first time to see this thread.

hmmm I have Switch (step in bindings) and drilled some holes (actually the former forumer telleboy drilled them in his "batcave") in the release lever and attached some cord to make a looping handle.
The theory was to make it easier to release, nice theory but in practice it was only helpful to release while stationary on flat ground. While moving there is too much pressure a dynamics going on in the binding mechanism for it to work. Added the fact they jammed with compacted snow and ice up.
If would be a complete miracle if they would both release if I yanked in an emergency.

What is an avilung?
Is that sorta like a scuba diving regulator?

It might be a good idea to have some sort of thing so that you can breathe when in deep powder. ????

SG, nice attempt. Do you have a pic of what your rigged set-up looks like? I still want to rig my kit. Having your feet stuck to a board in a slide is bad news.

kokodoko, an avalung is like a simple tube connected to a sort of bladder. The theory is that you breathe through the tube (air is ectracted from the snowpack around you since it is 80% air roughly)and the CO2 gets out via the bladder behind you (or on the side) so that you do not contaminate the air in front of you with CO2. It also helps not getting your throat clogged with ice/snow in the initial stage of the slide if you get the tube in your mouth in time. Should also help with avoiding or delaying the formation of an ice mask.

There is load of info on the net on those. You should check it out, it is interesting.

I have not tried it in deep powder, but in any case of immersion in the snow, it would help assuming you managed to get the tube in your mouth in time.

thanks serreChe. I will do a search.

I recently saw that there had been a lawsuit versus a snowboard manufacturer with regards to their bindings after a snowboarder died in a tree well on mount bachelor. It was argued that releaseable binding could have saved the person. The manufacturer was found not guilty.

http://www.natives.co.uk/news/2005/06/02suit.htm

Pepole die of CO2 satuation in the local atmosphere.

I don't know if it is a problem but is CO2 is heavier than air, so if you are positioned in a way where your intake on your avilung is lower than your out take of CO2 you will conatminate you air space you have made in front of your face.
Is that correct?

The co2 outlet is in your back so as not to contaminate the air intake. I guess theoretically if you are upside-down and your body heat creates a cavity big enough so that the co2 can seep down, then I guess that could potentially happen. I think you would still have more time than if you had no avalung and an ice mask formed in front of your face.