My new project: iPhone tools for the backcountry

S

scottcha

Member
I've been holed up all summer finishing this project and I figure there might be some interested folks here who want to get away from the park once in a while and get some of those tasty backcountry goods.

It’s a project called Ullr’s Mobile Avalanche Safety Tools (MAST for short) http://www.ullrlabs.com/solutions.html We went and we rethought lots of the stuff which goes in to backcountry avalanche evaluation and tried to make it easier, more accessible and on your iPhone (android coming soon). It helps you (among tons of features):

*Remember how to properly conduct snow stability tests and what failures mean

*Warns you when things are looking scary

*Share data with others and your local avy centers (in the US)

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It could be a good thing to ask Santa for if you are one of the aspiring backcountry kicker kind or if the inbounds pow just gets snaked too fast and you’re looking to take it to the next level.

As part of our US Avy Center partnerships were kicking back 10% of what we earn to them. You can check it out here http://www.ullrlabs.com/solutions.html

Anyway, this doesn’t replace common sense and a real avy education so if you’re lacking those it’s not going to help you. Though check out AIARE, AAA, or AAI if you are lacking the later.

 
great idea but you better hope for some good reviews because 12 dollars is a lot to pay for an app that might have glitches and not be worthwhile when you already know avy saftey and have a beacon shovel probe. price seems steep
 
11.99 but i feel as if it would be worth it. I'll pick it up and let you guys know how it is next time i get into the bc, or next time it snows here.

Great idea dude!
 
Mad props OP, looks like a very good app, very well thought out. Mad legit. Will be so useful to backcountry skiers.
 
Mad props OP, looks like a very good app, very well thought out. Mad legit. Will be so useful to backcountry skiers.
 
hope it doesn't convince the inexperienced to go into the backcountry just because they have an app.

looks sweet though man, nice work!
 
This looks awesome! If initial reviews come back good, I'll be getting it for sure.

I just hope you have a really good EULA...
 
looks sick. just make sure to remember to turn your cell phone off or keep it away from your beacon in any scenario where you might actually need to use your beacon...

 
interesting... I will certainly consider this. I hope it allows reporting of extended column compression tests (ECT), which are 90cm instead of 30cm wide, allowing us to observe failure propagation better.
 
That looks like some pretty important tool to get me started in the back country. I bought it and I will review it later this season!
 
like the minute you set foot in the bc?

if you need a smart phone to tell you what to do in the bc

well you aint that smart.

i carry mine off and stashed but loaded with all essential ski patrol/dispatch #'s

Kudos on your hard work but the smarts you need in the bc are in you and your partners noggins

not another non essential app
 
Yes, two types. The slope photo in my origional post shows our inclinometer which allows you to site down a slope to get an average slope reading and there is also a horizontal view setting which allows you to site along a probe/local site.
 
This is very cool! but it's still extremely important to be aware of conditions and know the signs. So as long as you have previous knowledge of the BC, then this would be a nice tool to have in addition.
 
Yes, we support full ECT reporting including depth of failure, # taps at failure, propigation at failure and shear quality.

 
Yes, we have the Canadian Avalanche Center avy forecasts in the app (as well as most of Europe) and we support users sharing their observations with each other in Canada and Europe. We don't currently support sending observations to the Canadian Avalanche Centers or their InfoEx; this is something we are looking in to next season.

 
kinda on topic..what ever happened to the iphone avy beacon..seemed gimmicky but sick non the less. your stuff is rad too.. impressed.
 
taking a full avy course is what you and everyone should do to get started in the backcountry.

the app is cool, but info from it should be the last info (if any) you take into account when heading OB.
 
Noooooooo, it's a terrible terrible idea.

1. Everyone and their mother would suddenly have a beacon. Now, everyone and their mother is in the backcountry with no backcountry safety knowledge or experience whatsoever.

2. Suddenly, you're beacon only has an 30 hour battery life. Wouldn't be of any use for backcountry trips unless they were less than a day or two long... whereas a real beacon can go for weeks.

What he was referencing was an incredibly funny faux-review of such a product.
 
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