Beck

just to keep things confusing in here, but most everyone is on the money here, including, trask; scholler is a great textile mill, there's plenty of good varieties of scholler out there, easily a dozen fabrics, including some great stuff for the equestrians and firefighters out there as well. if you are conxcerned about durability, get tweave. this is a mill from south carolina, not turkey, that makes a more durable summer weight soft shell fabric, being used in some arcteryx garments this season. Also, some of the patagonia soft shells like the dimension jacket were a Dupont fabric, some a proprietory malden mills fabric. these were even more abrasion resistant than scholler. encapsulation aka "epic by nextex" isnt' a fabric at all, but a DWR treatment that eventually wears out. even though the hang tags say its permanent. in Schollers vast products line, they have a version of powershield, a fleece laminate fabric, it think they call it WB-400. this stuff ROCKS for winter, its got 30% 4-way stretch and is 100% windproof. I've got some big mountain bibs last year made from this stuff, and it is a real one layer system. They fit like a glove, and stretch like a pair of tights. I can wear these as a stand alone piece mid winter in the most heinous NW conditions imaginable- ground blizzards and seventy mile an hour winds, this stuff is all you need. but why worry about how you look? the durability of scholler is not a problem. I've got some scholler dryskin bibs that are going on 5 years old now and they are holdng up fine. I think I had to restitch some seams were they just worn out. and theres some pilling, but not too bad.

don't go, josh, stay away from the dakobeds- why would anyone want to go in there, anyway?? no one needs to go explore this part of the state, its boring.

okay, sounds like i'll get the ball rolling for that weekend; October 11-12, with the set up starting Friday during the day at Bridge Creek campground. Ehhmic, I believe camping will be free. If the group campground is available for rent, we'll get that. There are also awsome bivy sites/ possible kegger location across river from BCCG. I believe leavenworths' Oktoberfest is in September. I'll be looking into it. Anyone want to help w/ logistics, let me know. let's have the smith thing on an ajacent weekend, that way people can do both. Some people south of the Columbia should handle that one- 2003 CascadeClimbers Autumn Ropeup, October 10-11-12 at Bridge Creek, Leavenworth.

Okay, cascadeclimbers, a question- should the 2003 Ropeup be held on the full moon weekend in October, the weekend of the 11th and 12th? thinking the full moon weekend in September 12th and 13th would be a bit too busy in Leavenworth yet, with all those fool festivals they've got going on- is this okay with everybody? the decision needs to be made soon! to lock in some people, equipment, and campground issues, etc. looks to be a great party this year!

that funky metolius product fern posted is some type of super daisy, all the pockets (there's only five) all rated at 27kn or something up there- its meant to be a full strength daisy AND anchor equalizer- something you can be clipped in, and use any loop in any configuration at full strength- its a great no brainer tool, if it was sized differently, more like a traditional daisy, it would catch on more quickly, maybe. metolious is into this "full strength from everything" mantra you will see in their harnesses, and this uber daisy/anchor slingy. lets the user just clip in however, tie in to the haul loop, or a leg loop, and its all full 20+ kn, every last little piece, even the gear loops.

stepping back into some wierd ounce counting/ down spew quagmire. Andy whosiswatsis hasn't done his research lately. For U.S. "industry standard" (which there isn't any down agency like FIS for sports) the cylinder graduations for volume top out at 900 cu in. That's what a sample from EVERY 16 pounds of Marmot high fill down tests out at, both at Marmot's in house lab, and the independant testing house in Denver or Salt Lake or wherever it is. it's true. empirical fact. Is a three quarter zipper, no draft tube bag the way to go? you be the judge of that. but t here's no arguing about marmot down and, on a lighter note, i hear a competitor, Varmint Montane Werks, is teaming up with Barrabes and the other euro dealers to distribute a line of exclusive 1,600 fill power bags with eider down from emperor penguins- they will also make a line of clothes... "so light, it's like wearing...nothing at all!" look for a stephensons warmlite type catalog.

Scott will be showing slides from 5 of him most impactful trips, including the 2000 assault of the Czech direct route on McKinley, as well as some Canadian Rockies and S.A. trips spanning two decades of climbing. His focus with this slide show (from how he explained it to me, my apologies, Scott, if i don't get this right) is the importance of mentors in the climbing world, how climbing would not be where it was today if it weren't for the old guard passing down the secrets,showing other climbers the ropes, so to speak.

the antibott plate would be bigger than a cramp footprint, there would be slots at front and rear to hold retainer clamps, maybe some for the side rails of the forefoot, and the user would fit them to rails, then trim to fit. Think about it, it's not that hard. sorry, i forgot about the g-10 light. And you forgot to mention Marmot as a store that can help climbers with special orders of grivel products, mr. new mammut rep, whoever you are.

no, no, ray, i like the approach on the beta spew, very cutting edge. seriously.

grivel could make universal antibott plates that fit any makers crampon (trim to fit or something) the Jorasses is a great t-rated tool, also the compact third, very nice item. I'm thinking the compact third is a grivel, trying to remember... not making a ultralight aluminum cramp is a serious oversight, given the current US "golite" craze- also, an autolocking stitch plate would be nice, they are out there, but not popular here.

