John, no I hadn't missed the backpacks but a First Response Bag doesn't weigh enough to need an extra lift unless you have a very weight limited hoist - the medics are very unlikely to deploy on a steep, snowy slope with a heavy mass on their backs - that is asking for a slip down the hill.
No-one (apart from journos) has said that the nose-in technique is inherently unsafe but it does carry additional risk compared to winching or a side-on skid landing. Antone who has flown mountain rescues will have had to place the aircraft in a less than ideal position where a malfunction could have serious implications but sometimes it is absolutely required to save lives - in this case it wasn't.
Thoroughly agree that the space-walk on the winch in was completely unnecessary.
