CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 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 Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Hi CnnmnSchnpps Sorry I can't answer your question but.... Can someone explain what this 'Snowpulse airbag' is all about? Link to post Share on other sites
Zer0star 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 http://www.snowpulse.com/en Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Hiya Has the cartridge got the same certification as scuba tanks in Japan? If not, some folks mightn't want to stick it on their compressor. That said Sapporo is maybe your best bet for a scuba shop that knows of them and has seen one before. I would contact them beforehand anyway. It might save you a wasted journey. Link to post Share on other sites
dyna8800 3 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 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. Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 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 -D Link to post Share on other sites
rider69 18 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 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. Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 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 -D Link to post Share on other sites
rider69 18 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Yep the snowpulse seems the way to go but the BCA seems the best option at the moment. I would say that the beacon before that pack any day of the week. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 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. Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 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. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 In any case, no amount of equipment is going to assure your survival. What bugs me is that people should think themselves dead and lucky to survive if they get hit by an avalanche. In a tree area, you might die by trauma hitting a tree. In that case, the snowpulse is designed to rap your head and give you some protection. Apparently. some people have an isssue about that is going to restrict their vision. .. Another thing is, If you are relying on someone for your own survival, there is foundamentally something wrong ! I´m in Germany and we have here, ABS, Snowpulse, Mammut. I´m thinking about getting one, but the choice of gas and canister is an issue. With Snowpulse you can do a course with them and get training (certification) to fill. If I were in Japan, I would end up buying a small scuba tank to top up with it. But I don´t think it is an economical option. If that is the case, the non- refillable canister with Nitrogen which you exchange with the dealer might be the go. Still, if you are planning to go USA, Canada, Europe ... the permissable psi on with the canister is going to be an issue. You might end up buying one for Europe and another for North America Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) 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 -D Edited February 6, 2012 by SJ-David Second link not working. Please check out our Guidelines before posting tons of links. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Nice one. Certainly the price is attractive compared to the others. Comes with all the hardware, too. And the compartment design in the pack is handy layout . I don´t like carrying packs when riding in general, so I am looking at smaller packs. I read that some of the heli operators don´t like people wearing big packs on board. Not sure if it is more comfty when the pack rides high. I thinks it is better to have the weight near the waist. I don´t ride throwing my upper body around either... But anyways, I´m buying 2 packs so the price is an issue. These equipment are - in fact - high profit margin products. Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 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 -D Link to post Share on other sites
sand 17 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 sorry I only just took real notice of this today: I have been e-mailing BCA for the last 12 months about this issue for Japan. I got a reply Jan 31: Here is what he said: Hello, Thanks for the email. If you buy the cylinder in Japan from our distribution company Sonne then you can refill it in Japan because it has the proper certifications that Japan requires as a country. If you have purchased the cylinder in the US then it does not have the proper Japanese certifications and you will not be able to refill it it in Japan. Let me know if you have any further questions. Best, -- .......Customer Service Representative sorry for the bad news and good luck. Link to post Share on other sites
sand 17 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 sorry didn't realise you picked one up in Japan, then it is all good (except for the hefty price) Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Surely you can retrofit a different cannister for use in different countries? If not that is a severe design flaw in the truely global world of snowsports. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 a design flaw or a money making scam......you have buy another one to use it in THAT country Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 Well.. It's more of a legal thing due to each country's different rules for compressed air cylinders. I wonder if you could get a US cylinder tested locally to get the proper compliance stamps - maybe dyna8800 can chime in again? If anything, I think BCA deserves some serious credit for being the only manufacturer who already has refill stations in Japan :-) The price inflation is a different issue.. We all know how much more beacons cost in Japan vs the States, but at least in this case you actually get some value added for the extra dough (namely, they go through the cylinder certification process for you, and went through the legwork to set up refill stations). Cheers -D Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I think this is the same situation with whatever manufacturer you go with. Be it ABS, Snowpulse, Mammut, BCA. Also the IATA air carriage rules apply ... Is the carriage of a filled cartridge… Cartridge Non-Refillable 300 Bar Steel Cartridge Refillable 207 Bar Alu …allowed on flights according to the IATA’s regulations? YES NO …allowed on flights to the USA/Canada? YES NO …allowed on domestic flights within Canada? YES YES So on top of this, there is an air cartridge certification. I reckon it is practical to buy a refillable cartridge at each country you visit. (if you know someone you can leave it with) Or, just get a non-refillable, swap with dealer once deployed 300 bar cartridge. Link to post Share on other sites
fukdane 2 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Get a politician to talk into the bag. It would fill quickly. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 See...THIS is one of those times 'rentals' makes a lot of sense to me. I don't understand why someone would prefer to hire their boots, board or skis...to me that is something way too personal. I'd rather pay the excess baggage and be riding on MY board, the one I know every inch of, than hiring. But if I could walk into a professional hire store with top notch maintained BC gear, including the country specific passed, checked and labelled canisters in the airbags, choice of beacon type (so you could hire the one you know and can use quickly) then I would be thrilled! Can not imagine I would carry snow shoes, shovels, probes, beacons, first aid gear, and an airbag backpack on top of the rest of my kit on International flights, and then have the battle to find a canister! Different story entirely if I was based in the snow. I would buy. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I agree with you completely Mamabear, but I guess that demand for this type of equipment is a little bit smaller than the equipment rental side of things. Could be a good niche business idea in places that are well known for the back country though. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Actually, not everyone likes to go off piste (in Europe...or Japan for that matter) But you can rent them in Europe when that resort is renowned for freeriding Boots, my missus and I will never hire. Too personal and fit matters! We will leave a pair here in Europe, another pair in Japan with our folks. Boards, I don´t mind. Would like to try new ones (for hire or free demo) if the specs suit me or there is a particular model. ie: Dupraz D1, Pogo, Rossi experience, Jones solution, F2 eliminator. Apo apocalipse FirstAid kit - if you don´t have it on you, what´s the point of talking about it, period. A-Bags. eventually we will buy. The price will go down. But when you think about it, It´s not all that hi-tec. I reckon I can make one myself. Link to post Share on other sites
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