ORTOVOX AVABAG LiTRIC 30 Tour Review

2024 was a big year for the airbag scene. The LiTRIC system hit the market with offerings from ORTOVOX and Arc’teryx, promising to be the first airbag you actually want to carry. The system is light, efficient and lends itself to practice. ORTOVOX provided a loaner LiTRIC Tour 30 backpack for us to review, and with all the stellar powder the PNW has received it has been an indispensable tool.

ORTOVOX AVABAG LiTRIC 30 Tour Features:

• Zip On-System and circumferential zipper for easy access and adjustable capacity
• Release grip height adjustable
• Separate safety compartment
• Safety leg strap functions like a harness
• Snowboard and snowshoe holder
• 2 Ice axe and hiking pole loops
• Rope attachment
• Chest strap with signal whistle
• Helmet net
• Bright interior fabrics for better visibility
• Hydration system compatible
• MSRP: $1300

AVABAG: Setting the standard for avalanche airbags

There’s a shift going on in the avalanche safety world. For many years, the triad of beacon-shovel-probe has been considered the indispensable gear for travel in avalanche terrain. That’s still the case, but there is a groundswell of expert support for adding an airbag into that equation.

Like most people, I toured for multiple years before using an airbag. I was put off by the price of the product, which can often cost as much as the rest of a touring setup. Two things changed my mind. One was attending a wilderness medicine conference aimed at medical professionals, and learning about the extent of hard data behind avalanche airbags and mortality reduction. In this Wilderness Medical Society guideline for managing avalanche victims, they summarize data demonstrating that avalanche airbags reduced mortality from 22% to 11% when deployed properly. About 20% of the time they aren’t deployed properly. So, it’s important to practice.

With the advent of the LiTRIC system, airbags took a huge leap forward into being lightweight and easy to practice with. Traditional canister-style bags meant refilling the canisters with either costly equipment or a trip to a specialty store. For the all-electric LiTRIC, you just press a button.

Briefly, ORTOVOX recalled these bags in 2022 after users reported breaking the plastic around the guard to the air intake inside the pack. ORTOVOX redesigned intake to be stronger and without little parts that could break off and get into the intake. The updated products have visible screws on the bottom of the intake.

ORTOVOX AVABAG:

Since the LiTRIC system was a collaboration between Arc’teryx and ORTOVOX, they are the only companies making packs with the technology. We’ve previewed the Arc’teryx model (full review to come), but I’ll consider the ORTOVOX pack on its own merits with just a few direct comparisons when it is helpful.

The AVABAG is built on the foundation of ORTOVOX’s popular touring backpacks. They’ve been making technical packs for years, and it shows: the feature implementation is spot-on, making the pack super user friendly.

The foundation of the bag is a 420D CORDURA which is extremely durable. The storage compartment, and the sold-separately zip-on bags, are made of a 400D CORDURA. This is the gold-standard fabric for ski packs with unparalleled durability. Your $1300 backpack isn’t going to get a hole from anything casual!

The main compartment is meant to be accessed from a giant D-door. I absolutely adore this design – it is really easy to set the backpack on the snow and flop open the main compartment. There aren’t any straps in the way of the zipper tracks, so there’s no extra fumbling with your gloves on. If you’re carrying a helmet, those straps do cross the zipper tracks and will keep the D-door from opening fully. You can also treat it like a normal top-open compartment thanks to the twin zipper pulls.

Next is the rescue compartment. Again, all of these zipper tracks pull easily without any straps in the way. The rescue zipper pulls are orange as a visual cue, and the rescue compartment flops half open when unzipped. This gives you easy near-instant access to your shovel and probe. There’s not a dedicated saw pocket, but the probe and handle pockets are generous enough to let you add the saw to either one.

Last is a small stuff pocket for glasses, snacks or keys. This is also where the ‘key’ to deflate the LiTRIC system lives. I appreciate ORTOVOX putting it here; the Arc’teryx version stores in the airbag’s dedicated compartment and when practicing I’ve noticed that it’s harder to find.

Compression is performed by top and bottom side straps, and as mentioned these do not cross zipper lines so you don’t have to futz with them every time you want into the bag. One end of the strap is fixed in place, but the other adjusts vertically so you can find tune compression ahead of a big day.

The shoulder and waist straps are very much styled like a climbing harness. They’re minimalist, with subtle high-density foam padding that is comfortable without packing down during a long day. The right waist band just has a gear loop for whatever you might want to clip to it. I wish that there was a small stash pocket for snacks. The left waist band is dominated by the safety leg loop. This is an essential part of the pack since it turns it into more of a ‘harness.’ You need it to stay attached if you’re tossed around in an avalanche.

Another feature I absolutely love: hydration bladder compatibility. There’s a sewn tunnel on the right shoulder strap and a clip inside to hang a bladder. For long days touring or warmer spring volcano climbs, I love to carry a hydration bladder.

ORTOVOX built this pack for a diagonal ski carry. There’s also a rope attachment on the top of the pack and twin ice axe loops. You could also A-frame your skis although there’s not a specific snowboard attachment system. I am unaware whether ORTOVOX has characterized the safety profile of deploying the airbag during any of these carry configurations.

AVABAG in use:

All of the above text is discussion on the design and features. Next let’s talk a bit about what the AVABAG LiTRIC Tour is actually like to use. My comparisons are the YEARS of different touring packs I’ve used and reviewed. I will also  consider the Arc’teryx Micon LiTRIC which is the AVABAG’S most direct competitor.

For starters, the AVABAG carries really well. It feels lightweight and moves with you well like a good touring or climbing pack should. The LiTRIC system is very svelte, and while I notice it while packing I don’t notice it while carrying the bag. The whole LiTRIC system from battery to bag and everything in between is around 1080g, or 2.4lbs. That’s well under half of what some canister systems weigh!

ORTOVOX absolutely nailed the organization of the AVABAG. Their system is superior in this regard. The key things that I like: the rescue compartment is EASY to get into, it opens wide and there are no compression straps in the way of the zipper track. This is one of the fundamental things that I think should be true of every avalanche backpack. The Arc’teryx Micon’s rescue compartment is much harder to get into and has a narrow opening.

Similarly, the big D-door of the main compartment lets you set your bag down on your skis (or right on the snow) and completely open it up. No rooting around for that bar right at the bottom.

Another part of using the AVABAG is practicing with the LiTRIC system. This is part of why you would buy LiTRIC in the first place!! It’s one of the first truly practice-friendly systems out there. No expensive canisters to replace, just hit the button, deploy the bag, stow it and recharge. Do it at least once a season to stay current. The locking deployment handle is dedicated to the left shoulder on the AVABAG, and I like the simple twist-to-unlock system.

If it’s not clear, I think this is a really good backpack. The LiTRIC system is really top of the game right now. This is a phenomenal execution on the technology: the Arc’teryx MiCON might be a sleeker backpack, but the LiTRIC technology coupled with ORTOVOX design (especially the organization, pocket design, bladder compatibility) make AVABAG top notch. These guys nailed the form/function thing.

Buy Now: EVO.com