An avalanche airbag pack can lower your chance of a deep burial in some avalanches, but it improves your odds rather than protecting you. It doesn't replace a beacon, shovel and probe, and it doesn't make dangerous terrain safe.
Gear does not replace training. If you are new to avalanche terrain, read our avalanche safety kit guide first, and take an avalanche course before you buy any of this. An airbag is one part of a system that starts with training and terrain choices.
How an airbag pack works
You pull a handle on a shoulder strap. Within a few seconds a large bag, or a pair of bags, inflates behind and around your head and shoulders. The idea rests on how moving avalanche debris behaves: larger objects tend to rise toward the surface. Making you effectively larger helps keep you nearer the top, which reduces the chance of a deep burial, and burial depth is a major factor in survival.
The bag has to inflate while the snow is still moving, because debris sets hard once it stops. That means you need to recognize what is happening and pull the handle early.
What airbags do and don't do
In reports of avalanche accidents, people whose airbags inflated died less often than people without one, mostly because they were buried less deeply. That is a real benefit. It is a better chance, not a guarantee:
- Some people don't pull the handle, whether from surprise or because the handle was out of reach, and any system can fail or be torn away in a violent slide.
- Trauma from trees, rocks and cliffs causes deaths, and an airbag doesn't stop it.
- A buried airbag user still needs a fast rescue from partners with a beacon, shovel and probe.
- Terrain traps such as gullies can pile debris deep, and an airbag doesn't guarantee you end up on top of it.
Canister and fan systems
| Compare | Canister | Fan (battery) |
| How it inflates | Pulling the handle releases compressed gas from a cylinder | Pulling the handle starts a battery-powered fan that fills the bag with air |
| After a deployment | The cylinder needs refilling or replacing before the next use | The bag can be repacked and used again, with several deployments per charge |
| Weight | Tends to be lighter | Tends to be heavier, because of the fan and battery |
| Practice | Each practice deployment uses a cylinder | Practice deployments cost battery charge |
| Travel | Cylinders are regulated for air travel | Lithium batteries are regulated for air travel |
| Watch for | Finding a refill near you | Charge level and performance in the cold |
Some systems use a removable airbag unit that moves between compatible packs, so one unit can serve a small day pack and a larger touring pack. Before you fly, check the airline's rules and the maker's travel guidance well in advance. Rules for cylinders and batteries differ by airline and country.
Choose the pack as well as the system
An airbag pack is still a ski pack, so the usual questions apply: size, torso fit and ski carry, all covered in how to choose a ski pack. A few extra checks:
- Usable space. The airbag unit takes room and adds weight, so check the capacity with the unit installed.
- The handle. You should be able to reach it with gloves on and pull it without thinking.
- The avalanche tool pocket. It should still take your shovel and probe.
- Straps. Fasten the hip belt and chest strap, and use any leg strap, so the pack stays on you in a slide.
- Service. Find out where you can get refills or repairs, and what the warranty covers.
Using one
Read the manual, and deploy the airbag once in a safe place so you know how it feels and how to repack it. Most makers describe a test deployment procedure. Check the cylinder or battery level before every trip, follow the maker's service guidance, and replace any part the manual says to replace. Keep the handle clear of your jacket so you can reach it. Keep practicing your beacon, probe and shovel skills too, because the handle only helps when you recognize the moment to pull it.
Do you need one?
If you travel regularly in avalanche terrain, whether on ski tours, in the sidecountry or on guided trips, an airbag can be a worthwhile addition once the basics are in place. If you ski inside resort boundaries or stay on low-angle terrain, a regular pack makes more sense. A sensible order is training first, then the beacon, shovel and probe, then an airbag pack if your budget allows. Buying an airbag before the basics leaves the system upside down.
Cost and where to compare
Expect an airbag pack to cost and weigh noticeably more than a regular pack of the same size, and remember to allow for refills or batteries. Last season's models are often cheaper. Compare ski and backcountry pack prices and avalanche safety gear prices once you know the system and size you want.