Avalanche rescue beacons (also called transceivers) have proven to be the only reliable way to locate a completely buried victim in time to save their life. Each person wears a transmitting beacon, and if someone is buried, the surviving members turn their beacons to receive and they can quickly locate the buried victim. Several companies manufacture avalanche beacons and they all operate on the same frequency. The technologies they use vary from being completely analog to completely digital, with some operating in a digital/analog mix. Each brand, and the technology they use, have their strong and weak points. Check out BeaconReviews.com for the latest articles and reviews on this rapidly-changing technology. And most important, practice often with your beacon. The pros practices at least once per week. Always wear your beacon under your jacket, never in your pack. When you put it on, turn it on. When you take it off, turn it off.

An avalanche beacon will put you over a buried avalanche victim, but digging in dense avalanche debris is often very time consuming, so it's essential to get an exact location. That's where probes come in. Also, probes are the only way to find a victim who was either not wearing a beacon or wearing an inoperable beacon. Probes come in different lengths with 270cm being a popular recreational length and the minimum you should consider. They are made of aluminum or carbon, and have a screw or quick clamp fitting to lock the sections in place. Assemble probes like tent poles, toss the sections out on the ground and shake the pole sections while gently pulling the tension cable at the top.

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A good helmet should be warm, comfortable, and will give your brain some protection from trauma. For best protection, look for EN 1077 Class B (Alpine Ski) certification. The ideal solution is a helmet meeting both EN 1077 Class B and UIAA 106 or EN 12492 (Mountaineering) certification to provide lightweight protection and comfort

It's common to get injured, sometime seriously, or killed by the violence of the avalanche even if you don't get buried. A first aid kit and knowing how to use it can save a life. The first aid kit you carry will depend on your level of training, how far you are from help, and your group. At a minimum, you should be able to perform CPR and control simple trauma like bleeding and broken bones. American Alpine Institute has a great recommendation for first aid kits.

Having this communication gear in the backcountry can rapidly make a bad situation better. If you are not in an area with cell coverage, consider a satellite communication device such as satellite phone, Spot, or InReach.

If your partner is injured and can't move, you'll need get them warm and keep them that way. And you need to keep yourself warm. Consider a small, lightweight Emergency Bivy such as the Sol Emergency Bivy. These weigh almost nothing, take up very little space in your pack and could be a lifesaver.

If you have an injury, break a piece of gear, or get lost, do you have the ability to spend the night out? If you need to spend the night out, being able to start a fire can be crucial to staying warm.

An often overlooked, but critical piece of backcountry safety equipment is your repair kit. Whether skiing, splitboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, or snowbiking, try post-holing chest deep several miles back to your car in the dark if you break a piece of gear and can't fix it. For skiers and splitboarders, San Juan Mountain Guides has put together a great list of basic equipment to consider carrying. For motorized users, My Snowmobile Guide has a great list of recommended equipment to carry.