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gear review: brooks range carbon fiber avy probe
By ccrossen | February 2, 2010
The avy probe is one of those pieces of gear that typical remains stashed in the avy tools pocket on most packs. Maybe you get it out for beacon testing, but usually you don’t pay much attention to it. Which is as it should be. For an item you don’t use that often, if at all, light is right. For most people touring and getting deep into the backcountry, ever ounce really does count. When you’re off on a 3-6+ hour mission, you want every bit of energy your body can provide, and ditching weight wherever possible truly helps the cause. Brooks-Range offers a lightweight but reliable option with its 240+ Carbon Pro probe. The CF Pro probe, made for Brooks-Range by Ortovox, is made from carbon fiber and Kevlar, 240cm in length (w/ option of additional section). The probe is advertised at 7-ounces. On my scale the probe weighed 9.0 ounces, far ahead of some other “lightweight” and popular aluminum probes I have, 11.2 ounces, 13.8 ounces.
The 240 probe is very easy to deploy and secure. Conical section ends make pulling the sections into a functional probe quick and easy. The top section has a foam handle. The probe feels great in the hand and is easy to use.
As with many probes, the CF 240+ probe has a large diameter point and shaft. Speaking with Matt Brooks, of Brooks Range, no one seems to be aware of any “hard” research on the subject of the benefit of a larger diameter – larger bore avalanche probes. Anecdotally, a larger diameter shaft tends to make a probe stiffer and deflect less in debris with stiff chunks. Carbon probes seem to be stiffer for a given diameter as compared to aluminum. Thinner aluminum probes seem inadequate as they deflect too easily, resulting a degree of uncertainty about probing effectiveness and the actual areas probed well below the snow surface. A stiffer probe, by being straighter, offers greater assurance of a systematic pattern by maintaining the spacing as the probe goes deeper.
Now, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Would I rather have a 7-9 ounce probe? Of course. But to realize the benefits of shaving a few ounces, you’re going to have to pay up. The probe isn’t inexpensive by any means, there are a lot of other less expensive light probes out there, but if you ski a lot, log a lot of days in the backcountry, get deep out there, and want a beautifully crafted and thought-through probe, it’s worth considering the investment, as it will most likely last you you’re entire ski career.
The Brooks-Range avalanche probe is currently available for $92. www.brooks-range.com
From Brooks-Range:
Designed for those who desire high-quality, lightweight products for backcountry adventures, the 240+ Carbon Pro Avalanche Probe is ideal because it is extremely flexible yet unbreakable due to its Kevlar® carbon construction. The large heads of the probe drill a bore channel that is larger than the diameter of the probe so that the probe can be pulled out easily and will not freeze in the snow and ice. The “conic” tube segments and the practical screw fastener make it very easy to assemble. Weight: 200 grams; Note: a 60cm extension is also available for the 240+ Carbon Pro Probe.
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