From what I hear, skiing an ultra fresh powder is the bees knees when it comes to downhill.  But with that luxury comes the potential of being buried in an avalanche.  Enter the Backcountry Access’ Float 30.  Although it looks like it’s designed to protect your head and neck from injury, it is in fact built to keep you afloat, or on top of the avalanche’s surface, thus preventing burial and asphyxiation, the number one killer of avalanches.  I’d hope that it would provide some breathing room, much like the Avalung, but that doesn’t seem to be the product’s objective.

The Backcountry Access’ Float 30 works by deploying a 150-liter airbag from the bag’s right shoulder strap when the user pulls the appropriate ‘trigger’.  It also includes a 30 liter hydration-bladder, which should be enough for a solid day’s worth of skiing.

Expect it to hit the Backcountry Access store this December for $499.

[via Besportier]

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