Arva EVO 5

For those who want a straightforward, no-frills avalanche transceiver that’s light and small, the EVO 5 offers a simple design by jettisoning some more sophisticated features. About as thick as a deck of cards and lighter than standard beacons (it does have the standard three antennas, though), the EVO 5 auto-reverts back to transmit after 8 minutes in search mode, and detects up to three burial signals that can be “marked.” It has a 50-meter search strip (rather than the 70 meters found in higher-powered models). We also appreciated the screen’s intuitive display, with full words rather than the often-cryptic abbreviations of other beacons, and that the on/off switch and mode button are easily operable with a gloved hand. $320; 5.2 oz.