Be quicker in an emergency: Find out what you should look out for when purchasing a high-quality avalanche probe

Schneller sein im Notfall: Informiere dich jetzt, worauf du beim Kauf einer hochwertigen Lawinensonde achten solltest.

In an avalanche accident, seconds count. Along with an avalanche transceiver and an avalanche shovel, the avalanche probe is therefore a central component of emergency equipment.

In the ORTOVOX avalanche probe guide, Chris Semmel, mountain guide and trainer with the Verband deutscher Berg- und Skiführer (VDBS – German mountain and ski guide association) explains which functions, safety standards and features are important in a high-quality avalanche probe.

Avalanche probe functions

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Why is the avalanche probe an indispensable item of avalanche safety equipment?

The probe is an important component of avalanche safety equipment. Only with a probe can the exact location and the burial depth of the victim be determined, allowing quick action to be taken. Because in an avalanche accident it’s all about working at speed to save lives.

Investigations have shown that without an avalanche probe for locating and pinpointing, it takes twice as long to dig out the victim: approx. 25 minutes. With a probe the average rescue time is eleven minutes. Without a probe, therefore, it is unlikely that the victim will be rescued within the 15 minutes that are essential for survival.

Avalanche probe elements

Schnell-Spannsystem & Quick-Release Hülle

Be quicker – that’s what every detail is about. That’s why it’s essential to use an intuitive and effective assembly system at the top of the probe. The innovative PFA 2.0 quick assembly system is intuitive, quick and easy to pack. Thanks to the new quick-assembly strap, the probe can be assembled straight out of its specially developed quick-release cover. The PFA 2.0 quick-assembly system and strap enable immediate opening and assembly in one motion – without first having to take the probe out of its cover.

The quick-lock assembly system is a knot-assembly system, and allows for quick and simple set up. The probe is ready for use in just seconds, and can be collapsed just as quickly. The tension can be set by simply turning the optimized adjusting screw.

Materialien

The basis and foundation of a good probe is the material it’s made from. It must be light but at the same time stable. For our aluminum probes, we use high-end 7075 ALUMINUM T6, which provides an optimum ratio of weight to rigidity. Carbon is the material we use for our lightweights: Carbon is rigid, extremely lightweight and will not ice over quickly thanks to its low heat conduction. For those users who find reliability and a high degree of precision in leading them to the victim more important than weight, we offer probes made of steel.

Avalanche Basics

Probing correctly in the event of an avalanche accident

After completing the fine search with an avalanche transceiver and marking the location, you need to pinpoint the victim with the avalanche probe. Find out how to probe correctly here!

1 Mark the point with the smallest distance measurement (with crossed ski poles, shovel etc.). Starting from this point, probe the area systematically from the inside to the outside in the 25cm (~10 in) grid spacing shown.

2 The probe remains in place and is used for orientation purposes.

3 Tip: Always probe at a 90° angle to the surface of the snow

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