mwills

i have an ipod and use J. River Media Center (http://www.musicex.com/mediacenter/). a few things i like about this over itunes are: -you can create playlists on your desktop machine and 'drop' them on your music player. these playlists are then the same on your music player. -you can use very simple code to make your own playlists -it creates 'smartlists' - playlist that are created automatically. these can include favorite songs (based on rating or amount played), recenlty imported music, untagged files, etc. check it out, it has many features. but, i still use itunes to preview music on the itunes store:)

ah, hey jason - good to hear from you. yep, i'm here in PDX for a while. sure i am from iowa but i do appreciate good music. but iowa is not too far away from southern illinois which is not too far from arkansas..... layton, where are slumming these days. i just moved into a place in NW. there are plenty of good bars around up here, some with good music. just have to keep your ears open. some good shows coming up Badly Drawn Boy (brit pop), Deathcab for Cutie (indie pop - b'ham boys with a knack for catchy music and good songwriting), Joanna Newsome (lo-fi folky stuff - she plays a harp, definitely different), Mason Jennings (indie pop/rock - puts on a good show), John Vanderslice (indie rock - and he rocks), Wilco (prolly heard of them), PJ Harvey (her too), etc. i'll be going to these shows so shoot me a pm if you are interested. anyone climbing at the portland rock gym this winter. time to start training again.

ok, i recently moved to PDX from heaven (Iowa). does anyone here take advantage of the live music scene in this city? it's too good to be absolutely absent from discussion. it must be the lack of jam bands.... c'mon, queensryche is in town next week

i'm in pdx and would be up for smith, beacon, or broughton - in order of preference. i could be talked into WA Pass if the objective is right.....

glacier - check your pms

i have a super-SARC and love it. a friend had a zero-SARC built last year. full spectra beautiful pack it is. you could watch a snaffle try to chew through it for hours don't get the zippered access. adds weight and something else to go wrong. get the climbing belt as well - padded belt on a pack that small isn't necessary. get the 'summit flap' so you can leave the lid behind. have fund and enjoy.

i climbed ice with Fabrizio this past winter up in Orient Bay. very modest and humble guy as well as a blast to hang out with at the pub. as said before, he has done plenty of hard shit (attempt on S Face of Nuptse ). that being said, i don't think he uses this ENOUGH for marketing his company- check the webpage. really, how many of you knew who he was before this post? as for the gear - it IS top quality!! unless you have seen it or used it i would hold off on an opinion. the best way to describe it is take the craftsmanship of Arcteryx and combine with the utility of Wild Things. The softshell rocks : smart cut results in a jacket that doesn't ride up when you raise your arms, the schoeller is backed with wool (better insulation and wicking material than synthetic). same goes for the pants. the backpack will likely find the same following the WT Andinista enjoys. wait until the gloves come oute . sure the prices are are high, but just like Wild Things, tailored designs for a small market segment come at a premium.

looks like the front of the G14's crossed with the Rambocomps..... what is the boot like? does it use the mega (or winter mega) upper? Rigid sole? have you used any of the other techno booties - kayland, scarpa? very interesting...

free DVD : http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/gear/alpinism/ice_dvd.php but $5 shipping

Colin, the trick is to take off the rubber. The diameter shrinks and you will find that the sensitivity improves a whole lot. have you done this? if so, did you replace it with anything or are you just pulling on the carbon?

McHales if you can, bite the bullet on the price - otherwise that pack you picked up for $100 will be replaced by many others and eventually you will wish you had the mchale. not to mention a mchale on your back will be a great conversation piece with the ladies . but seriously, they are the best packs made .

They went to recover the arm, but "Sergeant Vetere said the boulder weighed about 1,000 pounds. " - from the NY Times

old post as for the extended period of time - i've been using mine for a couple years now, and love it. since it is made in the fine state of MN you should have several of these!!!!

none here

won't do much in keeping you dry - just some nylon with DWR. i have the epic windshirt from Wild Things and use it spring through fall. check their website, they were selling them for ~$50. great piece and much more durable than any lightweight nylon .

ccw valdez is a great pack - love mine! wild things packs are nice too, but the lids are enough to make me not buy them . if someone knows why the openings on the lids are as small as possible, please tell me. for something more analogue, check this out. freeclimb9 - when you say "angled", are you speaking of that fancy themo-moulded padding used in produciton packs?

in very cold temps that insulator won't work. instead, after each drink, clear the hose of water. ie. blow water out of the tube and back into the bladder.

sketchfest - that's a lot to ask for from a single shoe.... but reasonable, i suppose. i have the la sportiva superfly (bought on a whim). very light, sticky rubber, but too sensitive (you feel the rocks through the sole). easily modified with a better insole and another thin layer of plastic. these are great for running and climb decently (although no edging). for what you are looking for the Exum would work well. Stiffer (and beefier) midsole, but not as light. for something that climbs extremely well (but not as pleasant to run with), check out the Kayland Spider line. you can leave the "free shoes" at home. Complete with sticky rubber, rand, etc. The have a 3/4 version for more support.

duct tape - be sure to get duck brand. duct tape is not something to skimp on .

as far as rigid or semirigid - that depends on what type of climbing you plan on doing. semi-rigids are much easier to walk in. however, on steep ice they don't offer your calfs as much relief. i have the rambocomps and love them. be sure to get the dual-point version, then go to the hardware store and make your own mono point kit. this will save you $$$. also, i have the g14's and would highly reccomend them. no complaints at all. the are light (even lighter when paired with the backs of the g10 aluminums), can be monos or duals out of the box, and walk well. with no vertical rails, anti-bots are almost not necessary (almost, that is). i used these all last week in Canada on ice up to WI4+ and had no problems. i'm not sure how much use the rambocomps will see in the future .

the old BD leashes are much better than the new. well, not really but it sucks they got rid of the french-tapered webbing in favor cheaper design using tape webbing and padding. i like the androids for ice cragging. however, i have modified them a bit: i adjusted the length to be at about thumb-reach and sewed a piece of plastic to the webbing. this makes clipping back to the tool much easier. also, i added some velcro to keep the pull-tab from wrapping around screws. this is especially annoying with grivel 360 screws. for alpine i use the EMS twist leashes. great for moderate ice, easy to transition from ice to rock, and they are cheap .

i have the charlet moser version - same design i think. good leashes, but a couple complaints: first, they aren't handed. the "meat" of the padding is on the inside of one hand and the outside of the other hand . second, the padding could wrap around the hand a little further. other than that, they are simple and fairly easy to get out of. still possible to use on steep, but for moderate stuff i'll stick with EMS twist leashes .

we don't have mountains here in iowa, but we do have WI5 pillars that are ALWAYS in :

dr doom and his clan use the fancy yellow pads . i believe they are the ones from MEC (evazote).

snoboy - grips on tennis rackets differ in size by circumference. length too in some cases - but you can only specify the circumference, not the length. so i assume he is also talking about the circumference of the grip on the ice tools - not the length.