Next time you find yourself in the middle of an avalanche, you’ll probably want to be strapped into The North Face’s new ABS Patrol 24 Pack or ABS Vest if you’re hoping for a fighting chance at survival.
The new packs come equipped with air bags with nitrogen canisters—so you can get past airport security—that upon inflating, add 150 more liters of body volume and thus push your body to the surface of an avalanche as if a buoy. Wrapped in Thermoball fabric, the packs also add warmth if you continue to be trapped.
Set to drop in the fall of the next year, as with all TNF products, the packs are a bit pricey at $900 plus the nitrogen tank for $150. Though hospital bills and funeral arrangements are usually more expensive.
[via Engadget]
