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Frequently Asked Questions
For most Australian touring, 240 cm is the standard choice and the lightest to carry. If you ski deep maritime snowpacks in New Zealand or Japan, or work as a guide or patroller, a longer probe such as the Arva Guide 260, Mammut Probe 280 Speed Lock or Probe 320 Speed Lock gives more reach.
Yes. Snow probe is another name for an avalanche probe: a collapsible pole that you assemble and push into avalanche debris to locate a buried person after your beacon has narrowed the search. Every probe we stock is built for avalanche rescue.
Carbon saves weight, which matters on long tours: the Mammut Carbon Probe 240 Light is 198 g. Aluminium costs less, from $99.95 for the Arva Access 240, and Arva build their professional Guide 260 in 13 mm aluminium. Both do the same job when used with good technique.
Yes. A probe only helps if you know how to search, probe and dig as a team. An AST 1 course covers trip planning, avalanche terrain and practice rescues with a beacon, probe and shovel. Practise with your own gear at home and with your group every season.
How to choose an avalanche probe
• Length: 240 cm suits most touring in Australia and is the lightest option. Longer probes give reach in deep snowpacks: the ArvaHow to choose an avalanche probe
• Length: 240 cm suits most touring in Australia and is the lightest option. Longer probes give reach in deep snowpacks: the Arva Guide 260 reaches 260 cm, the Mammut Probe 280 Speed Lock 280 cm and the Probe 320 Speed Lock 320 cm.
• Aluminium or carbon: aluminium is tough and costs less. Carbon is lighter: the Mammut Carbon Probe 240 Light weighs 198 g.
• Packed length: shorter sections fit smaller packs. The Mammut Probe 240 Short and Carbon Probe 240 Light fold to 38 cm; the Arva Spark 240 and Ski Trip 240 use 30 cm sections.
• Locking system: look for a lock you can work in gloves. Mammut Speed Lock probes click when tensioned. Arva's PIN LOCK (Spark 240) tensions and locks with one pull, the Rack Lock (Ski Trip 240, Guide 260) pulls the cable tight as you pull the handle, and the Access 240 locks with a quick knot.
• Shaft diameter and markings: a thicker shaft is stiffer in dense debris; the Guide 260 uses a 13 mm tube. All our probes have depth markings so you can call the burial depth to whoever is digging.
Mammut and Arva avalanche probes we stock
• Mammut: Probe 240 Short, Probe 240, 280 and 320 Speed Lock, Carbon Probe 240 Light and Carbon Probe 280 Speed Lock. The Speed Lock models have a bright orange lowest section.
• Arva: Access 240 (190 g, Arva's best-selling probe), Spark 240 (250 g), Ski Trip 240 and Guide 260, Arva's probe for mountain professionals.
Avalanche probes for Australian and overseas snow
Avalanches happen in the Australian Alps, mostly on steep slopes after heavy snow or wind. A 240 cm probe is the usual choice for touring the Main Range and the Victorian high country. If you also ride New Zealand or Japan, where snowpacks run deeper, consider 280 cm or more. Before the season, assemble your probe at home until it is second nature. A probe is one part of an avalanche kit: carry it with an avalanche beacon and an avalanche shovel, in a snow backpack with a tool pocket, and book an AST 1 course.
Why buy from Oz Backcountry
Free shipping Australia-wide over $150 (T&Cs apply), sent from our Helensvale warehouse on the Gold Coast. Some probes are down to the last unit; the "In stock – ships immediately" filter shows what is ready today.
Related: Avalanche Kit & Safety Gear · Avalanche Beacons · Avalanche Shovels · Snow Backpacks · Mammut · Arva