It seems that most high end ski gear these days are equipped with a Recco reflector. The marketing has really pushed that you should have one if you are going to go on a backcountry ski. Many people ask if it is it really something you need. If you are going to head to the mountains is it just marketing hype or vital.
In this post I will break down what it is before focusing on whether or not it is vital to have Recco in the Backcountry.
What is Recco and How Does it Work
The Recco system consists of two parts. Firstly you wear a small reflector that is the size of a battery. Secondly someone must carry a detector to pick up the signal. Without both pieces of gear the system doesn’t work no matter how many tags you have. The detector sends out a highly directional signal and if the signal ‘hits’ a reflector it bounces back.
What does Recco stand for?
For this one all you have to do is look at a dictionary. It is pretty straight forward.
Noun. 1. recco – reconnaissance (by shortening) recce, reccy. reconnaissance, reconnaissance mission – the act of reconnoitring (especially to gain information about an enemy or potential enemy); “an exchange of fire occurred on a reconnaissance mission”
How Long does Recco Last?
The Recco system is reflectors and built to last forever. You never have to put batteries into it or even worry about its lifespan. When it is in your coat there are no worries. As long as you don’t fold it in half it should be fine for the lifetime of your coat.
Does Recco interfere with Beacon?
Studies have shown that Recco systems do not interfere with beacons as they are a reflector and not a signal.
How far is the Range of Recco Detectors
The RECCO detector has a range of up to 500 feet in the air, 60 feet in dry snow, 30 feet in wet snow, and around 8 inches in water.
The History and story of Recco
The Recco system was created after an avalanche tragedy that involved the inventor, Magnus Granhed, in Åre, Sweden, in 1973. He was riding the ski lift to the Mörvikshummeln when an avalanche came down and numerous people were buried. At the time no one had beacons and they didn’t know how many were under the snow. When all was said and done 2 people had lost there lives.
After the accident he focused his energy on creating an electronic locating device to locate buried people. He had just graduated with a Masters of Science Degree and teamed up with Professor Bengt Enander, Department of Electromagnetic Theory at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. There focus was on coming up with a detector. After testing thermal heating and transceivers to no avail they focused there energy on passive reflectors as they were simple and practical.
During the winter of 1979 they were using a protype in the field with limited results. By 1980 they had there system dialed, the only problem was it was bulky and heavy. Fast forward to today and the system has evolved and been revised numerous times to be what it is today. The system is used all over Europe and at over 800 ski resorts,
Now lets get into having Recco in the Backcountry
If anyone says that Recco is a substitute for a beacon they are wrong. The fact is that you must have a Recco detector for it to interact with anything. 99.9% of people in the backcountry or sidecountry do not have a detector so if in an avalanche it is of no value until well after the vital 10 minutes.
People say that Recco is more of a body recovery tool in Avalanches and sadly that’s about right. Time is vital and if someone with a Recco detector is not around it is of no use in finding someone alive. By the time people are in the helicopter and flying towards the destination it is normally too late.
Both my pants and coat have the Recco System but none of us have the transmiter.
What is the Recco system good for
If there are no detectors around the answer is nothing. If your local Search and Rescue do have them they are great for finding people. A helicopter with the Recco system can scan up to 500 feet above a zone and pick up a signal. If someones lost in the backcountry it will find you fast but your local search and rescue must have the detectors.
At this moment in Washington state 1 helicopter is equipped with Recco as well as in Colorado but there are a lot of places that do not. As for resorts these days most ski hills have one or multiple detectors. The reflectors are the size of a book and need to be within 60 feet to pick up the signal of the victim.
I found this directly from Recco on this link which I highly recommend you read. “Two reflectors increase the probability and range of detection, which are serious concerns when you’re under the snow, whether in an avalanche or headfirst in a tree well“. It seems like they are promoting that one is not enough. If you choose to wear Recco in the backcountry you should really invest in more than one. I’ve looked for specifics in this topic but according to the picture Recco is showing that you carry 4 on you.
Edit: From what I’ve just learned it seems that the signal gets muted when in liquid and since your body is mostly liquid if you have one on your chest and get buried with your chest in the lowest spot it will have a hard time picking up the signal. This is why they are saying carry 4 in hopes that one is not muted.
This was used from the Recco website but notice how they are showing the person having 4 Recco reflectors.
An example
Sadly about ten years back a group of three people were missing after a storm switched to rain causing high avalanche conditions. For the next 4 months no one could find them and it was obvious that they had passed away in the backcountry. Once Spring had come we had put together a group of people to look for them, hoping we would find them before the spring melt exposed them.
That afternoon we probed the base of numerous avalanche paths until we finally hit something. As we starting digging we came across all three of them obviously deceased as they were camping on the side of an avalanche path. It was a sad moment for all of us but we were happy that the story had finally ended. After that the families were able to get enough money to donate a Recco detector to the local search for use on a helicopter. There is no question that they would still have passed away but the recovery would have been a much faster process for everyone involved.
In Conclusion
I would never even consider the Recco system over an avalanche beacon. To think that someone would wear it over a beacon at any time is crazy. The amount of people bringing a Recco detector into the backcountry is possibly 1 in 1000 people carrying beacons. That being said if you are lost in the middle of the woods it is a great thing to have. If you are buried in an avalanche than it is of little use in the first 10 minutes.
Never ever substitute a Recco reflector over a beacon whether in the sidecountry or in the backcountry. Will I personally wear a Recco reflector, sure it’s a good thing for finding a lost person or someone buried but a beacon is vital while Recco is an add on.
2 thoughts on “What is Recco and is it Useful in the Backcountry”
I take it the dectectors are expensive and/or cumbersome.
Yeah they are getting better every year but it seems they are few and far between and I don’t know anyone who tours with the detectors.
I take it the dectectors are expensive and/or cumbersome.
Yeah they are getting better every year but it seems they are few and far between and I don’t know anyone who tours with the detectors.