Figger_Eight

Just got the word from Jim a little while ago that he's not reprinting them this summer and there will be an updated one coming out next year, so if a shop is out - they can't get any more.

Sweatin' Vinny Straw Geez - I sound like a mobster.

Push-up contest?

Nevermind - I found it. Homey needs to get a pair.

where'd it go?

I'm in fo' sho'. See ya'll there!

Hmmm...I wonder how long it will take until...

More stoke from a couple of years ago.

Yup. Add probe poles and probes that fit into shovel handles to the list of useless crap.

Some buds and I were at Smith a couple of weeks ago climbing nearby. We watched him for a bit working the route, saw him miss a clip and take a huge 40 foot lob, jacking his belayer a few feet off the ground. It was neato.

sigh... Huge bummer.

The blue route at the gym. Hopefully before they take it down

I think it's the same issue as adopting a temperature rating for down parkas...it's more or less just a guideline. How warm people sleep is such a huge variable that any rating you give to a bag will probably be plus or minus 10 degrees. What would the rating mean? You'll be comfortable to 20 degrees fahrenheit for a 20 degree bag? Are you well rested, hydrated and fed? Or are you working on 3 hours of sleep in the last 48, strung out on 1/2 a powerbar and dehydrated? My 2 cents at least.

Yeah - it would be nice for the industry to finally agree on standardizing the tempurature ratings for sleeping bags. Every year there's a meeting with the ASTM and all the major bag manufacturers at the OR show in SLC, but from what I've heard the discussions just go around in circles. It usually just breaks down into one camp saying the ratings should be conservative and accurate, and the other camp argueing for the ability to say their 3" lofting flannel bag can really be used to 20 degrees. Unfortunately, the flannel bag companies make a bazillion more bags than the high end down bag manufacturers, so there it stays - unresolved. To get a more accurate and objective read on how warm a bag is, reference the fill weight and dimensions of the bag. When comparing bags of similar widths and fill weights you'll notice discrepancies in temperature ratings; some are more conservative, others are more optimistic. Also remember that lower fill down will weigh more than better down at the same volume, but won't increase the R-value. Use a bag you're already familiar with for reference and decide if you need more or less down for what you're doing. When comparing weights, take a good look at what the shell material is. I think this is more important than fill-power. Quantum is great for what it does, but be ready to care for that bag with kid gloves and realize it's one of the least h20 resistant materials out there. For a small weight penalty consider a more durable and h20 proof fabric, especially if it will be one of your workhorse bags. [shameless plug] A comparable FF bag, in specs, to the ones you mentioned is actually cheaper than one you listed, and with a better shell. [/shameless plug]

Driving faster = shorter time getting there = less time the engine is running = less gas used That's how it works right?

Gall? Main Entry: gall Part of Speech: noun Definition: nerve Synonyms: acrimony, animosity, arrogance, bitterness, brashness, brass, brazenness, cheek, chutzpah, conceit, confidence, crust, cynicism, effrontery, guts, haughtiness, hostility, impertinence, impudence, insolence, malevolence, malice, overbearance, pomposity, presumption, rancor, sauciness, self-importance, spite, venom Source: Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.1.1) Copyright © 2006 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Geez, no kidding - me too.

This was part of my job in a previous life. If you have a different interpretation of what that stuff is - I'd love to hear it. Anyways...I thought everyone knew this stuff

We used to do them clapping behind our backs - it was fun to see who got tired first and fell flat on their face.

"Cordelettes are gay." - Jim Donini

In order for the body to adapt (increased red blood cells primarily) to the lower partial pressures of oxygen at altitude, you need to live/breathe/eat/sleep at that altitude. You can't just jump in a chamber and expect your body to effectively change to something it is exposed to only 8 hours a day. Increased VO2 max is the main result of training at altitude, which is simply a measure of how efficient your body is at processing oxygen - the higher the better. What Mike is talking about is increasing lactate threshold, which is the body's ability to process and recycle the glycogen which accumulates locally in the muscles during max/near max exertion. My 2 cents at least.

Throw Groom Into the Fire??

They're brilliant. The new design with how the hip belt attaches to the pack and the welded construction are a true step up in pack design. You will have to pay a little more for them however...