LEXICON: abs bag

A backpack with a deployable airbag to aid users caught in an avalanche to rise up amongst the debris. These tend to be in the form of a large balloon or balloons that inflate when manually triggered. The trigger either releases a small explosive charge that in turn releases a valve on a compressed air canister or switches on an electric fan that inflates the bag or bags. They are designed to make the person wearing it larger so that they naturally rise to the surface of the snow.