USER MANUAL
Contents
1. Head The cylinder head seals the 8 air inside of the air cylinder and has four critical components pressure gauge fill tube pres sure relief disc and puncture disc The cylinder lock attaches the firing head to the cylinder head and insures that the air cylinder does not accidentally unscrew from the firing head Firing Head The firing head contains a com pressed spring Pulling the activator handle will release the spring and drive a bayonet through a puncture disc inside the cylinder head This action releases the compressed air and inflates the airbag in 3 seconds dependent on elevation and temperature 9a 9b 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Activator Cable Connects the Activator Handle to the Firing Head Expansion Lock Not shown High Pressure Hose This hose connects the air cylinder to the venturi airbag assembly Waist Belt Sternum Plate Crotch Strap Back Plate Under Arm Compression Strap Venturi Guard Shovel Handle Strap Shovel Blade Pocket Ski Carrier Accessory Pocket Resetting Tool Deflation Tool Additonal photos on next page O D m mr YN Included in your purchase Impact Vest Quick Start Guide User Manual Deflation Tool Attached to Impact Vest inside Cylinder Pocket Resetting Tool V Z Lu Z O A 2 O O SS Component information is listed on the previous page Vest Material Airbag Sys2. I O Z O Traveling with the Impact Vest in the United States and Canada is restricted by TSA Although the air cylinder used in the Impact Vest is approved by the US DOT it is still considered a hazardous material and not allowed on commercial airlines within the US US DOT requires specific HAZMAT training to ship the Impact Vest with filled cylinder It is illegal to ship or travel by air with a pressurized air cylinder To ship the Impact Vest be sure to release the pressure from the bottle by deploying the airbag WARI LLC does have all the required permits to ship pressurized air cylinders In the event that you will need a charged cylinder we can ship the cylinders to most required locations in advance of your travel Please contact our shipping department for more information The ImpactVest comes with a 3 year warranty and will be replaced or repaired at the discretion of WARI LLC under the following restrictions e Defects caused by improper use or normal wear and tear will not be covered e Defective products must be returned to the point of sale along with a proof of purchase The dealer will return the item to WARI LLC ALNVIAVM WARRANTY 20 21 SCIENCE LU Q Z u Q 0 gt The Impact Vest utilizes the principal of inverse segregation to keep the avalanche victim on the surface of the avalanche In the simplest terms inverse segregation is the likelihood that the largest objects by volume will st
3. The pressure guage requires 4 6 hours at a static temperature to accurately display the current status of the cylinder Y Z O mm O 2 o lt as Lu A O If the temperature is When the cylinder is full and the below 65 F the pointer temperature is above 65 F the may appear in this region pointer should be in this region 1 PS gt If the pointer is in this If the pointer is in region the cylinder is this region over pressurized cylinder is leaking DO NOT USE DO NOT USE 3 Check that the cylinder Lock is in place and that the cylinder Please Note Though the pressure gauge is a good visual indicator A head is securely screwed into the firing head of the status of the cylinder using a scale that is accurate to 1g or better is the most accurate method to determine the exact amount of gas in the cylinder Each cylinder that WARI certifies has a label with a Serial Number an empty weight E excluding shipping cap 5 Inspect the Velcro closure for the avalanche airbag is secured and fill weight F listed on it eg 10001 E585 5 F665 5 and in place Also inspect the inside of the shovel pocket for Subtracting the empty weight from the fill weight equals the mass excessive moisture In the field this could cause the fabric of the of the gas in the bottle in grams At anytime irrelevant to temperature airbag to freeze together inhibiting inflation Always store the the cylin
