Avalanche Beacons
The question this opens with is the right one, and the answer has become less negotiable since: if you go into avalanche terrain, a beacon is not optional equipment, and neither is knowing how to use it.
What has changed since 2008, and it is a lot.
- Three antennas are now standard. Older single and dual-antenna beacons are obsolete and should be retired. A three-antenna beacon gives a stable directional search with no spikes near the target, which is the difference between finding someone in two minutes and six.
- Digital display, not audio tones. Every current beacon shows distance and direction on a screen. If yours does not, replace it.
- Marking and multiple-burial handling became normal rather than a premium feature.
- All beacons transmit on 457 kHz and are compatible with each other, so brand is about interface and search width rather than whether it will work with your partner's.
The three things that are not the beacon: a metal shovel, not plastic, because avalanche debris sets like concrete; a probe of at least 240cm; and the training. A beacon in the hands of someone who has never run a search is a comfort object.
Practise before every season. Bury a beacon in a rucksack in a field and search for it. Fifteen minutes twice a year is the difference between a recovery and a body.
One current note: phones, radios and heated gloves interfere with beacon reception. Keep electronics at least 20cm from the beacon while transmitting and 50cm while searching.
Avalanche.org lists courses and forecasts.
Part of the guide to ski and snowboard.