Numbers on avy probe?

[David]

Sorry if the answer is already out there but I did a search with no luck.

First I will be new to off piste next year and will be in the rockies ehen I am. I found a good deal on a 280 cm probe recently with no measurements on it. I'm now wondering if I should have gone with a 320 with the numbers. How important are the measurements going to be immediately and down the road? Should I sell it on ebay and pick up something else?
Thanks

 

[fatbob]

Probably not something to lose too much sleep over. Burials over 2m deep are pretty hard to recover in the magic time window. Are the sections of your probe marked in different colours? That's probably your depth gauge as the probe will be in something like 40cm sections.

 

[David]

No, it's all black. The only marking is the name Komperdell.

 

[pais alto]

The numbers on a probe shaft are most useful when digging pits and recording profiles - open the probe and set it against the pit wall so that you can identify the depth of the layers to create and record a profile. Not recording profiles, only doing stability tests? Then the numbers aren’t particularly useful IME. If you’re nerding out on snow depth and layer depths then you might want the numbers.

During a rescue, when you get a probe strike, the probe is left in place to ID the location and depth of the burial. You probably won’t be looking at any numbers on the probe.

Post number 1000 for me. That may or may not be significant, I’ll have to think about it.

 

[jmeb]

You probably won’t be looking at any numbers on the probe.

Yep. You want to dig downhill -- how far depends on the burial -- but the difference between 280cm and 260cm at that point doesn't matter much. Just the diff between 1m and 2m.

OP -- 280cm is probably fine. People who live in a very deep snowpack area (think interior BC or AK), a 300+ is ideal. In CO, a 280cm is almost always okay.

 

[Analisa]

I’d think adding some markings - at least in 1m increments - with a silver sharpie or thin strip of duct tape.

 

[Ken_R]

Sorry if the answer is already out there but I did a search with no luck.

First I will be new to off piste next year and will be in the rockies ehen I am. I found a good deal on a 280 cm probe recently with no measurements on it. I'm now wondering if I should have gone with a 320 with the numbers. How important are the measurements going to be immediately and down the road? Should I sell it on ebay and pick up something else?
Thanks

I have the BCA 2.7 M one and its awesome and easy to use. Any probe in that range is enough really. I absolutely would get one with the scale / numbers.

 

[Mattadvproject]

My 2 cents..... some general points to consider when it comes to probes..... A 280cm probe should be plenty long enough, hopefully it's got some decent diameter to it as well. One thing I have noticed with shorter probes is that they tend to be narrower in diameter. Narrower probes have a tendency to bend and deflect easier in hard snow, which I personally don't like. I like the probe to be able to punch through any stiff snow layers and maintain a straight trajectory as much as possible when probing.

I am also looking for a really intuitive tensioning system that is quick and easy to deploy and doesn't require you to take your gloves off. Hopefully you will be training with your probe enough that it's second nature to deploy it and I'd recommend the members of your group know where you keep your gear and how it all goes together as well (maybe you need someone to go into your pack and assemble your shovel and/or probe as you continue working with your beacon?).

I think it's helpful to have measurements on the probe as others have said in this thread, but not essential. Hopefully you'll get into digging pits in the future and recording your observations, but initially, understanding the relationship between closest distance on the beacon and then likely burial depth; this can be more easily visualized when you can see that distance represented on the probe. Adding some of your own measurements to the Komperdell probe you have bought, might help.

I'm a big fan of the BCA quickie tensioning system, that's the best system I have used so far. I use a 3m BCA aluminum probe and it's served me well for a lot of years of hard use. I prefer aluminum over carbon, despite it being a little heavier, I've seen too many carbon probes snap in the cold and they don't last long if you are using aggressive rutschblock cords. The 3m probe is stout and doesn't deflect much.

- Matt

 

[Analisa]

I am also looking for a really intuitive tensioning system that is quick and easy to deploy...I'm a big fan of the BCA quickie tensioning system, that's the best system I have used so far.

