The Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest is an airbag and a protective vest combination. It’s designed for aggressive mountain riders looking for an airbag with additional body protection in a lightweight package. Us backcountry mountain riders are really active. Therefore, we want a lightweight, compact airbag with an extra layer of protection that won’t weigh us down. Let’s take a closer look at the KLIM Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest to see how it performs.
Main Features of the KLIM Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest
A Very Handy Beacon Pocket
My personal favorite feature of the Atlas 14 Airbag Vest is the very handy beacon pocket. It allows me to keep the avalanche transceiver in a very easily accessible location. Indeed, I had no trouble accessing it while wearing a helmet, goggles and gloves. Efficiency and quick and easy access with avalanche rescue gear are critical while searching for a buried victim.
Airbag Vest Storage Features
Other than the main avalanche gear storage area, there’s only one molded goggle pocket and a smaller lined zippered stash pocket for a couple of small items. Storage is indeed scarce with the Atlas 14 Airbag Vest. But that’s OK, because we mainly store our avalanche safety gear, avalanche transceiver, probe, and shovel in our packs. The rest of our gear, water, food, safety gear, tools, etc., goes on our sled. This keeps us light and maneuverable for all the jumping around an aggressive mountain rider does while riding in the backcountry.
Protective Vest Built for Comfort
I found the Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest very comfortable while riding. Its PE board with molded EVA foam backing protects us from handlebar impacts, sharp branches, or similar hazards. It’s essentially a TekVest with an avalanche airbag integrated. It is, in my opinion, the best of both worlds in terms of riding safety.
Airbag Vest Fit and Adjustments
The Atlas 14 Airbag Vest comes in two sizes: XS-MD and LG-3X. That’s quite a large range to cover with two sizes, but it seems to work. I’m 5′10″ (178 cm) and 175vlb (79.5 kg), and the XS-MD size fits me well. I did have some of the adjustment straps all the way out, but that’s to be expected, since I’m at the upper end of the size range.
Also, the Atlas 14 Airbag Vest’s pull handle has 6 adjustments so you can set it to the perfect height for you. The vest’s ambidextrous design also allows for setting the pull handle on either side.
Alpride E2: The Heart of the Airbag System
At the heart of the Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest is the Alpride E2 Airbag system. This blower-style system uses a blower motor to inflate the airbag in approximately four seconds. In the world of avalanche airbags, there are two main types of mechanics. The first is a blower-style system like what’s used with the Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest. The second type uses a compressed air canister system.
One of the main reasons I prefer the blower-style airbag system over the air canister system is that I can practice setting it off. The fact that I can reset and recharge it easily in the field means I can try it multiple times. The Alpride E2 system uses an AA-battery charging system. So, if the airbag gets set off in the field, the batteries will recharge the capacitor. In approximately 40 minutes, the capacitor will be recharged and the airbag will be ready to deploy again if needed.
The airbag is also very easy to repack while in the field after deployment. Just follow the instructions included in the pack to reset the airbag properly in the vest. Forty minutes after setting the airbag off, you can have the airbag reset and be ready to safely ride again.
Practice Is the Key to Success
Practicing with all your avalanche gear is important, even with your airbag. You should practice regularly, setting off the airbag when you’re in a safe spot in the field. Don’t wait to learn how to use the airbag until you need it. Practice is the key to confidence, success, and safety.
Customizing the KLIM Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest for a Perfect Fit
The Atlas 14 Airbag Vest offers multiple adjustments to help properly fit the vest to your preferences. It comes with two adjustable side straps on each side and optional leg straps with a stashable harness. The leg straps serve to prevent the airbag from riding up by putting pressure on your neck once deployed in an avalanche. Most mountain riders use this feature for an extra layer of protection.
Now, I’m not sure why KLIM used a double leg strap on their Atlas 14 Airbag Vest. Their other airbags, much like others in the industry, only have a single leg strap, and that seems sufficient. I would like to see them go back to a single leg strap for simplicity. The extra strap isn’t too much extra effort, but, in my opinion, it’s a bit overkill.
Integrated Impact Protection and Airbag Vest
Overall, the Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest is a huge success, in my opinion. They managed to integrate the impact protection of the protective vest and the avalanche airbag protection, while maintaining a lightweight backcountry pack. This comfortable and easy-to-use system provides that extra layer of protection many mountain riders are searching for. After one full season of using the Atlas 14 Avalanche Airbag Vest, I’m impressed. So much so that I decided to fully switch over to this airbag, backpack and vest system for all my future rides in the mountains.
Avalanche.org and Avalanche.ca
For more information on avalanche forecasts, tutorials, education, and field training, visit Avalanche.org for the US and Avalanche.ca for Canada. No matter how experienced you are at riding in the backcountry, anyone who spends time in the mountains can benefit from additional avalanche education and safety.
Avalanche Alliance
Furthermore, encourage your friends and riding partners to get avalanche training as well. A great resource for finding avalanche education across North America is the Avalanche-Alliance.org webpage. The Avalanche Alliance has a mission to raise awareness, facilitate training, and improve backcountry safety for motorized users. With a full spectrum of focus ranging from sponsoring beacon check stations to supporting avalanche training educators, the Avalanche Alliance is at the forefront of avalanche safety improvement. The ultimate goal is to have all motorized backcountry users adequately trained.
Many pro riders offer avalanche training and classes across the US and Canada, ranging from beginner classes to advanced rescue training. Some of these include Dan Adams, Matt Entz, and Brett Rassmussen, to name a few. Check out the website and find a training session that works for you and your riding partners.
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