written by on 14/01/2010
The Pieps Freeride avalanche transceiver is basically a no frills transceiver for those looking for an entry into avalanche safety. As a keen off piste skier I was told a transceiver was essential despite having never considered it myself.
The Pieps Freeride is a relatively small unit (although the accompanying harness is quite large) that does exactly what it says on the tin. The battery lasts almost two weeks solid and the send function works perfectly. I was a little dubious about the searching capabilities of this unit when ordering (as I've had no training with kit like this) but found the Freeride simple to use and effective when I practised with it, enough so that I'd feel confident with it in a 'real-life' situation.
All in all, this is a great little piece of kit that I'd recommend to anyone considering buying an entry level transceiver. For me it was either this or nothing (as alternative 'better' transceivers cost a lot more) and for people in this situation it could just save your/anothers life. In my opinion, for the price the only improvement it would benefit from is a slightly slimmer harness that isn't so bulky.
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