+1 - easily overlooked with the "a probe's a probe" approach (especially compared to navigating the beacon options). Took the SAFEAS clinic last year, and during the beacon drills, it was easy to see that the Stealth Access is really easy. Women going through the rescue were as fast or faster than experienced women using other brands. I have the BD Quickdraw and it just takes a little practice, but when Lel Tone assessed my friend who carries one of the discontinued K2 probes, she was basically like "I especially hate those probes and they're kind of a liability." Ouch!

 

[Ken_R]

I'm a big fan of the BCA quickie tensioning system, that's the best system I have used so far. I use a 3m BCA aluminum probe and it's served me well for a lot of years of hard use. I prefer aluminum over carbon, despite it being a little heavier, I've seen too many carbon probes snap in the cold and they don't last long if you are using aggressive rutschblock cords. The 3m probe is stout and doesn't deflect much.

- Matt

I am also a fan of the BCA system. I have used it in a wide range of conditions and it just works.

 

[David]

My 2 cents..... some general points to consider when it comes to probes..... A 280cm probe should be plenty long enough, hopefully it's got some decent diameter to it as well. One thing I have noticed with shorter probes is that they tend to be narrower in diameter. Narrower probes have a tendency to bend and deflect easier in hard snow, which I personally don't like. I like the probe to be able to punch through any stiff snow layers and maintain a straight trajectory as much as possible when probing.

I am also looking for a really intuitive tensioning system that is quick and easy to deploy and doesn't require you to take your gloves off. Hopefully you will be training with your probe enough that it's second nature to deploy it and I'd recommend the members of your group know where you keep your gear and how it all goes together as well (maybe you need someone to go into your pack and assemble your shovel and/or probe as you continue working with your beacon?).

I think it's helpful to have measurements on the probe as others have said in this thread, but not essential. Hopefully you'll get into digging pits in the future and recording your observations, but initially, understanding the relationship between closest distance on the beacon and then likely burial depth; this can be more easily visualized when you can see that distance represented on the probe. Adding some of your own measurements to the Komperdell probe you have bought, might help.

I'm a big fan of the BCA quickie tensioning system, that's the best system I have used so far. I use a 3m BCA aluminum probe and it's served me well for a lot of years of hard use. I prefer aluminum over carbon, despite it being a little heavier, I've seen too many carbon probes snap in the cold and they don't last long if you are using aggressive rutschblock cords. The 3m probe is stout and doesn't deflect much.

- Matt

The one I picked up is carbon and it was pretty inexpensive so I was going to just add markings to it but now I'm rethinking. Maybe I should go with the BCA or the BD Quickdraw in aluminum. Mine only weighs 8 oz but the BD is 14 and highly rated online (for what that's worth).

 

[Mattadvproject]

The one I picked up is carbon and it was pretty inexpensive so I was going to just add markings to it but now I'm rethinking. Maybe I should go with the BCA or the BD Quickdraw in aluminum. Mine only weighs 8 oz but the BD is 14 and highly rated online (for what that's worth).

Well the BCA Stealth 300 probe is on sale on Backcountry.com for $52. Can't go wrong with that!

 

[markojp]

Buy the gear you'd like others to rescue you with, and you'll make better choices.

 

[David]

Thanks everybody! Picked up the BCA at Backcountry and will be putting the Komperdell on Ebay this fall.

 

[Slim]

Yes, although all probes are supposed to go together easily, I definitely noticed some are easier than others. As mentioned, durability, strength and stiffness also matter. durability for pit tests, and strength for an actual rescue were you will be chock full of Adrenalin, and not being gentle.

If you are tall (like me) you might want to get a probe on the longer side of things, to allow you to probe while standing upright easier.

Final consideration is packed length, especially if you have a short back length (women’s packs), some probes might be to long to fit easily in the compartment. Mammut makes ‘short’ versions of several probes, that are divided into a higher number of sections, so they pack shorter.