Should I put my beacon in my Pocket or on my chest
Before I even start I should mention that there is no right answer as it is a personal preference BUT since this is my website that means I can state my opinion on the matter should I put my beacon in my pocket or on my chest and the reasons for my decision.
This is one of the more heated debates and there is really no right answers.
Over the years I have put my beacon in a lower side pocket and connected to a strap that is made for a beacon on my pants or bibs. The reason I choose to do this is because I feel it gives faster access than having it on a chest harness as well as knowing where it is on and off the hill. When and if you are in an avalanche seconds matter and it just takes longer to unzip your coat and get the beacon out of your harness compared to a quick unzip of your pocket. For the convenience factor there is no second guessing where it is. Say you go to a drying room and your gear gets spread out and the next morning you go to the hill only to find that you forgot it there.
I may have forgotten food for the trip but I know where my beacon is
When you could have your beacon in your pocket
That’s right if I had a pocket that was using velcro or not specifically designed for a beacon I would use a chest harness in fear of loosing it but since I have pockets that zip up and a specially designed pocket I have a simple rule “This pocket holds my beacon and seasons pass at all times. Now if I had a seasons Pass with a RFID chip I would not put them in the same pocket but while in Japan it was just plastic so these were two vital things and the beacon went in the beacon specific section of the pocket with the seasons pass close to it. Every morning I would go up to the ticket office, show my pass and get a paper ticket and immediately put the Pass back in my pocket and keep it zipped with nothing else in it. If you get into the routine of having a specific pocket for your beacon and nothing else you would use throughout the day than it becomes second nature and you always know where it is if having to use it daily and your not going to lose it.
Good luck finding your beacon in this mess
Electric Interference
A big issue is to get electrical interference whether you have it on your chest or in your pocket but I always keep my phone on the opposite side of your body as well as keeping any other electrical devices as far away as possible.
Main reason People say it’s a bad idea
People say what if you are in an avalanche and your pants get ripped off or if you snag the pocket on a tree.
Seriously…….If you are in a big enough accident where your pants get ripped off than it is going to be such a massive event that it will be a body recovery and time isn’t much of an issue but if your pocket isn’t specifically made for a beacon (AKA nylon close on the inside of the leg) than you could lose it from a small tear in the pocket . I’ve also heard that it being in your pocket makes it colder so lithium batteries won’t last as long but I’ve never had that issue
Without the right Pants pockets a harness is the way to go
Now we should look at the pros and cons of having a beacon in your pocket and I can’t stress enough you shouldn’t have random stuff in the designated pocket.
Pros
Faster getting to your beacon. Always know where it is Easy access You can feel it easily
Cons People give you crap can be painful when touring it could potentially be slower for someone to dig you and airway if buried as it is close to your knees and not the chest
Conclusion
Now I must state that if you don’t have a secure pocket than I highly recommend having it in a harness but if you have a pocket with a secure zipper than it’s a great way to go.
This is way to heated of a debate I think I’m going to just chill here.
Feel free to comment and give your reasons for or against the question Should I put my beacon in my Pocket or on my chest or any other topic you would like me to cover.
Thanks for making it to the end
6 thoughts on “Should I put my beacon in my Pocket or on my chest”
Good thoughts here, Kyle.
The most important thing about your beacon is being able to use it when you need it. If keeping it in your pocket makes it more accessible and easier to use, that’s the way to go!
My pants don’t have a designated beacon pocket but my next pair might! I really don’t enjoy wearing across my chest and feel like having it in my pocket would make it much easier to get out and use in an emergency.
Thanks for your comment Nick. Make sure that when you buy your next pair of Pants that they have a Beacon specific pocket that has a leash. Both are really important!
I’ve been told another reason to have it on your chest and not leg pocket is to minimize chances of beacon being smashed by tree/ice/rock in case of being swept down the mountain. If it’s in your leg pocket and you are swept into some rocks the chances are much higher of you smashing your leg into a rock and damaging your beacon than if it is on your chest. Have a friend this happened to and only reason he was ok is he ended up on top of debris. He was skinning across a dlope when a small wind slab popped above him and swept him off a 5 meters bluff. He broke hos collar bone, and did some damage to his ribs and shoulder. Also his beacon was smashed and he had a huge bruise on his thigh. Had he been buried his beacon would not have been of use. If it’s on your ches chances are better it will not get smashed on rocks or anything else, as you are more likely to protect yourself with your arms/shoulders. This is why I would never wear my beacon in a pocket.
Thank you so much for writing about this experience so that other people can see it. I can totally see why this would have you in the mindset of keeping the beacon on your chest.
I’ve been wearing avay beacons since I took my level 1 and 2 avy coarse back in 1998 and have always woarn my transceiver on my chest with the harness(if it came with one).A person has better access to it,not fumbling around with gloves or mittens on,trying to unzip the zipper and the temperature might be10 or 15 below zero with the wind blowing!
Hey Craig thanks so much for commenting. Yeah with a stubborn zipper I could see how that would be an issue. Out here in Northern Scandinavia it can get brutal and taking the gloves off for a few seconds can really be painful. Great to hear about other peoples personal experiences and awesome to hear about your training. Not enough people get it these days.
Good thoughts here, Kyle.
The most important thing about your beacon is being able to use it when you need it. If keeping it in your pocket makes it more accessible and easier to use, that’s the way to go!
My pants don’t have a designated beacon pocket but my next pair might! I really don’t enjoy wearing across my chest and feel like having it in my pocket would make it much easier to get out and use in an emergency.
Thanks for your comment Nick. Make sure that when you buy your next pair of Pants that they have a Beacon specific pocket that has a leash. Both are really important!
I’ve been told another reason to have it on your chest and not leg pocket is to minimize chances of beacon being smashed by tree/ice/rock in case of being swept down the mountain. If it’s in your leg pocket and you are swept into some rocks the chances are much higher of you smashing your leg into a rock and damaging your beacon than if it is on your chest. Have a friend this happened to and only reason he was ok is he ended up on top of debris. He was skinning across a dlope when a small wind slab popped above him and swept him off a 5 meters bluff. He broke hos collar bone, and did some damage to his ribs and shoulder. Also his beacon was smashed and he had a huge bruise on his thigh. Had he been buried his beacon would not have been of use. If it’s on your ches chances are better it will not get smashed on rocks or anything else, as you are more likely to protect yourself with your arms/shoulders. This is why I would never wear my beacon in a pocket.
Thank you so much for writing about this experience so that other people can see it. I can totally see why this would have you in the mindset of keeping the beacon on your chest.
I’ve been wearing avay beacons since I took my level 1 and 2 avy coarse back in 1998 and have always woarn my transceiver on my chest with the harness(if it came with one).A person has better access to it,not fumbling around with gloves or mittens on,trying to unzip the zipper and the temperature might be10 or 15 below zero with the wind blowing!
Hey Craig thanks so much for commenting. Yeah with a stubborn zipper I could see how that would be an issue. Out here in Northern Scandinavia it can get brutal and taking the gloves off for a few seconds can really be painful. Great to hear about other peoples personal experiences and awesome to hear about your training. Not enough people get it these days.