CnnmnSchnpps
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Posts posted by CnnmnSchnpps
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I have no personal experience with the smaller pack, but the 36L version is not at all bulky assuming I don't stuff a ton of gear in there. With just skins, couteaux, random bits and bobs and a water bottle the weight is hardly noticeable on my back as long as I cinch down the hip belt, shoulder straps, and risers properly (think, hiking pack). The shape of the pack is tall and thin, meaning it's not too bad sitting on a lift and the weight stays close to your body to avoid adding too much rotational inertia.
There is a bit of wasted space in the "engine compartment" around the canister and the airbag parts, but not too bad. My biggest problem is that having the extra space means I am tempted to carry more stuff with me.. Spare clothes, random rescue stuff, thermos, etc.. Not a bad thing for BC or touring, but for most of the slackcountry riding I do, have to be real careful to not end up with a 10+kg of gear.
B.C.Map in Jimbocho (2F of the ICI sports ski shop on the main street) carries the pack so you can probably check it out there if you're interested. Might want to call up beforehand since they were saying stocks were getting limited..
Cheers
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There's actually no link to the map from the nadare.info page.. However it is on the main resort page - for reference: http://www.niseko.ne.jp/rules/11-12Niseko_Rule_JPEN.pdf
Also posted in the bathrooms of Annapuri Gondola, lol..
Cheers
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Just in case anyone else is interested in getting one of these, I ended up going with the BCA FLoat 36 bag. The fact that they are sold locally in Japan and already have a small network of refill stations was probably the biggest factor in going with this bag, but it's a great bag in its own right. Plenty of space and quite light as long as I don't stuff it full of gear. http://www.wildsnow....oat36-18-revie/
No issues flying with it (empty) on JAL from Haneda to Chitose and back. Once at Niseko I sent the tank via Takkyubin to get it filled at the refill shop in Sapporo. You should be able to fly with them filled and I intend to try when I go to Hakkoda in 2 weeks.
Cheers
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A couple of short vids so far this season... Leaving for Niseko tomorrow, should have alot more stuff to post.
Cheers!
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Pretty much everything except Niseko VIllage has great terrain and BC access gates. Strawberry Fields is nice and mild, L gate is great. The peak gates are sick just don't drop off the wrong side of the mountain, me and my friends spend 3 hours walking back the long way round last year.
Not to hijack the thread, but another Niseko question - the avvy reports have coordinates mentioned, is this from any official map? Tried searching online to no avail..
[Risk Assessment]: Coordinates H9 to B9, H2, C4, especially around backbowl sidewalls at elevations between 900-1200m, O-Sawa at elevations around 800-900m the possibility of a 60cm avalanche continues. Also in the strictly of limits area Haru no Taki (coordinates J4) there is increasing risk of a 100cm surface fracture.Cheers
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Disagee on that.
The chances that it´s just not going to be just one of us but a lot of us will get buried at the same time.. In that senario, who is left to dig us out? Is it going to be the draw of luck that you get digged out alive first? We are talking about survival here and not body recovery.
Another thing is that the chances of survival reduces with the depths you get dragged down under the snow. Airbags are meant to counter that so you are very close to the surface and apparently the airbag portion is above surface.
Totally! It's not going to be the silver bullet like in Europe where most people ride the alpine - US and JPN alot of the riding is in the trees - but it's still going to help a ton. If I did it over again, with limited resources, I would buy the airbag first.
Just wish it wasn't such a ripoff. 115,000 JPY for a bag that retails for 785 USD in the states. Oh and in the states the tank comes full, but not here so you have to pay another 4000 JPY for a charge.
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The bag is useless if you dont buy all the other gear first. BCA is the only model in Japan right now 90000 yen for the pack.
Agreed, you have to have all the other basic gear as well. Although there's a good argument that the airbag should be your first gear purchase, not the last, since statistically you have much better chances of surviving if you don't get buried vs having to wait to be dug up. Of course if you want to rescue anyone else, you still nead the other gear.
The rental question was for taking someone who doesn't have their own gear yet.
The BCA bag is actually quite nice, I think.. The Snowpulse is a little lighter thought, and the airbag portion is detachable to move it around between packs.
Cheers
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Interesting!
First of all, scuba shops in Japan use yoke connectors, not DIN. The video shows a DIN connector for the adapter, so you might need a DIN to yoke converter.
Most scuba shops do not have a compressor on site due to strict regulations. They send the scuba tanks to another facility for filling. Dive services (near the ocean) either fill on site or have their tanks trucked in.
Gas cylinders (tanks) must have KHK (Japan High Pressure Gas Association) stamp. This is similar to USA DOT stamp. Without this, there is no way that they can fill the tank, it is illegal.
The only way to get around this would be to rent a scuba tank and then do whatever you are going to do with it.
Thanks, very good info! I don't think the tanks have the KHK stamp at all since it would be a US model.
May end up going with a BCA bag instead cos they are distributed locally and are supposed to have their shit figured out.
Cheers
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Hey all,
Anyone know of a place around Niseko that can fill a Snowpulse airbag? Have all the adapters so a scuba shop should be able to do it, but the closest I've been able to find online is all the way in Sapporo
Also, any recommendations for a place to rent beacon/shovel/probe in Niseko?
Cheers!
-Dmitri
Expressway shut-downs
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
I've only been doing the weekend pilgrimage to Niigata for three years now, but on the Joshinetsu/Kanetsu it seems they always check tires if the chain kisei sign is out. Typically the actual restriction starts a couple dozen k's before the real snow.. But I guess especially up there you can be driving on a bone dry road then go through a single tunnel and end up in a whiteout
-edit- And yes, closing down the expressways is just silly, you force people onto smaller and possibly less passable local roads instead. Just clean em as best you can and hope for the best...