willstrickland

quote: Originally posted by allison: What is mean tensile failure point? Is that the amount of stretching the chain will take before failure? Could chain be only tested that way? It's essentially the force loading along the linear axis (imagine pulling a section of round bar stock from both ends) at which failure occurs. While watching these tests what happens is that the material reaches a "yield" point where it begins to elongate. This yield point is actually higher than the load required to continue elongation and hence is usually the failure loading. Since failure would rarely come from an extremely high static load, this is only useful data to an extent. Most failures that occur in my field are due to fatigue, or repeated stress loadings, which eventually cause a lateral shearing when a load is placed along a non-ideal loading plane. Dynamic loading gets extremely complicated, and the failure mechanism is likely to be a comination of tensile and sheer stresses. This is not the only way to test. There are testing machines designed specifically to cyclically load a material to simulate fatigue. The testing typically works two ways: 1. Apply a certain number of cycles at a pre-determined load to a material and then peform other tests,such as tensile testing or 2. Apply a pre-determined load in cycles until material failure. Whew, it's been a long time since materials class, the only testing data I see much anymore is asphalt/subgrade sections and fasteners (bolts etc for signal poles, signs, lightpoles). Soon no more numbers! No more engineering! There's gotta be a sweet niche position out there for a guy with a BCE and a MS in Rec and Park Admin.

quote: Originally posted by Peter Puget: So if the one from my hardware store says working load 500# thats rated? This was precisely my point PP (ahh ha, whazup peepee?). Anyway, the testing methods employed can produce very drastically differing results. One must wonder what exactly the "Rated" chain number comes from. In civil engineering work, materials typically have a small FS built into the ratings 1.2-1.4 in my work, and the designers further incorporate additional FS into the design based on use, loading, lifespan, etc. FS tends to come from either the mean where the FS places the rating well out of the std deviation, or from the weak end of the std dev where you gain additional FS. I wouldn't be suprised if the chain is simply rated at the mean tensile failure point, given a 1.2 FS and called good. Personally, I have no hesitation about using stainless chain (not for hangers, which is kinda stupid) rated around the same as the biners...roughly 20kn or 4500lb. You have redundancy in the system with two anchor points, just be wary of rapping off the links as some people may use the bottom links to TR or lower through, steadily wearing through the link.

quote: Originally posted by jkrueger: Hardware that comes from a bin in a hardware store without stated minimum performance guarantees gets chalked up in my unrated category. Which is probably why the cheap asses are using chain...it is rated (although what sort of testing they use is not standardized as far as I know).

quote: Originally posted by trask: Spend the bucks and go upscale. That's where the hoochie mamas live. Anyone else see this as ridiculously contradictory? Sorry Trask, but Upscale and hoochie-mamma do not belong in the same sentence.

Actually, Climb Moab went bankrupt. You may have had a bad experience, but that place rocked. Their subsidiary that was making haul bags and gear bags was sweet and at awesome prices. And yes, Pagan Mountaineering (owned by the same folks as ClimbMax in Portland) was really their only competition...now the only thing by default.

Yos, check your PMs

I hitched so many rides into towns while backpacking the App. trail that I always give skiers/boarders/backpackers a ride if I can squeeze them in. Smoke 'em out, and give 'em beer too if it's available. I had so much undeserved kindness bestowed upon me...the guy in Mass who gave me a ride on the back of a flat-bed pickup passing me cans of Guinness out the sliding rear window, the couple in VA who drove 65 miles out of their way to get myself and a fellow hiker where we needed to be, so many free beers, meals, and sodas that I lost count. Would you rather have them running two cars back and forth to shuttle people buring even more fossil fuels? Karma man.

ClimbMax in Portland. They're a big Kong distributor. You can probably get it off their ClimbAxe website ClimbAxe

Well he did say Zion. The creek is a good haul from Zion. Try the Bit and Spur restaurant in Springdale at night, the free BLM it-floods-you-die campground by the river, and the regular campgrounds. Not too hard really, but that time of year could be tough.

quote: Originally posted by texplorer: While it was precipitating up in the lovely NW I was down at Potrero Chico, Mexico for a month enjoying warm dry weather, Corona's and yes Mr. Strickland even a little mexican swag. and enjoyed a nice case of Montezuma's revenge. . I see how it is Tex, won't smoke my herb, but smokin on some Mexi browns. I'm hurt man. I bet you and Dru would get along but the real quection is did you do that route on your all time tick list...spaceboyz or somethin like that (that's the one right?)?

quote: Originally posted by jblakley: Strickland you could write a love column. What do you guys/gals think? I think the good Reverend D. Wayne Love would be more appropriate.

quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: All I know is Crack has the best system. He dont take shit! Not even a stove that works shit paper or anything but ramen raw, a tadbit of water. Caveman, if you worked a job where you ate with a stick or a spoon carved from a stick, started all your fires with a native american bow-drill set, cooked in an old coffee can over a squaw fire, and got six sheets of tp per grump until it ran out then used spruce cones or mullin leaves, ate raw ramen, carrots, and PB for lunch every day...you'd know where Crack's comin' from. So here's to Crack's ghetto bivy system, one we both got to use extensively. Here's to ya Crack

quote: Originally posted by brody0: I have a slow computer at home 28.8 and it takes me a while to download a page, and then i still have to sift through all the off topic messages to find what I want. So upgrade man, shit you can get a modem for $50, or just go to cable or dsl, you can get a DOS box running at a gig for $500. Your outdated equipment is not something that pulls at my heart strings. The jerkies (like me) clogging up this site are also the ones giving you the beta you seem to desire. Can't afford it? Go to the library, they've got decent equipment. Buck-up pahdna [ 02-08-2002: Message edited by: willstrickland ]

quote: Originally posted by freeclimb9: On the rant wagon . . .I haven't paid for a Climbing of Rock&Ice mag for years because of editorial changes in their formats. And it's getting worse. It must be a reflection of the current Editors. Actually, I've found J. Thesenga to be a pretty cool voice in the mags. And I have to say I was a bit suprised and impressed at the "Editoral" or whatever where he addresses Sharma and the world cup herb scandal...

