Compared to almost all other hobbies, powersports are far more dangerous, and we like that. Now, I'm not suggesting for a moment that we want to die on our next outing, far from it, but it's the proximity to danger that makes many of us feel present. Some of us like to get extremely close to that danger, while others just need to know it's out there somewhere. The commonality between every powersport enthusiast is that we all want to go out and do it again—that's where the SBX backpack system from Safeback comes in.
The SBX backpack system is designed to pull and deliver oxygen from snow if the wearer is buried in an avalanche. Research shows that, once someone is buried under the snow, they have around 15 minutes' worth of oxygen before they asphyxiate. The creators of the SBX backpack say that it could theoretically extend your breathing time to 90 minutes by sucking oxygen out of the surrounding snow and delivering it to the wearer via the straps on the backpack.
The device is activated by a pull cord and powered by six Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, which Safeback chose for their ability to operate in very low temperatures. The system that delivers oxygen to the wearer also pushes carbon dioxide away from their face, meaning this system solves two problems at the same time. Check out how it works in the video below.
The SBX backpack could benefit everyone, from skiers to snowmobilers, and it appears to be needed now more than ever. According to reports from around the globe, there have been clear signs of elevated avalanche activity and subsequent fatalities during the most recent ski season, due to abnormally heavy snowfall creating weak layers in the snow. The company even found some brave subjects to test out the backpack.
An international group of researchers buried 24 volunteers face-down in at least 50cm of snow, half of the subjects had the SBX backpack system while the other half had nothing to aid them. The efficacy of the system was judged based on the Spo2 levels of the volunteers, which is the amount of oxygen-saturated hemoglobin in the blood. It's generally accepted that levels below 90% indicate a lack of sufficient oxygen, while readings below 80% can lead people to become confused and even lead to organ damage.
For the purpose of the test, researchers defined Spo2 readings of below 80% to be an adverse event. The researchers found that the volunteers who weren't using the SBX backpack stayed buried for a median time of 6.4 minutes and reported seven events, while those using the system stayed buried for a median time of 35 minutes with no adverse events. The results certainly seem promising, however the research wasn't without criticism.
Three French scientists specializing in mountain rescue in the French Alps wrote a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association, where the test results were published, and expressed some issues with parts of the studies, and most revolved around how things happen in the real world. Firstly, people buried in an avalanche would have much higher respiration rates than the volunteers in the experiment, and would use up the available oxygen much faster as a result.
The secondary consideration that the scientists brought up was that snow density can play a major role in oxygen permeability. Since the research placed all participants under 50cm of snow, there's not enough data to show how the system works in a broader range of conditions, which was apparently a point echoed by the original research team too.
Ultimately, the researchers thought the SBX system was still useful, but that devices such as airbags and avalanche transponders should also be used. Here at RideApart we'll always recommend that anyone heading out into nature should kit themselves up with a Garmin inReach mini, regardless of what your destination is, but if you're hell bent on snow, then the SBX backpack could be worth a look.
