Avalanche equipment

Avalanche equipment is important for anyone who enjoys skiing or snowboarding in the backcountry. At Oz Backcountry, we are proud to bring you the absolute best in avalanche safety equipment, so you can adventure with peace of mind.

What is avalanche equipment?

In short, avalanche products can help you stay safe if you’re caught in an avalanche. Rather than prevent avalanches from happening, which is impossible, these products will give you the greatest chance of survival should an avalanche occur.

There are few different types of avalanche equipment that you may want to consider bringing with you when you hit the slopes:

• Avalanche beacons are small, lightweight devices that send out radio waves in all directions. Beacons can be used to either alert rescuers or find other beacons in an avalanche.
• Avalanche probes are long, thin metal poles that are used to find people who have been buried in an avalanche. They are inserted into the snow and moved around until they hit something solid.
• Avalanche shovels are lightweight, telescopic shovels that are an essential avalanche safety tool. Made from aluminium with thin edges, these shovels can cut and move massive amounts of snow with ease.

As well as individually, all of these items come in avalanche safety equipment packages. These lightweight, portable packages can be carried by a person with ease, and can give you the best possible chance to help yourself and others in the event of an avalanche.

Why is avalanche rescue equipment important?

Avalanches pose one of the greatest risks to climbers, skiers, riders, and snowboarders. They kill around 150 people each year. Depending on the time of year and season, they can be impossible to predict. There is no way to avoid a build-up of snow that you don’t know is there.

In an avalanche, things can turn in an instant. They move so quickly and with such momentum that anyone in their path is beset on all sides in an instant. So, time is of the essence. Avalanche rescue equipment minimises the time it takes to find and rescue those caught in an avalanche.

Here are some facts from National Geographic about the survival rate for avalanche victims as time passes:

• There is a 91% survival rate for avalanche victims of reduced within 18 minutes
• If buried for between 19 and 35 minutes, the survival rate drops to 34%
• After a full hour, less than one third of avalanche victims are found alive

You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to always have a set of avalanche equipment with you when you adventure in the backcountry. Avalanche products give you the greatest chance of saving someone’s life, or your own.

Avalanche products from Oz Backcountry

When you shop with Oz Backcountry, you can rest assured that you are receiving the absolute best in tried and tested avalanche safety equipment. We have market-leading Mammut and Arva avalanche equipment for sale, complete with complimentary shipping for most products.

If you are unsatisfied with your purchase or change your mind, we will happily replace it, offer store credit, or refund entirely. To learn more, visit our returns and exchange policy.