4. USER MANUAL IMPACT VEST Y Y AVI VEST IMPACT VEST USER MANUAL 1 877 4AVIGEAR 428 4432 INTRODUCTION WARNINGS COMPONENTS TECHNICAL DATA OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS RE ARMING THE IMPACT VEST STORAGE CLEANING CYLINDER TRANSPORT WARRANTY SCIENCE GLOSSARY 3 4 57 9 12 13 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase of the Impact Vest the new standard in avalanche safety Please read this entire owner s manual so that you completely understand how the Impact Vest can help you survive an avalanche and be prepared for an avalanche event Statistically 75 of avalanche victims in North America are killed by asphyxiation They are buried in the debris pile and are not able to breathe to sustain life The other 25 of avalanche victims are killed by trauma In Europe the environment is naturally alpine with fewer trees there 90 of victims die due to asphyxiation and 10 due to trauma It is important to realize that the Impact Vest can not prevent avalanches and does not protect you from trauma Before riding in avalanche terrain please check your local avalanche forecast your local weather forecast and that all members of your party are properly outfitted with avalanche transceivers shovels and probes The Impact Vest can improve your chance of surviving an avalanche but be advised that extreme avalanches and certain avalanche scenarios are not survivable Proceed with cau
5. an avalanche e Always check the avalanche forecast in your area and act accordingly The best way to avoid being injured in an avalanche is to not get caught Proceed with caution any time you are traveling in avalanche terrain SS gt D Z Z Q 0 COMPONENTS Y Z Lu Z O an 2 O O 3 The Impact Vest is a Life Saving device It is important for you to understand how each of these parts works and how to inspect each part to insure proper performance 1 Airbag 150 Liters composed of heavy duty cordura for strength and tear resistance 2 Airbag Pocket located between the shoulder blades 3 Venturi This unit inhales ambient air via a pressure differential caused by the high pressure air in the air cylinder The critical parts of this unit are the air intake deflation port and air nozzle 4 Activator Handle Located inside the Activator Pocket 5 Air Cylinder This bottle is certified by the DOT and TC and has a maximum operating pressure of 3000PSI This is considered a hazardous material by the US DOT and requires specific hazmat training to ship the charged cylinder 6 Air Cylinder Pocket This pocket is located on the back left side of the Impact Vest Inside of the pocket you will find the cylinder and pressure gauge The pressure gauge should be checked prior to use You can also find the Deflation Tool inside This can be used to deflate the airbag after deployment 7 Cylinder
6. ay on the top of a turbulent medium The smaller objects can more easily fill in the small spaces as the materials in a turbulent flow mix and interact An avalanche is made up of billions and billions of grains of snow The size of the particles is determined by many factors slab hardness size and class of avalanche etc Typically the grains of snow are broken into very fine particles As these particles fall and tumble down the mountain they are constantly mixing and churning During the turbulent slide gravity exerts an equal force on all of the particles in the avalanche The smallest of the particles have less resistance to falling into the spaces that constantly open due to the chaotic motion This action causes the smallest of the particles to inversely or reverse segregate So now you might ask yourself What can inverse segregation do for me A tenet of inverse segregation is that the largest objects will be separated to the top of the turbulent medium So for snow riders caught in an avalanche this principal can be very useful The next question is then How can we use inverse segregation to stay on the surface of an avalanche An airbag is the best way to implement this principal The best chance for staying on the surface is if the airbag inflates instantly When you pull the activator handle on the Impact Vest steel spring drives a pin through a puncture disk releasing air that is pressurized to 3000 psi The air trave
7. der should weigh the same as the fill weight value listed Impact Vest in a cool dry location above 50 F on the bottles label 4 Inspect the activator cable and gas hose are secured to the firing head O U m D Z G Z 0 D C 2 O Z 0 YN O hb Q E YN o lt as LLI A O IN THE FIELD 1 Check all straps and buckles are secured There are 3 straps that should be secured in place and fastened to insure that the Impact Vest is not stripped off of your body in the event of an avalanche The main zipper should be fully zipped closed One side of the main waist belt should be threaded through the loop in the end of the crotch strap located on the back left of the vest See photo A The smaller Aluminum buckle should then be pushed through the middle of the larger buckle and then rotated to lock See photo B A O 2 Open the zipper on the activator pocket located on the left shoulder and grasp the activator handle by the body of the handle and lower it out of the protective pocket 3 Zip the activator pocket to the armed position so that the activator handle is extending from the bottom of the pocket The activator handle should now be in the armed position and easily accessible IN THE EVENT OF AN AVALANCHE 1 Immediately deploy your avalanche airbag by aggressively pulling on the activator handle It will take approx 7 foot pounds of force to deploy the airbag 2 Th
