Description
Lightweight life-saver.
- Includes a 5-liter backpack that zips on to the included base unit (where the airbags and activation unit live)
- Pack gives you enough space for extra layers, lunch, and your shovel and probe
- Dual airbag system displaces a combined 170 liters of space to push you to the surface of a slide
- Easy-to-use pneumatic trigger quickly and reliably inflates bags
- Canister(included) loaded with compressed nitrogen for performance at low temperatures
- Height-adjustable sternum strap and leg strap ensure the pack stays on under stress
- Inside mounts hold shovel and probe so you can help out the rest of your party
- Editor’s Note: wearing this airbag system does NOT guarantee that you will survive an avalanche burial or a slide amidst avalanche debris; get educated, get the right tools, travel with partners, and be smart out there
- *The Powder Line 5 can be shipped via air to the lower 48 states only; no air shipping available to AK, HI, or international addresses
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Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
ABS Avalanche Rescue Devices Powder Line 5 Backpack
? Share a...
Great pack for snowboarding
Tim Humphreys
Member since
I got to demo one of these 5L powder bags up in revelstoke, BC for a heli day during Flow's Tailgate BC. I was really impressed at how compact and light the 5L was. I always kinda assumed that the ABS bags were super big so I never payed much attention to them or thought about using one until I saw the 5L in real life.
It really doesn't weigh much more than a normal riding pack, and it has the space for avalanche essentials. I was spinning off some decent sized cliffs and pillow lines with it on and it wasn't in the way and didn't throw me off in the air. I had my shovel, probe, water bottle, extra shirt, and a sandwich.
I ended up buying one for hiking/riding bigger faces, and resort riding because I'm at some places prone to large in bounds slides. I just really like the size and weight because I have no excuse not to wear it while riding. I also bought the 15L top that you can swap out with the 5L for longer excursions. I usually wear that one when I go out sledding all day so that I can bring a little bit more gear. I really like how the bag toppers are interchangeable so you aren't stuck with one option once you buy the bag.
The bags are pretty waterproof as far as I've noticed. I left my bag in the snow while I was building a jump for a few hours and nothing seeped through and made my extra layer inside get wet.
The whistle on the chest strap is really nice too. That alone can save your life if you end up separated from your group and stuck in a tree well
my only gripe is that the leg strap buckle was getting snow packed into it when I was heli boarding because I was taking the pack off and putting it back on a bunch of times during heli loads, and the rotor wash was getting snow stuck in there.
How do you travel with this backpack on...
Alex
Member since
How do you travel with this backpack on an airplane, and where can you get the canister filled?
DEON NORTJE
Member since
I fly mine in checked luggage
Tim Humphreys
Member since
If you can get the pressurized canister on a plane without hassle, then great! I really don't think you're supposed to be checking pressurized canisters into your luggage. You can probably get fined if you get caught or if it blows up in the cargo hold though.
From what the guys at ABS told me: You need to set off your airbag to puncture the canister and let all the pressure out. pack the airbag back in correctly, and travel with an empty canister and used handle. Go to an ABS dealer that's at your destination and trade them the canister, handle, and $30 to get a fresh set and load that into your pack.
The actual backpack part
Andrew McLean
Member since
The actual "bag" or backpack part is detachable from the rest of the airbag frame.
Strap on options
Andrew McLean
Member since
Using a pack this small means that you are going to have to strap stuff on the back occasionally, like skins or jackets. The ABS allows for this and it carries well.
Diagonal carry with the Powder 15
Andrew McLean
Member since
The carry system is not all that dialed on the Powder 15 (at least the 2010 model), but it works.
detail of the cylinder and two airbags
Andrew McLean
Member since
The limit of what you can fit in this pack
Andrew McLean
Member since
Spare jacket, shovel, a bit of water, small amount of food and a mini first aid kit.
Marvel of technology & safety
Andrew McLean
Member since
I had a chance to use four separate airbag packs last year and this one was my favorite for day tours. A major problem with many of the other packs is that they are so heavy, bulky or carry so poorly that after a while I started to only take them out on "dangerous" days, but if it was dangerous, then I was being extra careful to begin with. Like a seat belt, you have to wear an avalanche pack all the time for them to be effective, not just when you think you might trigger a slide.
Specifically, this pack is nice as it has two balloons (nice if one pops in the rocks, etc) and also two venturis to fill them up, so it inflates much faster. It also uses a nitrous cylinder, which at first seems like a negative (can't refill them at a scuba shop), but in practice it means a much small, lighter cylinder and no gauge, so the entire package is lighter and trimmer.
The pack I've been using is last year's version, but is basically the same idea. It is a very small pack that zips on/off of the "base unit" and the pack can be swapped out for a larger size. The 15 liter is tiny for day touring, but in the Wasatch you don't need much, so it works fine for my needs. You can't really carry much more than a shovel and a bit of food in it, but you can strap stuff onto the back if need be.
The harness is well thought out and features a lightweight steel buckle that is easy to thread with gloves/mitts on. The waist strap also has a velcro tab which allows you to wear the waist belt without having it fully cranked down. This is a nice feature as sometimes you just want to tag the pack on (like walking around in the parking lot) without going through the hassle of fully engaging it. The trigger can also be moved from side to side, as well as up or down, which is a great feature.
Overall, the best thing about this pack is that it is light and trim enough that I wear it all the time, which is the bottom line. The main, and only downside is the price, but airbag packs in general are pricey, so you might as well get the best one.
