2010 Avalanche News

BCA Delivers Much-Awaited Tracker2 and Float 30

BOULDER (January 6, 2010) - Avalanche equipment manufacturer Backcountry Access, Inc. (BCA) had a big holiday week, delivering two much-anticipated products: the Tracker2 avalanche beacon and Float 30 avalanche airbag.

BCA is known for revolutionizing the transceiver market in 1997 with the Tracker DTS, the world's first digital avalanche transceiver. The Tracker2 reinforces the renowned ease-of-use of the Tracker DTS with a third antenna (for increased accuracy at close range), even faster processing speed, greater receive range, and "out of the box" simplicity. "This is the beacon you want your touring partner to carry," said BCA Vice President and co-founder Bruce Edgerly. "No bells and whistles, just raw simplicity and speed. In a stressful situation, that's what people want." Suggested retail is $335.

The company is poised to revolutionize another category with its Float 30 avalanche airbag. This 30-liter backpack includes a compact compressed air system. When the user pulls a trigger on the right shoulder strap, a 150-liter airbag inflates behind the user's head and shoulders. This helps protect the victim from trauma and helps keep him or her on top of the flowing avalanche debris. Similar systems have been proven extremely effective in Europe, but have not been widely adopted in North America due to high prices and complicated refilling logistics. The Float 30 is priced at $500 and the cylinder can be exchanged or refilled at BCA and a network of retailers, SCUBA and paintball shops.

"We've done our homework and found that the biggest challenge in avalanche rescues is no longer the beacon search," Edgerly said. "The vast majority of time is spent digging for the victim. By reducing or eliminating the burial depth, then you dramatically increase the chances of survival. Our mission is to save lives, not just pump beacons."

For more info, contact BCA at info@backcountryaccess.com or (303)417-1345.

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