Plan for the worst, hope for the best. That should always be your motto when heading into the backcountry. The Arva Carbon Compact Avalanche Probe is made from lightweight carbon so you'll hardly notice it in your pack. In the event of an emergency it is easily deployed and tensioned thanks to a Kevlar cord. This probe complies with ISMF and PDG regulation and is a mere 43 cm when packed. Now, there's no excuse for being unprepared.