Avalanche Safety Gear: Beacon, Shovel and Probe Explained

A beacon, shovel and probe are rescue tools for people who travel in avalanche terrain. Choose gear you can use fast, and pair it with training and the forecast.

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Anyone who travels in avalanche terrain should carry three rescue tools: a beacon, a shovel and a probe. Every person in the group needs all three, whether you ski tour, splitboard or ski the sidecountry beyond a resort boundary.

Gear does not replace training. These tools only help after someone is buried. They don't prevent an avalanche, they don't make steep terrain safe, and they are of little use without practice. Take an avalanche course before you rely on this kit, and read the local avalanche forecast before every trip. This guide explains what each piece does and what to check when you buy. It is not avalanche training, and no article can be.

Why all three, and why every partner needs them

A person who is fully buried usually can't dig out alone, and survival chances fall sharply after roughly the first 10 to 15 minutes. Organized rescue rarely arrives that fast, so the people traveling with you are the rescue team. They find you with a beacon, pinpoint your position and depth with a probe and dig you out with a shovel.

Each piece depends on the others, and each person in the group needs all three and the practiced skill to use them. A group where only some people carry the kit has gaps that nobody can fill after a slide.

The beacon (transceiver)

A beacon sends a pulsing radio signal on 457 kHz, the worldwide standard, so any modern beacon can find any other. In search mode it picks up a buried partner's signal and shows the distance and direction.

What to look for:

• Three antennas. Standard on current digital models, and the basis for accurate searching.
• Controls you can use fast. A display and buttons you can read and operate with gloves on. A beacon you find confusing is a poor choice, so handle one before you buy.
• A marking function (also called flagging), which lets you set aside a person you've found and search for the next one if more than one person is buried.
• A group check mode for testing every beacon at the trailhead.
• A battery indicator and enough battery life for your trips.
• A harness that holds the beacon snugly against your body.

How to carry it:

• Wear it on your body, under your outer layer, in the harness it came with. Some makers also approve a zipped trouser pocket with the leash clipped in. Never carry it in your pack, where a slide can separate you from it.
• Keep phones, radios and other electronics at least 8 inches (20 cm) away from a transmitting beacon, and at least 20 inches (50 cm) away from one that is searching, because they can interfere with the signal.
• Turn it on at the trailhead and test with your group before you head out.

Use the battery type your manual specifies, which is most often alkaline. Check the level at the start of every trip, replace batteries well before they run low and never mix old and new.

The probe

A probe is a collapsible pole, assembled by pulling a cord, that you push into the snow to pinpoint a buried person and find out how deep they are.

Most recreational probes run from about 240 to 320 cm (8 to 10.5 feet). A 240 cm probe is a common choice for ski touring, while 300 cm or more helps in deep snowpacks or if you work as a guide. Longer probes reach deeper and cost you a little weight and assembly time.

Look for a secure locking mechanism, depth markings along the shaft and tubing stiff enough not to bend. Aluminum is sturdy and affordable, and carbon saves weight at a higher price. Practice deploying yours with gloves on before every season.

The shovel

Digging is the slowest part of a rescue, and avalanche debris packs hard, so pick a metal blade: plastic can flex or crack in dense snow. An extendable shaft lets you move snow efficiently, and a D-shaped or T-shaped grip is easier to hold in gloves. Some shovels convert into a hoe for pulling snow. A larger blade moves more snow but needs a larger pocket in your pack. Check that the shaft locks firmly without wobbling and that the shovel fits the pack you plan to carry. Our guide to choosing a ski pack explains what to look for in the avalanche tool pocket.

The kit at a glance

Training and planning come first

Gear only helps after a mistake has already happened. What keeps you out of trouble is knowledge and decisions: reading the forecast, recognizing avalanche terrain and choosing where and when to go.

• Take a course. Look for a recreational avalanche course from a qualified provider. In the US, AIARE courses are widely offered. In Canada, look for Avalanche Canada's Avalanche Skills Training. Add a companion rescue day, and repeat the practice every season.
• Read the forecast. In the US, avalanche.org links to regional avalanche centers. In Canada, avalanche.ca publishes forecasts. Check before each trip and again at the trailhead.
• Travel with partners who carry the same gear and have the same training, and agree on a plan before you leave.
• Practice. Run beacon searches, probing and shoveling with your partners before you need them.
• Carry the rest. First aid, a way to call for help (a phone with coverage, a satellite messenger or a radio) and extra layers belong in the pack, and a helmet belongs on your head.

Splitboarders carry the same kit. Our splitboard gear guide covers the rest of that setup.

Optional: an airbag pack

Some people add an avalanche airbag pack to their kit. It can lower the risk of a deep burial in some slides, but it stands in for none of the rescue gear above and none of the training. Our airbag pack guide explains how the systems work and what to check.

Buying notes

Buy rescue gear new from an established seller, and read the manual before your first trip. Check the maker's guidance on service and replacement, and be wary of used beacons with no known history. Make sure the shovel and probe fit the pack you'll carry.

When you know what you need, compare avalanche beacon, shovel and probe prices. If you're planning your first tours, the touring ski guide covers the rest of the setup.