Ortovox

Tour 32+7L ABS Backpack

If you've spent large portions of your life in the mountains, you've probably had some close calls, whether you know it or not. Part of the allure of remote, unskied alpine peaks is their untamed wildness, but that wildness comes with increased risk—avalanches are an ever-present danger, difficult to predict and even harder to escape. The Ortovox Tour 32+7 ABS Backpack and ABS Airbag Kit isn't a substitute for education, experience, and careful decision making, but it does offer proven life-saving technology that can make the difference between being buried and staying on top.

The Tour 32+7 Kit comes with a Modular Airbag Safety System (M.A.S.S.) that has removable twin airbags, one on either side of the pack, with a combined volume of 170 liters to help you rise to the top of the debris when caught in an avalanche. An included adjustable activation handle comes with a small, internal pressurized release capsule and can be set up on the left or right shoulder strap for easy access, and an aluminum safety bracket zips into a compartment on either strap to prevent accidental releases. The activation handle can also be released from the zippered position, but requires a strong, very deliberate action. When pressed, the activation handle punctures the small internal trigger capsule, which in turn activates the piercing unit, puncturing the main canister to fill the airbags within seconds, helping to keep the wearer on the surface on the slide. The shoulder straps, waist belt, and secure leg strap work together to ensure that the pack stays securely attached and correctly oriented.

If you're wearing the pack in the resort or otherwise out of danger, the M.A.S.S Unit, activation handle, and airbag-inflating canister are removable, reducing the weight by about four pounds. Once you've deployed the airbags, you must replace the Activation Unit, which consists of the trigger, the small internal trigger canister, and the larger airbag-inflating canister (replacement must be done through ABS). The other parts of the system are reusable.