DO NOT GO INTO THE BC WHEN THE AVY CONDITON'S ARE PRIME TO KILL YOU, REGARDLESS OF ALL THE REI TOYS YOU HAVE ON YOUR BODY. SIMPLE!
if the avalance conditions are high - don't go!
I completely disagree. Traveling in avalanche terrain when conditions are Considerable and higher provide valuable skills for interpreting the snowpack when it is "safer." I wouldn't advise newcomers to the backcountry to try it until they've gathered enough experience, but I really think it's essential as you learn how to travel in avalanche terrain. Seeing all of the different types of "bad" snow is important. If you've never dug a pit and seen a buried hoar layer and its ability to provide a sliding surface or what an ice crust looks like, I think it would be tough to conceptually visualize it with just books and photos.
I've skied in the backcountry in every level of danger, including extreme. It's always possible to find a safe route down, even if it's the way you came up, and even if it's not very "fun." Sometimes you gotta ski the ridge down -- the plan you hatch at the trailhead must always yield to the conditions that you find.
Traveling in avalanche terrain is always a matter of balancing risks. It's NEVER "safe," even on a green light day.
I completely agree with your other point that "REI toys" don't keep you safe. Beacons, avalungs, etc. should have no impact on the danger that you expose yourself to. They don't make you safer; they're only a last, last resort when the chips are really down. You should never expect to survive a slide because of them.
Use that one piece of equipment that is free....
YOUR BRAINS!
The most important avy tool.
Best to ski at the area or go somewhere your highly familiar with when the conditions are high.
Now this I agree with. I never travel to an area I haven't been before when conditions are dangerous, but like I said above, this rule is just part of the overall balancing of risk.