When I bought this, my buddy said "You'll use it in your AIARE class and then never use it again."So far he's right. But that being said, this does have all the tools you'll need to do your snow analysis work in your AIARE 1 and 2 classes.

I bought and used this product for my Rec 1 and Pro 1 avalanche courses. Has everything you need for starting out to dig snowpits. A good introductory snow science kit.

Chances are if you use this with any regularlity you'll replace the metal crystal card with a plastic one. Other then that its a pretty solid little kit!Throw in a mechanical pencil and some extra graphite and your ready to submit observations to your avalanche center of choice!

Cheap quality and expensive

Very poor quality instruments and incredibly expensive for a little bag filled with what look like child toys. Build your own kit and save yourself some money.

Good kit

I haven't used it in the field, but the construction is good and the included tools are of decent quality. I'm not sure if the AIARE books or this kit have changed since the other review, but I can fit my blue book inside just fine (it's a little cramped with the thermometer and loupe, but not tough to zip). There aren't really any other options for a snow study kit that you don't piecemeal yourself, but if you have the shovel and probe and just want to start digging pits, this will get you the rest of the way there and packs up nicely.

Good value, but some issues

I bought this snow study kit a few weeks prior to taking a CAA Operations 1 course, so I could practice and then use it for the course.Overall, the kit had everything I needed, except for the ruler - which was sold separately. Still, one of the items had a few issues over the course: the loupe tended to develop fog between the lenses. The thermometer was calibrated inexactly, but that was easily corrected for; the other items, the crystal screen and inclinometer/compass worked perfectly.

Has essentials,doesn't fit aiare book

This is a useful basic backcountry snow kit with some essential tools to aid in characterizing snow and your terrain. Both the kit cover and the tools seem to have durable construction.One con, whichi could easily be corrected by the manufacturer is that the kit is too small for a typical aiare or all-weather notebook.

Make your own kit.

I just got my kit that I need for AIARE 2 and I am not impressed by the quality of the little plastic pieces in this kit. The thermometer appears to be off by several degrees, the inclinometer feels very chincey and it has one of those cheap compasses built in. I really don’t understand what was worth a $100 in this kit. If I was to do this again, I’d buy my own components.

Ridiculously overpriced

Not necessarily a bad kit, but the price is obscene. You can easily piece together your own kit for a fraction of the cost. Cooking thermometers, magnifying loupes, some paracord, and inclinometers are all readily available for far less locally or online.

Small but complete snow study kit.

This kit is nicely organized and has room for a notebook. It packs well in my pack. With a shovel and a snow saw you will have all you need for most field work.