8. e avalanche airbag will not interfere or inhibit your ability to ride out of the avalanche Attempt to outrun or angle yourself off of the slab in order to escape the avalanche 3 If you are overwhelmed by the avalanche cup your hands over your face and press your arms into your chest AFTER THE AVALANCHE 1 Immediately be suspect of any other slopes surrounding you or your party Remember if there has been one avalanche you should be wary of all slopes If possible leave your avalanche airbag inflated until you are completely removed from avalanche terrain 2 Once you are in a safe area deflate the airbag by following the in structions on the next page in Re arming the Impact Vest section RA REGULAR MAINTENANCE After 20 inflations of the airbag the bayonet holding pin and spring must be replaced Not doing so will void the warranty These parts can be purchased from WARI and are user replaceable The cylinder must be refilled and re certified by WARI or a WARI authorized dealer every 3 years from date of purchase This number does not include activations of the Firing Head without a full cylinder attached O U m gt Z Q Z JJ C 2 O Z BLADDER To start you will need the deflation tool located inside the cylinder pocket TO DEFLATE THE BLADDER 1 Remove the deflation port plug on top of Venturi body 2 Insert deflation tool into port and push all the way in 3 Keep pr
9. essed in until bladder is empty completely flat you can roll up bladder to force out any remaining air 4 Remove the deflation tool and replace the plug RE ARMING THE IMPACT VEST ef T LU gt LU L ru 2 as lt Lu as DEFLATION TOOL TO REPACK THE BLADDER 1 Lay the the bladder flat Venturi side down 2 Fold both sides of the bladder inwards so that the out edges line up with the outer edge of the webbing straps 3 Fold the left side inwards using the edge as the fold point and then the right side on top of it The bladder should be now slightly narrower than the width of the pocket on the vest 4 Starting from the free end of the bladder fold the bladder towards the connected end Use approx 6 folds it should take 4 folds 5 Steps 1 4 may need to be repeated a couple times to remove any remaining air from bladder Use deflation tool 6 Check that the hose from the Venturi to the Firing Head is not tangled see photo 6 7 Fold the bladder back over and fit it into the pocket on the vest 8 Press down the Velcro around the perimeter of the pocket flap Start at one end and work around the perimeter until all the Velcro is joined securely TA JJ m gt JJ Z Q L m lt D lt aa se lt LU L j Z 2 CC lt q LI a FIRING HEAD 8 CYLINDER REPLACEMENT You will need e Resetting tool see pages 6 amp 7 e A f
10. it while still containing the gas inside the cylinder Made from 316 Stainless Steel DOT Department of Transport US TC Transport Canada SS z 0 O r gt m D 0 This User Manual v1 1 represents the most current information for your Impact Vest as of 10 27 10 For an updated version of the User Manual please check avivest com Please read and follow all instructions contained inside the User Manual carefully Note Use of the Impact Vest can improve your chance of surviving an avalanche but be advised that extreme avalanches and certain avalanche scenarios are not survivable Proceed with caution whenever you are in avalanche terrain WARI LLC manufacturer of the Impact Vest is not liable for any injury or death resulting from an avalanche AVI VEST WARI llc 21025 Heron Way Lakeville MN 55044 www avivest com 1 877 4AVIGEAR 428 4432
