What's the Difference between Avalanche Airbags?

There are several types of avalanche airbag inflation systems out there and a variety of brands that sell airbag packs. Mountain Sledder goes over how these systems differ and the pros and cons of each.


 
All avalanche airbags use either a cylinder of compressed gas or an electronic fan inflation method. Compressed air/gas systems have been around longer than fan-based airbags and as such are more commonly used.  When the airbag is deployed, air is released from the cylinder into the airbag.  These systems use small, refillable aluminum cylinders that are filled with air between 2500 and 3000 psi. Some brands use regular oxygen and some brands use other types of gas like argon and CO2, or nitrogen.
 
Electronic airbags must be charged and “switched on” before they’re used. When the handle is pulled, a cable tells the airbag to inflate. The power source gives energy to the fan, which pulls ambient air into the airbag.  Battery-powered fan inflation systems were the first e-airbag on the market and the supercapacitor-powered inflation system is the latest in avalanche airbag technology.
 
Click here to learn more about the different brands that offer which airbag technology and to learn the pros and cons of them all.