the captain, he is so back cavey, you want to be one of the speakers at this years' ropeup/ I think that approach would be a great standup routine- the Dennis miller of climbing. "So you thought a WI8+ would get the topless shoeshine girls in vancouver to give you a 'final polish' on the house?- they don't want to see your capilene stanking unshaven hard body, they're more into short overweight koreans with a rolex presidential, a condo in bannf, and kimchee stuck in their teeth than wax the rod of a dirtbag climber like you!" ray, will you do it ? If we give you a microphone, will you berate the crowd?

as an alternative superlite bivy, equinox manufacturer will be offering a 6.6 oz silicone impregnated bivy, $59.95. look for them at Marmot this summer.

usually, fleb, anything submitted or published in a venue as such, is still the copyright of the artist. However, once you have submitted or published in media, that media reserves the right to future publications, sans compensation, unless you were savvy enough to get a single use contract signed before you submit artistic works. and as for quoting people in a guidebook, pulling things off a web site does NOT count as a "quote;" you need to get that direct from the poster. for example; 'As Dan - stated in his account of a record breaking climb of Rainier, " i thought i could pull the wool over everyone's eyes' is not considered to be factual enough for quoting. You need to get quotes direct from the source, and not off the internet.

start climbing on the damn thing NOW, don't wait another five years.... some industry rope manufacturers reccommend replacing a rope, even unused, after five years, but that's not an appropiate dirtbag climbers option. Something to do with offgassing of the nylon and a reduction in the elasticity/ higher impact force to pro & climber correllation. my reccommendation? climb on, climb now, and climb hard on the rope, and then retire it according to your feel for the hand and catch of it. How did a rope go five years without getting climbed on , anyway?

uncle tricky, thats' farkin hilarious!

What a phat phabilous time last night! Kudos to Mattp, the slide presenters, and all attendees... one of the funnest CC.com events. three cheers to Mattp, hip hip hooray! I think the police were busy last night with the "biker" crowd at Teddy's, I don't know if thats weekly or monthly event, but if we were to time Magnuson park events with the Teddy's bike night, it may be a largely LEO free party.

ya, Holly, nice to see you're still in the area- hows the pooch? Hows your place? Hope to see you at a pub club sometime.

dru, it's 28.5 grams/oz, but for you, I'll make it 24 g/oz.

oh, i'm as stoopid as the rest of you. I've used a cup, or a sierra cup, as a pot on plenty of ultralite trips. And drunken cold instant coffee sans stove, sans pot, on trips to save weight as well. I've made plenty of cups of tea in a twelve ounce enameled mugs. the origional poster was looking for a snow melter, and my original post mentioned the weight savings between the MSR titanium, and the aluminum blacklite two quart pots was a matter of one ounce. i'm just trying to help. And if you go melt snow in a sub liter pot, you're still stupid. you will waste fuel, and probably have to carry more weight on anything other than an overnight trip, than the weight savings from a titanium mini cooker. Try to save weight in areas you can really shave weight. Go from 8 pound tent to 8 ounce tarp, save seven and a half pounds.

for people comparing packs in stores, multiply liters by 60 to get a very close conversion ration: 30 liter packs, about 1800 ci in; 50 liter packs, about 3000 cu/in. but maybe allison won't like this advice, because i work in a gear shop and sell gear for a living.

I'm also a little sick of this little "argument" about cookware to melt snow with, jeesh! It's not as if there's much argument FOR ti pots, anyway. i'm trying to distill good advice. my original post- "anyone who's cooking in a sub-1 liter pot hasn't done much backountry living. 2 liters is a good size for one person or 2. you can drink tea and stuff, and have washing water, and stoves work more efficently on a larger pot anyways." i'm just trying to help. the dude was looking for a snow melter, and ti pots aren't much lighter than alumiunum, and a bigger pot saves you in the long run on fuel. and its all just a couple of ounces in the pots anyways. and ti doesn't work as well as a thermal conductor for pots either. and you need a bunch of water in the winter anyway for drinking water as well as cooking so a bigger, like two quart pot might be a better choice anyways. some of these observations were posted by sphinx as well. ...just trying to help out. but a person melting snow in a sub 1-liter ti pot is still stupid, josh.

oh, i'm not bitter- you "go lite" titanium ounce counters crack me up!

no, josh, if i see you melting snow in a sub 1 liter pot out on a trip I'll call you stoopid to your face, buddy. I'm just offering up my opinion based on lots of out time, we used to sledge a eight quart pot on group trips. two quart blacklite pot nine oz, two quart ti pot eight oz. until they come up with the stove that doesn't need a pot, you will carry a quarter pound pot, minimum. That being said, i've used two cup pots on lite trips. it's not efficient for melting snow though.

i point out theMSR blacklite aluminum two quart pot weighs only one ounce more than the MSR titanium two quart pot, and make a comment on optimum pot size, and i get the criticism? look, until they offer the stove that doesn't need a pot, look at carrying at least a quarter pound in a pot. what's two ro three ounces more in one system or other? Ti isn't that much lighter than aluminum. i've used a two cup cup on a superfly plenty of times, it's just not the most efficient. didnt the original poster ask about a "snow melter?"

piss off, allison, a man's got his opinions! i was sleeping in the snow before i was ten, i've got some experience, babe. probably logged a couple of years worth of days sleeping outside, maybe several. I'm sorry if you don't like my advice on stuff.