11. ls through a steel hose and is routed through a venturi mounted on the airbag The venturi is a device that uses the venturi principal to inhale ambient air As the air rushes through this valve the high velocity causes a low pressure area or vacuum The outside air is pulled into the airbag along with the air from the gas cylinder By using the venturi we are able to fill a 150 Liter airbag with approximately 50 Liters of compressed air When wearing an Impact Vest it is very important not to be concerned with activating the airbag It can not harm you and will not interfere with your ability to ride out of the avalanche The airbag is located behind your head and can easily be deflated after you are safely out of harms way We do recommend leaving the airbag inflated until you are sure you are out of all avalanche paths Remember that if there has been one avalanche a second or third is likely Y m Z O m GLOSSARY Cylinder Head CH Screwed into the cylinder it contains the pressurized gas inside Attached to the CH are a burst disc see below a Pressure Gauge a Fill port and a puncture disc Screws into the Firing Head FH see below when part of the Impact Vest Firing Head FH Mechanism that punctures a disc in the CH releasing gas that inflates the Avi Vest airbag The FH is comprised of a bayonet with a sharp point a spring 2 pins that lock the bayonet prior to activation a cap to com press the
12. n place and secured These will insure that the Impact Vest is not ripped off of the rider in the event of an avalanche TRANSPORTATION e Due to the high pressure cylinder inside the Impact Vest air travel with this device is restricted in the United States and Canada e US DOT requires specific HAZMAT training to ship the Impact Vest with a filled cylinder To ship the Impact Vest be sure to release the pressure from the cylinder by deploying the airbag and removing the air cylinder from the system AVALANCHE RISKS e The Impact Vest avalanche airbag system cannot prevent avalanches e Avalanches are extremely hazardous and can always result in death or permanent disability e WARI LLC manufacturer of the Impact Vest is not liable for any injury or death resulting from an avalanche e There are many factors that can reduce the effectiveness of avalanche airbags including but not limited to terrain traps trauma and class of avalanche Do not allow the use of the Impact Vest to influence you to take chances or increase your exposure to risk e The Impact Vest requires careful handling maintenance amp proper storage e The Impact Vest should be used in conjunction with an avalanche transceiver shovel and probe and abiding by all backcountry protocols e The Impact Vest airbag must be activated by the rider Always travel with the Impact Vest in the armed position and be prepared to activate the airbag immediately in the event of
13. of Firing Head and check that no Red is visible on the Resetting tool 15 Push Activation handle back into pocket and close zipper it is now in safe mode RE ARMING THE AIR BAG TO REPLACE CYLINDER RE ARMING THE IMPACT VEST 1 Check that the indicator on the pressure gauge is in the green section e s 2 Remove red shipping cap from cylinder To refill an AVI cylinder Refilling an Avi cylinder send the empty one to 3 Insert threaded end into firing head and screw until it stops 4 Reattach cylinder lock WARI LLC c o Refills Only WARI or a WARI 5 Close velcro on cylinder sleeve and close zipper on cylinder pocket 21025 Heron Way authorized dealer can refill Lakeville MN 55044 an Avi cylinder 1 877 4AVIGEAR 428 4432 lt m lt LU L H o 2 as LU as STORAGE The Impact Vest is made of lightweight ripstop nylon It should be stored in a cool dry place Once a year the air bag should be removed from the airbag pocket and inspected To repack the airbag please follow these instructions CLEANING THE SYSTEM Only use soap and water to clean the vest and airbag After washing the Impact Vest and components they should be laid out to dry Never place the system in a drying machine or expose the air cylinder to heat in excess of 140 F 2 O gt O m O e m gt lt Z a STORAGE CLEANING 18 19 CYLINDER TRANSPORT fr O al ep za lt x o aa LL
14. spring a lock that stops the cylinder from unscrewing when attached and the high pressure hose which connects to the airbag via the Venturi It is also connected to the activation handle via a lanyard Activation Handle Allows user to deploy inflate the Impact Vest Airbag Pull ing releases the bayonet in the FH Bright red in color for easy visibility Venturi Attached to bladder the Venturi utilizes the Venturi effect to create a low pressure area in the ambient air surrounding the Venturi jet As the moving gas from the bottle exits the jet it entrains the ambient air into the airbag The Venturi is comprised of a jet outer body and a valve to stop air in the bladder escaping after inflation Airbag When inflated has a volume of 150L 5ft The airbag is constructed from polyurethane coated nylon Cordura which is RF Radio Frequency welded to create its shape Cordura c Type of Nylon threaded fabric used in manufacturing the Impact Vest The higher the denier the thicker the fiber The denier value is defined as the mass in grams per 9000 meters of yarn High tensile 210D fabric is used in the airbag Burst Disc A disc specifically engineered to burst at a certain pressure Used as a sacrificial element to stop the bottle from exploding from over pressure usually caused by excessive heat Made from 316 Stainless Steel Puncture Disc A disc specifically engineered to allow the bayonet in the FH to puncture
