Discover our guide to choosing the right avalanche backpack to ski safely

Whether you’re passionate about freeride, ski touring, or splitboarding, choosing an Airbag backpack is a crucial step for your safety in the mountains. Each system has its own features, and the choice will depend on your needs in terms of weight, refill options, volume, and practicality.

Don’t overlook your safety, opt for a backpack suited to your activities and your trips.

What is an Airbag Backpack?

An avalanche airbag is a system integrated into a backpack that helps the skier stay afloat if caught in a slide. Regardless of the model, the principle remains the same: inflate one or several balloons to keep the skier at the surface of the avalanche and prevent burial.

The main goal: avoid asphyxiation.
Keep in mind: an avalanche backpack does not protect against injuries, fractures, or trauma caused by the avalanche itself.

While an airbag system is not a "life insurance policy," it provides an additional chance of survival by reducing the risk of suffocation.

Discover the different systems available on the market and on Montaz.com

• ALPRIDE Backpacks: Scott, Millet, G3, Ferrino

At SCOTT, the Alpride system is available in two versions: gas-powered or electric.

• Gas-powered airbag system

  • Detachable, inflates with 2 cartridges.

  • Lightweight at 1.2 kg.

  • Features a single 150L airbag inflating in just 3 seconds.

  • Cartridges are IATA-approved (safe for air travel).

  • Ergonomic trigger handle with multiple mounting positions.

  • Cartridges: not rechargeable, but recyclable (like a soda can).

  • Easy to replace; price per cartridge: €39.99.

• Electric system (Alpride E1)

  • Works without lithium batteries, powered by supercapacitors.

  • Recharge via USB or 2 AA batteries.

  • A turbocompressor (fan) inflates the airbag in under 3 seconds.

  • Reusable indefinitely (as long as batteries are charged).

  • No air travel restrictions.

  • Weight: 1280 g, among the lightest electric systems on the market.

• ABS Backpacks

The ABS system is a classic in the market, trusted since 1985 for its reliability.

• Equipped with two independent airbags, inflated via a gas cartridge.

• Pyrotechnic trigger handle.

• Keeps the skier in a horizontal position on the avalanche surface, reducing the risk of injury.

• If one balloon is damaged, the other stays inflated for extra safety.

• Weight: between 2.3 kg and 2.8 kg, depending on model and cartridge (steel or carbon).

• Cartridge refill price: €35.

The ABS S.CAPE base unit, to which you can zip on the volume of your choice.

• ARVA Reactor Backpack

The Reactor system by ARVA is one of the lightest on the market (790 g). Similar to the ABS system, it inflates using a gas cartridge and features two independent airbags.

Its key advantage is that it can be detached and transferred to different ARVA backpack models (ranging from 15 to 40 liters).
The cartridge is available in steel or carbon, and is approved for air travel.

• MAMMUT Airbag Technology RAS / PAS Backpack

The Mammut system is lightweight (850 g) and also uses a gas cartridge.

• Removable Airbag System (RAS): allows you to use the backpack without the airbag for greater lightness and versatility.

• Protection Airbag System (PAS): the 150 L balloon provides protection for the head, neck, and chest.

• Cartridge refills are free of charge.

The MAMMUT Pro Protection Airbag 3.0 backpack

• ORTOVOX AVABAG Backpack

The Ortovox Avabag system is one of the most compact and lightweight on the market, weighing only 690 g.

• The 160 L airbag inflates in 3 seconds and provides effective protection for the head and upper body.
• The cartridge is compatible with all Avabag backpacks and approved for air travel.

The ORTOVOX FREE RIDER 20L S AVABAG KIT backpack and its carbon cartridge

• JETFORCE Backpack (Black Diamond, Pieps, Poc)

The Jetforce system uses a battery-powered fan to inflate the 200-liter airbag in 3.5 seconds. It offers several advantages :

• No cartridge: you simply recharge the Lithium-polymer battery, making air travel easier.

• Multiple deployments: the battery allows up to 4 inflations per charge.

• After deflation, the Jetforce system creates an air pocket, making it easier to free a buried skier.

BLACK DIAMOND JETFORCE PRO PACK 25L E1 Electric Airbag Backpack

This features the largest airbag on the market (200 liters), made from high-strength, puncture-resistant automotive airbag fabric.