What to do with a Smartphone in the Backcountry

Smartphones: we all use them, all the time. And yes, even in the backcountry (Instagram!). It’d be too simplistic and even unsafe to just tell people not to bring their phones at all when they head out of bounds, because while their signal does interfere with that of an avalanche beacon within a certain range, they become incredibly useful in the event of an emergency in order to communicate with the outside world.

Johnny Bresette, guide and co-owner of Alaska Powder Descents, gives us the lowdown on how we should all operate with our smartphones in the backcountry, namely to turn them off anytime you’re searching for a victim.