I took a trip to Revelstoke British Columbia on November 04 2009. With me I took a 30L Snowpulse Life Bag. We spent most of our time on Boulder Mountain. Day 1 I sledded up the trail with the pack and day2 I ski toured with it for over 10 km.
Design
Shoulder straps on the pack are padded and thick resulting in overall comfort while wearing the pack. The features of the pack include:
Features
- Snowpulse Switch System compatible
- 1 large horseshoe shaped compartment
- Probe and shovel handle sleeves
- Back ventilation
- Sunglass pocket
- Snowboard and ski carrying system
- Ice axe holder
- Reinforced stitching
With only the canister inside the pack weighs approximately 2.9kg in short and 2.95kg in long. I found the pack easy to assemble with all my avi gear (enough for a day trip) and no problems accessing the gear when needed. The pull cord is conveniently zipped up in the left shoulder strap to prevent accidental expulsion, which came in handy while sledding up the access trail. The belt buckle is a metal two part clasp that is difficult to release or break on its own, in order to keep the bag on in avalanche scenarios. I also found the rigidity of the back support to be a little stiff and didn’t allow the pack to move with my body while touring, but did not have this issue on the snowmobile.
Weight
Once I got all my day trip gear into the pack it was substantially heavier than my other packs and made me appreciate the benefits of a light weight set up. However the benefits seem to out weight the consequences in this matter, so I chose to carry on. I would however hesitate to bring that much extra weight on a multiday trip where speed and agility were of the essence.
Efficiency
To deploy the pack you simply pull on the rip cord. There have been multiple reports on the bags not deploying upon demand however I did not experience having to deploy the pack (knock on wood) I have been assured that when packed appropriately there have been no issues. There is a tiny cover opening in the zipper at the top of the bag that allows the zipper to be ripped open when the bag is deployed. It only takes a couple of seconds for the bag to fully deploy and wrap around your head and neck. The heavy canvas weight material is resistant to blows from rocks and trees and does a better job of protecting it user than its competitors ABS packs. The canister must be filled with 3000psi of compressed air to deploy and can be filled at your local dive shop.
ABS pack comparison
The ABS packs are filled with compressed nitrogen as opposed to compressed air. Also, the air bag deploys like wings behind you in the ABS packs and fails to create the air pocket around the face that the Snowpulse provides. At a slightly heavier weight the ABS pack is defiantly less appealing considering that was my biggest complaint about touring with the Snowpulse.
This year’s changes
For 2010 Snowpulse has designed a system where you can zip any size pack you choose from their collection to the canister and shoulder harness, thus allowing you to have multiple size packs without having to buy a separate bag for all you single to multi day needs.
Overall Impression
Overall the pulse bag is one of my top picks for 2010 avalanche safety and has a proven track record in saving lives by increasing your surface area during an avalanche and allowing you to float to the top. Shallower burials equal a higher chance of living and that’s a cause worth investing in.
