North Vancouver (BC), Canada – Outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx announced this week that it’s expanding its product line next winter to include a new avalanche airbag and AT ski boot series.

Five years in the making, 23 design iterations and 28 patents later, Arc’teryx worked with turbomachinery design firm Advanced Design Technology (ADT) to create its Voltair Avalanche Airbag, which utilizes a battery-powered electric motor to inflate the airbags instead of relying on compressed gas cartridges or cylinders. The motor itself is similar to what you might find in a high-end vacuum cleaner.

“I was initially drawn to ADT when looking for software to use in designing the blower,” said Gordon Rose, senior industrial designer for Arc’teryx. “But, after contacting ADT and discussing the complexity of the project, we decided a much better solution was to use ADT’s design expertise and have them optimize the blower system.”

Skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers and hikers familiar with existing avalanche airbag systems can attest that current products, while dramatically increasing one’s chances of surviving an avalanche, can be expensive, cumbersome and difficult to use and maintain due to many reasons such as the need to refill cylinders and cartridges after each use and/or carry extra cartridges on trips and the need to empty cylinders when flying in the United States (U.S.) per U.S Department of Transportation (DoT) regulations. These and other onerous drawbacks to existing systems have been eliminated from Arc’teryx’s design.

Arc’teryx says that the rechargeable lithium polymer battery performs better in the cold than the one used by Black Diamond in its fan-based airbags, and can be removed from the pack and included in carry-on luggage, as rechargeable batteries aren’t allowed to be included in checked baggage on U.S. airlines. A full charge will deliver eight deployments.

The Voltair pack will be available in 20 and 30-liter versions, retailing at $1,250 and $1,350, respectively. Both employ a vertical ski carry.

Also announced this week, six new Procline alpine touring ski boots will mark Arc’teryx’s first entry into that product category. It’s the result of collaboration between the company and its Amer Sports stablemate, Salomon, marrying the latter company’s boot making expertise with Arc’teryx’s proficiency at lamination and other processes. The boots are said to be as adept at climbing as they are at descending, to appeal to those rando animals who like to travel far and fast. A plastic and carbon cuff provides the rigidity to deliver adequate stiffness for an alpine-style descent. All six models feature an integrated gaiter, another first for an alpine touring boot, and weigh in at 2.6 to 2.8 pounds. A women’s specific model will be included in the line, and the boots will retail for $750-1,000.

Both products will be available at retail fall 2016.