quote: Originally posted by David Parker: Who the fuck is Michael Knight? John Galt with a svelte voice and a bunch of beach bimbos hangin 'round

I'll jump on the rantwagon. Just browsed the latest issue of climbing in the PDX public library. They have a "best harnesses review". What did I notice? Which companies' gear is covered and which is not. All of them are pretty big advertisers, even the newer companies. What was missing and why am I bitching? Not a single fucking Yates harness in the whole deal. The yates shield harness is one of the best wall/ice/trad harnesses around. Now this was an "all purpose" focused review, but when does all purpose mean mainly sport with some trad? All purpose to me means I can go do a wall in it, climb ice in it the next month, and still climb anything else trad or sport with a very minimal sacrfice in weight. Doing an aid route in most of those reviewed would be akin to self-mutilation. Same deal when reviewing plenty of other things like packs/bags/etc. Yes, Yates, Fish, and other small companies advertise, but not full page, every issue stuff. I won't knock them (the mags) too hard though 'cause you can't really win when you write for an audience like us (climbers), and I try to get stuff published from time to time, so I don't want to burn the bridges etc (call me what you want, but as they say you're part of the problem or part of the solution).

quote: Originally posted by specialed: Lee Majors = Capt. Caveman Wasn't Lee Majors the Bionic dude? Reminds me of some Dre/G. Clinton lyrics from the Chronic..."The Chronic, also known as the bionic, 'cause it cost 6 million dollars man"

NO NO NO NOOOOOOO!!!!! The only way I'd take a hammock for a bivy situation is if I were facing a long section of hanging belays (i.e. couldn't climb a pitch or two to reach a ledge or fix a couple down to a ledge), was not hauling a bag, and trying to go very light. If it's the money that's making you consider a hammock, consider the Fish One Night Stand at $250. I love mine for certain situations. Those hammocks with single point and a "t" bar system are not really light and kind of defeat the purpose. Unless you are a back sleeper and like crunched shoulders, avoid a hammock like the plague. Those Hennsey dealies are pretty cool for lounging around camp though.

quote: Originally posted by specialed: like spelunking its the retarded bastard stepchild of climbing. You think climbing stoned is fun? Try caving on acid or shrooms (no self-respecting caver calls it "spelunking"). In the TAG region (where TN, GA, AL meet) there are tons of caves and when the weather turns cold and wet,making climbing miserable, caving is awesome. It's always 55-60 degrees, doesn't matter if it's day or night, etc.

I'm looking forward to the Muir Hut report.

Now that's some good beta Freshieboy!

quote: Originally posted by danielpatricksmith: that would be snow free in March and have a nice 'summit'? That could be tricky, anything resembling a "summit" i.e. above the rim of the valley, will probably still have snow in some form. Conness, Dana, etc are all high enough that I'd think they have lots of snow that time of year. Yosemite Point is a sweeet spot if you beat the crowds. You could always hike up the descent trail on Manure Pile for a decent view. The cables hike is a grind, but great views, and a shitload of people. Weirdest summit in the valley is HD, people see you on the last pitch and start pointing, mob you on the summit, ask a bunch of dumbass questions. We did convince two german girls to carry our ropes down though...that was cool, sharing their wine and their beds was even cooler. Have fun, I miss being able to hike and stuff with my dad.

quote: Originally posted by Dwayner: Are you some sort of undergraduate taking a massive lecture hall statistics course taught by a semi-absent professor and a few of his sycophantic, semi-educated minions (graduate students)? I pity the fool! Easy there Professor. I doubt you secured your PhD without trudging the trenches of the graduate student and being a sycophant (that's synonymous with boot licker, yes-man, etc) to a bloated-egoed prof. As a former (MS), and future (PhD) grad student I've been there/done that and get another dose soon. I did grade alot of work and teach occasionally as a master's student and anticpate more of the same. Of course I have only attended lowly state schools , one of which is consistently ranked among the best engineering schools in the country.

quote: Originally posted by daisy: where can i find those HB offset brassieres, I am one of the girls that is slightly larger on one side than the other and they sound like just the thing. Go to the department store. Walk past the "Junior", "Petite", and "Misses" sections to the "Avatar" section...you'll find them there

quote: Originally posted by erik: simplify the route, like drul saud break it down into smaller parts....when i am leading a route i only look at the immediate, where is the next piece what moves does it take to get there.....i do not ask myself wether or not i can make, cause i know i can...even if i am at my limit....visualize success not faliure.... This is great advice. I started climbing much better when I would figure out the stances and gear placements from the ground or the stance I was on and climb "stance to stance". Obviously this doesn't work well on sustained cracks, but even there you can typically find some foothold on the face, a stem or something. When climbing down in Johnny's neck of the woods, there are typically stances/rests on every climb. I try to fire in good gear at a stance and climb through to the next stance (or locker jam) before placing any more gear. If the gear was small, or the distance between stances large, I'd double up on pro and eq them. Actually last summer on some route at Beacon I plugged two TCUs within about a foot of each other and ran it out to the anchor. My partner actually gave me shit about it. Hey, whatever man...I do it my way, you do it yours..if it makes me climb better/smarter great. For me personally, doubled up gear is a great confidence booster, I'm much more likely to not think of the consequences of falling if I've got good gear.