Snowsafe Blog

Why wear a Recco reflector this summer? 🔴☀️

If you love summer activities like you do winter then Recco is a must. Whether your a downhill mountain bike enthusiast or love hiking, climbing or walking then where theres a Recco base, you should have a  Recco on your helmet, backpack or as a Recco Belt.

What is a Recco Reflector? 

The Recco Reflector is a small band-aid size battery-free transponder which makes you searchable to professional mountain rescue teams in the event of an outdoor accident.

If you are caught in a mountain bike crash and your physically not able to move, the mountain rescue team will search the area where you crashed, the detector will respond to frequency signals of the reflector. The mountain bike victim should have a Recco reflector mounted to their helmet, backpack or belt. 

If the mountain biker is unlocatable on the ground then the Recco SAR Helicopter Detector will hover above the accident area to pick up a signal, find out more about how the SAR Helicopter Detector works below.

See diagram below:

From avalanche rescue to all year round search and rescue

The SAR (search and rescue) helicopter service was first introduced in 2015 and is now found in several countries, and offers year-round missing persons services.

The Recco SAR technology is used by attaching the detector to a rope that is then dangled below the helicopter.

When the helicopter flies at a height of 100m, it is able to scan an area that is 100m wide.

When the speed of the helicopter is 100 km/h this translates to 1km2 coverage within six minutes. This equals to 30 football fields per minute.

Where does Recco operate? 

So now you know how the recco reflector and the Recco SAR Helicopter Detector work, your probably wondering where Recco operate and if there is a base close to your favourite summer spot: 

Recco are now found in 900 ski resorts and mountain rescue organizations. 28 different countries employ Recco handheld and SAR helicopter detectors for rescue operations.

List of Recco Detector Placements

When should i wear a Recco Reflector?

If your anything like we are at snowsafe, the winter season ends and we prepare ourselves for summer activities, As this is a outdoor rescue device you can wear this for any outdoor sport where there is mountains and ofcourse a Recco base.

Most common mountain summer sports: 

• Hiking
• Walking
• Climbing
• Trail Running
• Trekking 
• Canyoning 
• Mountain Biking 
• Paragliding 
• Shooting Sports & More.

Conclusion

Recco is not just built for avalanche rescue, its built for year round outdoor rescue, Before heading out to the mountains for your summer activties ensure you search the Recco list to find out if there operating in the resort your travelling to and if so then pick up some Recco reflectors, we supply the following:

• Recco Reflector (Helmet)
• Recco Backpack Reflector 
• Recco Belt 105
• Recco Belt 125

Enjoy your summer!

Snowsafe Blogs:

It’s important to stay safe and have the correct training when skiing or snowboarding off-piste please check out further blogs below:

• Whats a Recco Reflector and why you should always wear one?
• Avalanche Transceiver Warranty, are you covered?
• End of season checklist, how to store your avalanche safety equipment correctly.
• New Ortovox Transceivers for season 21/22, follow the voice.
• Dont Venture off-piste without testing your avalanche transceiver
• Do Smartphones, Watches, Go-Pros interfere with Avalanche Transceivers?

If you would like to feature a blog about your organisation or experience in the snow please feel free to contact us on info@snowsafe.co.uk or 01273 003925. We are happy to take guest blogs linking back to your website.