15. tem Inflation Time Vest Storage Weight Bladder Volume Inflation Gas Operating Temp Range Lightweight double ripstop nylon Heavy Duty 500D Ballistic Nylon Rechargeable Reusable 3 sec dependent on elevation and temperature 20 liter pack approx 7lbs with airbag system 150 liters Compressed air 3000 psi 30 F to 50 F m O ae gt r gt gt TECHNICAL DATA As with any technical life saving device the Impact Vest requires the user to understand the operating procedures and requirements of this device Please understand and follow these steps to insure the proper functioning of the Impact Vest in the event of an avalanche Be comfortable with each of these steps and practice them prior to each outing PRIOR TO USE 1 Inspect the gas cylinder for any damage or dents If you see any damage deploy the airbag asta ipl be remove the air cylinder and return the entire system to WARI LLC for replacement INSTRUCTIONS 2 Check that the pressure gauge on the air cylinder reads in the green zone at 65 F 120 F As temperatures decrease the pressure will also decrease inside the bottle At temperatures between 30 F and 65 F the guage will be in the blue zone If the pressure gauge reads in the red zone the pressure is either to high or to low and the air bag will not properly inflate Do not use the Impact Vest if the appropriate pressure is not indicated GEE PHOTO ON NEXT PAGE Note
16. tion whenever you are in avalanche terrain In the event of an avalanche the Impact Vest is designed to keep you on the surface of the avalanche thereby avoiding burial This will greatly reduce the time of rescue and dramatically improve your chances of survival It is critical that you ride with the Impact Vest in the armed mode The second you think you are in an avalanche immediately deploy your avalanche airbag by pulling on the activator handle The airbag will in no way inhibit your ability to ride out of the avalanche Aggressively fight to ride off of the avalanche Once you have been overwhelmed by the avalanche you should fight to maintain a clear airway by placing your hands over your face and locking your arms over your chest NOILONGOULNI WARNINGS N o lt Z lt PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE OWNER S MANUAL BEFORE USE PRODUCT WARNINGS e The Impact Vest is a life saving device containing compressed air e Aluminum High Pressure Gas Cylinder Explosion Hazard Improper use filling storage or disposal may result in personal injury death or property damage Please see cylinder for additional warnings e Modifying the Impact Vest voids warranty and may cause device to function improperly e Keep Sharp Objects away from the airbag area inside of the Impact Vest e For use in Emergency situations involving moving snow only e To function properly the waist belt main zipper and crotch strap must be i
17. ull cylinder TO REARM THE FIRING HEAD Note This should be done inside and at room temp 1 Unzip the bottle pocket and open the cylinder sleeve velcro 2 Unlatch the cylinder lock 3 Unscrew the cylinder from the firing head WARNING DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REARM FIRING HEAD WITH CYLINDER ATTACHED 4 Unscrew the spring cap and remove spring 5 Remove the bayonet and holding pin 6 Check bayonet replace damaged parts or parts that show signs of wear a Make sure o ring is not damaged b Make sure there is no debris inside vent hole that goes from the sharp edge to the 2 cross holes in neck of bayonet 7 Replace the bayoney and holding pin Push it into the firing head until it stops The holding pin fits into a specific groove Do not force 8 Insert the resetting tool into the bottle orifice of the firing head use the flat end of the tool opposite pin Push until it can go no further The bayonet is now located in the correct position 9 Remove the yellow tape on the lanyard guard 10 Place the pin end of the resetting tool into the hole and push down until the tool stops Remove the tool 11 Check that the bayonet is locked in place by pushing down on the top of it 12 Replace the yellow tape 13 Replace the spring and screw the cap back onto the Firing Head IMPORTANT THE CAP MUST BE SCREWED UNTIL IT BUTTS UP AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE FIRING HEAD 14 Final Check Again Place Resetting tool into bottle orifice
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