If a person is buried deep in the snow, one can only find him or her if he or she has a transceiver, a device that transmits and receives signal through frequency emission. It is the most practical and realistic way of locating a buried person. However, if you are a victim of an avalanche, you must remember to set your beacon to transmit and not to receive signals since everyone else in your group are set to receive frequencies from you. You must always keep in mind that every member of your party must have a transceiver to be able to receive or transmit signals if ever accidents happen. A beacon is the most commonly used rescue device and it is also the standard equipment for ski area patrollers and heli-ski operators.
If you have a beacon but do not have a shovel at hand to dig out a person from the snow, your efforts will be useless. There are two types of shovel: the plastic and the aluminum. They are both lightweight and compact enough to be carried even on a long travel. Shovels are really helpful in rescuing avalanche victims for these can speed up the digging process for up to ten times. Aside from digging, a shovel can also be buried to serve as an anchor, a thing to sit on instead of sitting on snow, or a tool to unstuck a snow mobile. You can also use it as a foot gear when you lose a ski. Some folks worry that the plastic ones will break, though it is more practical to carry a plastic one than the aluminum type. Shovel is very essential - it should be in your 'things to bring' list, especially when traveling in an avalanche-prone mountain.
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Sunday 24th February 2008 at 8:07:03 AM
Useful article, but can I make one point - the beacons should be set to transmit before you even set out, not when you get caught in an avalanche. Then the rest of the party can switch theirs to receive to find the burried victim. Also, just to labour the point - none of this kit is any use unless you take the time to learn how to use it. Go out with your beacon and practice until you can find a burried one in under two minutes.
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