Carrying and Avalung could help save your life. It's smart to be prepared.

Step 1: If you are skiing, make sure everyone wears an avalanche beacon.
Step 2: Second, each and every person in the party must also carry a probe and snow shovel.

*In addition, make sure each person knows how to use their beacon and test all beacons in the group before casting off. There are other ways to survive, use your head. Be prepared to turn around and live to ski another day if conditions just don’t seem right. Always be aware of the hidden dangers found in the snow pack. Check your avalanche forecast, dig pits, observe, and travel from safe zone to safe zone. Always be sure to have a safety meeting
If you really want to survive being buried in an avalanche, or if you travel in avalanche prone terrain, buy yourself an Avalung. Black Diamond has been refining the design of this bota bag size wonder and it might just save your hide. In full burials, suffocation is a common cause of death due to the fatal ice mask* since Avalung wearers are able to redirect their exhalations and get oxygen through the snow pack via a special porous matrix, their chances of survival are increased. Avalung wearers describe being able to remain calm and breath normally through the device even while completely buried.

 

* the term refers to a solid layer of ice that will form around the victim’s mouth and nose when hot exhalations melt the surrounding snow, thus severely reducing the victim’s ability to get any oxygen from the snow pack.