Well from the breakfast directy to the showfloor. Since the SAFE collection was the most interesting of all the new Italian products I had to check it out in furter detail, and get a few last things ready before the big Japan trip.
Some of you who have read my blog for a little longer know that I have been following Ferrino for quite a while. From the Mezzalama trophy to a few gear reviews for there previous Snowpulse based avalanche safety backpacks the Italian outdoor professional has a long history of alpine safety. That includes the Italian alpine rescue as well as well as multiple nationals alpine safety associations. If you read my previous gear review of the Powdersafe 18 backpack you know that I specially liked the fact that Ferrino bags really have as much space in them as advertised. That of remains true to date.
But standing still in the safety market segment these days is not an option. With new innovations being introduced more or less successfully every year one has to think of new ways to improve on a tested concept in ways that add to safety and are more then just mere marketing mambo jumbo. Here in my opinion Ferrino might have a winner on their hands with the new SAFE Avalanche safty airbag series.
The idea is simple. Take all the safety components we have for avalanches and design a backpack that has then all and is easy to use. The result of this is the Ferrino FULL SAFE 30. With 30 l it is big enough for daily touring even for 2-3 days if you do not take to much camera equipment. It has a Alpride Airbag system that works with two small cartridges that are relatively inexpensive and now here comes the innovative part.. also includes a respirator in case you get buried. Next to that you add a RECCO reflector on top and you have 3 systems in one for the price of 1. Sure the RECCO in practice is more for body excavation then actual use but it is still good to have if you ride in a resort an get burred on a piste (as en example).
Of course the SAFE is a collection so next to the FULL safe also includes two additional backpacks with different levels of safety:
- GLIDE SAFE 20 – With 20 l and an Alpride Airbag+ RECCO this is the bag for the daily freerider.
- BREATHE SAFE 25 – With 25 l, a AirSafe respirator+RECCO this one is more of a tourer. It has more stash-space and gives you a the best level of safty one can get without a airbag
The new collection gives you a lot of options and depending on what you want to do on the mountain so that in any situation you can stay relatively safe. I hope I can get these babies for a test sometime next season to see how they perform in practical conditions. From what I hear from Luca, one of the Ferrino ambasadors they work great.
Before I left one thing was left to be done of course. Since I was going to Japan and I really needed some new Outerware for the coming endless powder Ferrino quickly supplied me with a bit of gear that you wont find in the shops anytime soon. But before heading to the other side of the world to score big time another storm front hit an area close to home… one of the so called secret spots… more on that in the next post.