Featured Image: Courtesy of Mammut
Historic Swiss equipment manufacturer Mammut has announced a voluntary recall of their new Barryvox 2 and Barryvox S2 avalanche beacons. The outdoor industry titan broke the news last week, saying they had, “identified a potential issue with the power switch,” and that they, “decided to recall all potentially affected products for inspection, and where applicable, repair or exchange.” Mammut confirmed that ONLY the Barryvox 2 and Barryvox S2 are affected by this problem.
The brand identified a manufacturing problem that caused the main switch or toggle of the devices to be slightly misaligned. This allows for the unintentional switch between Search and Send mode, a problem that can be fatal for obvious reasons. When skiing in the backcountry, your beacon, or transceiver, should always be in Send when you embark on the descent. An accidental switch of this setting can leave you undetectable if you are buried in an avalanche.
Luckily, Mammut has caught this problem relatively quickly before any known accidents have occurred. They’ve outlined steps for consumers who purchased the affected products.
From Mammut:
Please return your Barryvox 2 or Barryvox S2 for inspection and replacement.
We have a solution in place for all impacted devices. We, therefore, ask you to:
- Check if you own a Mammut Barryvox 2 or Barryvox S2. Please refer to the pictures and style numbers provided for identification of the correct models.
- Go to our return form:
- Fill in your customer details
- Select “Avalanche Equipment” as item category
- Fill in all details for your device (see list below)
- Mention “Barryvox Recall 2024” as issue description
- Leave empty “Proof of issue”
- Submit form online
- Once your request has been processed you will receive a return label via email to print out.
- Pack your Barryvox 2 or S2 and send it to Mammut for inspection (address on return label) by following the instructions provided by Customer Service. If you purchased a package with shovel and probe, you’ll only need to return the Barryvox device.
- We will check the products and return or send replacements within 7 business days* after receiving your product. Alternatively, you can drop off your Barryvox 2 or S2 at your nearest Mammut store**.
- The rectification of the defect is free of charge.
As of now, the brand is expecting that you should have your beacon returned within seven business days, (14 for U.S. and Canadian customers.) Of course, that number could increase so have patience and don’t worry if it does. Mammut made sure to note that even with extended turnaround times, they do not recommend inspecting the beacon yourself. When it comes to literally life-saving gear, that’s a good call. Don’t trust your own handy work. Send it in.
An issue like this can be challenging for both producers and consumers. A few years ago, Nick McNutt was caught in an avalanche and thrown into a tree, causing his beacon to be turned off. Black Diamond ended up recalling their PIEPS beacons after the incident. In this case, there were no preliminary incidents, so we should all be appreciative of the fact that Mammut was diligent in their safety checks. Far better to have this problem arise now than in the dead of winter. As always, stay safe in the backcountry as the snow begins to fall. We can’t wait to see you out there for a few pow turns!
