Fromage

Feathered Friends Hyperion jacket unisex medium. Weight is between Helios and Eos in terms of warmth. Excellent condition, freshly washed with down soap. $270. Rab Alpine Microlight hooded jacket women's large, excellent used condition, freshly washed with down soap. $80 Pickup in Seattle near Mount Baker light rail station or can ship on buyer's dime. I don't check CC regularly so email me for faster response: njbratton AT hotmail DOT com

Complete pair of Petzl Sarken crampons with fully automatic step-in bindings. Includes new, upgraded antibotts and Petzl Fakir protective carrying case. Excellent condition, used less than one season on water ice, no mixed climbing or mountaineering. All points sharp, never filed. Regular length spreader bar. $120 picked up in Seattle near Mount Baker light rail station, can ship at buyer's expense (PayPal goods & services). I don't check CC.com frequently so for faster response email me: njbratton AT hotmail DOT com.

Sold to the gentleman riding his bike from Canada to Mexico. Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for all the interest from the cc.com community.

This summer I bought a pair of Scarpa Charmoz in 50. I also have an older pair of Sportiva K4S in 48 for technical ice, not sure what the current equivalent is.

Let's be real: my alpine hard man days are behind me and I'm never going to use this bag on the multiday alpine routes in the North Cascades that I used to climb. Time to pass on this unique bag to someone who will enjoy it for its original purpose. This Vireo is one of a kind. It was a custom order from the factory, built to my specs using an extremely limited availability fabric. Shell: Schoeller NanoSphere ultralight 20D water-resistant nylon ("Mango" color, adds 2 degrees to the temperature rating*) Interior: Flite 20D nylon ("Crimson" color) Fill: 800+ fill power down with +1 oz overfill It's a beautiful bag, the only Vireo ever made in this color combination (How do I know? The factory only ordered enough NanoSphere in this color to make two sleeping bags and I have both - the other is a Swallow). It's light (see photo - 1.25 pounds including stuff sack), water resistant, breathable, and stuffs into a four-liter silnylon dry sack. *No, not really, but the color combo does make you think warm. If you know what you're looking at, you appreciate that this is a special edition of a special bag. Length is 72" and the condition is about as close to new as you can get. Listing includes cotton storage sack and silnylon dry sack. Asking $400, which is about $100 less than an equivalent new custom Vireo before tax. For reference, one of the two trips I used this bag on was Rainier in winter and it kept me plenty warm in a tent at 10,000 feet with my Volant jacket combo. This is why I added the overfill - to extend the comfort rating in colder conditions. Pick up in southeast Seattle or shipping in US. Best way to reach me is via email since I don't frequent this site as much these days: njbratton AT hotmail DOT com.

Selling 2 pairs of shoes: Sportiva Miura, Sportiva Cobra slipper. Cobras are in great shape, briefly used in the gym with scarcely any wear on the sole. Miuras have seen some action but are nowhere near needing a resole yet. $50 for the Cobras, $40 for the Miuras. Prices include shipping. Want both pairs? $80 shipped. Send me an email if you're interested to coordinate details - I take PayPal or can meet at a safe distance in SE Seattle if you prefer a cash transaction. njbratton AT hotmail DOT com.

Selling 12 books total. $80 picked up for the whole shebang in SE Seattle or priced a la carte as listed below. PayPal preferred, please send me an email if you want any of these since I don't check in here that often: njbratton AT hotmail DOT com Instructional guides, all in great shape. $10 shipped each, $5 each additional book (i.e. 2=$15, 3=$20, 4=$25) