Brooks-Range Carbon Avy Probe

In the hope-you-never-need-it catagory of gear, avalanche probes rank near the top. But in a time of dyer need, when someone is buried in a slide, you want the best.

Brooks-Range offers a lightweight and strong option with its 240+ Carbon Pro probe. The new probe, made for Brooks-Range by another backcountry-gear company, Ortovox, is made from a carbon fiber and Kevlar mix. That combination helps create a 7-ounce probe that’s incredibly durable.

The probe extends fast by pulling a T-grip to tighten a cable. And with a probe head that’s larger than the shaft, it’ll bore a bigger hole, helping to prevent the probe from sticking or freezing in ice and snow.

For $20 extra, you can add a 60-centimeter extension to the 240-centimeter probe by unscrewing the probe’s tip, adding the extension and screwing the tip back onto the added piece.

The Brooks-Range avalanche probe is currently available for $92. www.brooks-range.com

—Ryan Dionne