Participation in many outdoor activities often comes with a risk of being injured and possibly stranded. For example, in relatively cold climates activities such as but not limited to backcountry and off-piste skiing, on-piste skiing, side country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, mountaineering, hiking and snowmobiling carry a risk of being involved in an avalanche. As another example, riding a motorcycle is a well-known pastime that carries with it a high risk of head injury in the event of an accident.
A number of devices and equipment currently exist that assist a participant in mitigating the dangers of such activities and the like, such as avalanches. These devices include beacons, shovels, probes, and airbag systems. These current devices, however, in no way act to physically remove the users from the danger, such as an onrushing avalanche. Instead, these devices aim to limit or mitigate the danger as and/or after the danger occurs and injures the participant. Simply stated, these existing devices do not prevent injury in the first place, no less prevent such injuries from occurring by removing the participant from the danger. These safety devices do not prevent a participant from directly contacting the down-rushing mass of the avalanche. Existing safety devices thus predispose the participant to injury and/or burial via an avalanche or similar danger.
A need therefore exists for apparatuses and related methods that physically remove a user from such dangers (e.g., an avalanche and similar dangers) in order to minimize the potential of injury to a participant.