Mammut

Probe 280 Speed Lock

Thankfully I've never had to use this for rescue

It stores nicely and is light. Seems strong but I have only used it in practice scenarios thankfully.

Simple

Easy to assemble with a quick throw and pull, very stable once locked up. overall a great probe.

Great probe

Simple, easy to use, glad I got the slightly longer one - makes me feel good knowing that the extra reach is there for a very small size-hit. Would recommend.

Solid

Haven’t had to use this in an actual rescue scenario (thankfully), only used it during avy training but it is light and durable. The locking mechanism was recommended to me by an avy professional because some of the other mechanisms freeze when they get caked with snow or ice.

Fortunately will never have to use this probe in real time but it deploys easily and breaks down quickly. Only drawback I see so far is the handle itself to deploy the probe, unlike the bca that has a more sturdy handle. But that is nitpicking.

Good probe for the price point

Effective, and gets the job done. Locking out the probe is very intuitive and easy with gloves on. However, the probe is not super stiff. I feel that although it did seem to bend more than the carbon version, that during the practice burials it still performed well and didn't deflect too much that it would lead the rescuer to the wrong spot to dig.

Quick and easy deploy, suitable for areas with shallow or moderate depth snowpack.

So light!

What else can I say? I have an Arva 280 probe that I love, but this thing is so much lighter and skinnier. I am a little worried that it uses a nylon rope instead of wire...but I also feel like that it would be super easy to replace if it does break, so I guess I'm not that worried!

Poor durability due to plastic ferrules in the cold

Functional probe with poor durability. The plastic ferrules which connect the probe segments easily break in the cold, and cannot be repaired or replaced. If you intend to frequently use this probe (as you should to practice), consider other manufacturers with more durable designs. I did not have issues with the cord (as opposed to metal) connector, but have longevity concerns for this piece of the design as well.

Super nice and well built deployment is nice and smooth

Works well in practice and seems to be very well made