How to choose your airbag

An airbag backpack is simply a bag fitted with a balloon that can be activated by pulling on a small handle. When inflated, it will help you stay on the surface in the event of an avalanche, and staying on the surface increases your chances of getting out. So how does it work? In the snowpack, we know that by increasing the surface area of an element that would be carried away by the avalanche (the body in this case), it sinks less into the snow. This is the granulometry rule. This is what the balloon does. By increasing your total volume, this extra equipment increases your chances of staying at or near the surface. What’s more, the volume created around your back or neck by the shape of the cushion also protects you from the impact and pressure of the snowpack.

Although effective, this equipment should not be taken as life insurance! It in no way exempts you from complying with safety rules when you go off-piste and does not replace the avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe that you should always have with you. And it’s always necessary to remember that conditions should be respected, so we’ll mention these a little further down after detailing everything you need to know about an airbag backpack.

In concrete terms, an airbag backpack is a ski touring, splitboard or freeride backpack with a pocket containing an airbag. When you activate the bag’s inflation system, a 150-litre balloon deploys in less than five seconds to help you float above the snowpack thanks to different technologies. There are currently three deployment systems on the market: pyrotechnic, mechanical and electrical. In addition to these deployment systems, there are various technologies that vary in terms of the size and placement of the cushions. They are generally developed through a partnership between a patent owner and a backpack brand. The main players in the market are:

• The ABS system: This pyrotechnic ABS system activates a needle that pierces the gas cartridge when you activate the release handle and inflates the two 85-litre cushions on the sides of the bag. Having two balloons is an advantage if one of them has a hole. The cartridges in the ABS systems are made of carbon or aluminium, making the system fairly light.
• The Alpride cartridge system (2.0): Two small gas cartridges are triggered by percussion to inflate a U-shaped balloon that protects the skier's head and back. This is one of the lightest and most compact cartridge systems on the market. It is for the expertise and technology of the systems that we decided to develop our airbag with Alpride by including the 2.0 system: the Wedze airbag backpack 30.

The weight of the bag when empty (but with the mechanism and cushion) and its capacity will vary from one model to another. Airbags generally weigh between 1 kg for the lightest (10 litres) and 3.5 kg for the heaviest. Our Wedze airbag backpack in partnership with Alpride currently weighs 2.2kg, making it one of the lightest 30-litre airbag backpacks on the market.

As far as capacity is concerned, the primary function of a backpack is to carry some equipment (at least the avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe and something to eat and drink). So it’s important to have the right size for your activity.

• If you're going off-piste skiing for a day, you’ll opt for an airbag backpack with a capacity of 18 to 25 litres.
• For longer outings or ski mountaineering, you’ll need more food and water or additional equipment: ice axes, ropes, etc. A capacity of around 30 litres will be more suitable for you.
• Smaller packs (less than 15 or 18 litres) are best reserved for minimalists or freeride and freetouring pros who are going light.

We’ve already said it several times in this article, but we can’t stress it enough: an airbag backpack is not life insurance. So, while it can be a very useful piece of equipment, it’s always worth remembering the rules of good conduct when you’re preparing for a day of freeride/freetouring or ski touring.

• Consult the BERA:avalanche risk assessment bulletin. It is issued every evening by Météo France and estimates the risk based on the stability or otherwise of the snowpack and the weather conditions over the previous few days. It’s very comprehensive. Take the time to decipher all the information and you’ll know whether the risk is low enough to go out.
• Find out all you can about the weather on the various dedicated platforms.
• Plan your itinerary based on the information detailed in the BERA, the weather forecast and your fellow outings. You can use a mapping application to be really precise: start and finish points, and the slopes you’ll be crossing. You can find out more about the gradients: slopes of more than 30° present a greater risk of avalanches.
• Some community sites can give you up-to-date information about the state of your chosen route. That said, beware of social networking sites. If someone shared a great spot three days ago, it doesn’t mean that it’s feasible in the same conditions today.