Why it’s Worth Skiing With a Radio

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In the spirit of Intro to Backcountry Month - Presented by BCA, it’s time to talk about radios. Initially I had a screed laid out, haranguing readers to start skiing with a radio, threatening danger and tragedy if you don’t. But, honestly, for the last few years I haven’t regularly carried a radio while skiing. It’s been an objective-specific tool for me. However, a few experiences and incidents have gently shifted me into a “make sure there’s always a radio in my pack” style skier, so it’s worth diving into what’s predicated that change.

Of course, this series is sponsored by BCA, the manufacturer of the most ubiquitous radios in skiing, and we’re really grateful for their support. But the radio conversation is pretty brand-agnostic, and worth having regardless of company loyalties. So we’ll talk about the three situations where I think radios can really help out backcountry skiers, as well as some tips for skiing with a radio.

Internal Group Communication

The most obvious application for radios, and the scenario that finally prompted me to start always skiing with one, is intra-group communication. This is the classic “dad on his ski vacation with a radio yelling at his kids as he rides the lift” scenario. And honestly, my experience with that sort of radio user kept me off the radio train for a long time. But radios are useful for so much more than alerting your progeny that it’s time to meet in the lodge for lunch.

Yes, radios are useful for keeping a group on the same track, and yes, they make life much easier for photographers trying to communicate with athletes. But honestly, with a dialed group that skis together often and communicates well, radios can feel a little superfluous. When you’re all on the same page, skiing short pitches before regrouping, do you really need another piece of electronics?

I’ve definitely spent a bunch of time in that paradigm. But even with a dialed group that communicates well, accidents happen, and folks get separated. In those instances, being able to hop on the radio and let your partners know which fork to take, or which drainage to drop into makes a huge difference.

Honestly though, what converted me was the ability to relay information about conditions up to partners who are still waiting to drop. When you’re standing at the top of an unfamiliar line, waiting for your partner to get down to a safe zone, any information about conditions is useful. I love being able to radio up tidbits like “snow is way better on the skier’s right wall, stick to that side” or “the choke looks worse than it is, ski through it confidently.” That ability to prepare other folks for the terrain and snow they’re about to ski is invaluable. And if something does go wrong, even if it’s just a little fall that results in a lost ski, you can relay that information to the group, instead of waiting restlessly at the top or bottom of the pitch, worrying about what’s going on.

Intra-group communication is the most obvious and most useful application for backcountry radios, so we’re not going to spend too much time here. Instead, let’s talk about two other situations where I think radios could be really useful, but are often underutilized.

Communication Between Groups

The exponential growth in the popularity of backcountry skiing means that it’s rare to be the only group out for a tour in a given area. Having a common channel for inter-group communication can eliminate a lot of conflicts. I’ve personally been in several situations where multiple groups leave the parking lot at the same time, all headed for objectives in the same area. In those situations, it’s of course important to tell, not ask. Be up front with other groups about your objectives and planned timeline.

But, at the same time, plans change and groups move slower or faster than intended. If there’s another party headed to the same area as you, consider setting up a shared radio channel. It can be as simple as just letting them know “we’ll be on channel 420, hit us up there if you need to.” (Yes, someone is always on channel 420). I’ve been in too many situations where my group is toiling up the bootpack, breaking trail in deep snow, while another group we saw in the parking lot waits below in the col. In those situations, being able to radio down “hey, it’s slow trail breaking up here, if you can hussle up and help us break, you can ski it with us” is a lot better than the alternative where they wait below, wondering if they should start up or bail.

Some areas have this set up already, with common channels that everyone is aware of. So, if that’s established where you ski, awesome, bring a radio and use it. But if it’s not, consider starting to share that kind of communication. It doesn’t need to be an open chatroom, taking away from your ski experience, but having a common channel for communication helps everyone.

Communication with First Responders

Every area and SAR group has different protocols, but regardless of those protocols, carrying a radio gives you another means of communication beyond your phone. In Wyoming, the emergency channel is 307. Ask around, your state or resort may have a standardized emergency channel.

Even if there’s not something like that in place, your radio can still be an invaluable tool, combined with a satellite communicator, to talk to first responders. If you have radios with you, and are calling for help either via phone or satellite message, let dispatch know what channel you’re on. That gives first responders another tool to contact you with, even if your phone runs out of batteries or you don’t have service.

Strategies for Radio Use

If you don’t know how to use your radios well, they’re just dead weight and an extra distraction. So here are a few common issues I’ve run into, as well as strategies to help mitigate them.

Check for electronic interference. We’ve got a whole article on this, but basically your beacon needs to be stored at least two beacon lengths from any other electronics. Make sure your beacon and radio are stored in such a way that your radio won’t interfere with it.

Check your radios in the parking lot, right after you check your avalanche transceivers. Make sure everyone is on the same channel, can speak to the whole group, and can hear the whole group. Test this early, because the top of the line, in the whipping wind, is not the place to fiddle with radios.

Build a consistent pre- and post-tour radio routine. Build good habits and stick to them. Always check your radios at the same time, and when you get home, plug in your radio to charge when you take your skins out of your pack to dry. Create a habit around keeping those batteries full.

External Mics vs. All-in-One Radios

There are two main styles of radios on the market, those with external microphones attached to the body with a cord, and all-in-one models, designed to be strapped to the front of your pack. Lots of folks gravitate to those with external mics, for a bunch of reasons. And they’re fine, but I have found that externally mic’d radios do have a couple of specific weaknesses.

The most obvious is that the screen of the radio, that gives you info like battery life and what channel you’re on, is hidden away inside your pack. Yes, mics like those found on BCA’s Link 2.0 radios do give you some of that information, but it’s easy to bump the channel knob and not realize that you’re talking into the void, instead of to your friends. Make sure you know which letter on the channel knob stands for on your radio.

The second issue is that sometimes those cables can become disconnected from the body, which again leaves you digging through your pack to figure out why nobody is listening to you.

Neither of those are disqualifying issues, but they’re worth being aware of, if you go with a radio with an external microphone.

All-in-one radios, like the walkie talkies we played with as kids, and BCA’s new Link Mini, condense everything into a smaller package that’s meant to be attached to your pack strap. The downside is that they’re out there, exposed to the elements, instead of warm and safe inside your pack. But the lower weight, ability to see the screen and change settings on the fly, and smaller package make sense for a lot of users.

Personally, I’ve ended up using what I think is the best of both worlds, a smaller all-in-one radio like the Link Mini, stored inside a convenient pocket of my shell. The pass pockets on many ski jackets are big enough to fit a small radio, out of the way on your shoulder or wrist. And then you can actually use the mic button, with gloves on, without even opening the pocket. That way your radio is protected from the elements, and it’s easily accessible without dangling from your pack. I like to turn the volume all the way up, but I can easily hear my friends and communicate with them, through the pocket, without unzipping anything or fumbling for the radio. All-in-one radios are also much easier to keep charged and swap between packs than those with external mics.

“Over”

If we were to make a list of items backcountry skiers often forget and then really wish they had with them, radios would rank high. So don’t catch yourself missing your radio too late. Figure out your strategy, your local channels, and your group’s protocols, and start building habits around them.