Wednesday, November 26, 2014

PULSE Barryvox Tips for the Advanced Rescuer



Different backcountry users need different skills. A weekend warrior doing laps in familiar terrain in a familiar snowpack needs a different skill-set than the skier who does a destination backcountry trip each season to a unfamiliar hut in a remote region. Similarly the professional user has different needs than the recreational user. From ISSW to the many regional snow and avalanche workshops around the United States this season, there has been considerable chatter about the difficulties that avalanche educators have teaching the many different beacons currently on the market.

In an effort to address different user needs, AIARE and the American Avalanche Institute have begun to develop curriculums specifically for recreational versus professional users.
Keep in mind, many “recreational users” spend so much time in the backcountry that they may fall into the “professional user” group—people who are out frequently and devoted to being masters of their craft.

From an avalanche transceiver development perspective, Mammut has recognized different user needs for a long time, which is why we offer the ELEMENT for recreational users and the PULSE with both basic and advanced user-profiles for ambitious or advanced users.

Below, we will review some of the PULSE Barryvox’s features which cater to advanced rescuers. Details of these functions can be found in the PULSE REFERENCE MANUAL. Many of these features are also very useful for recreational users that are willing to spend a little more time mastering their beacon.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Updated Beacon information for fleet owners: Application Safety Guide

The Application Safety Guide contains specific information mainly for professional users and fleet managers.  We recommend any fleet managers and professional users print off a copy for their reference.  Mammut publishes this information as an aid to developing protocols and procedures for professional organizations that will aid in the trouble-free usage of Barryvox avalanche beacons and maximize the safety of users. 

The updated Application Safety Guide is available on Mammut's website now: Link to Application Safety Guide.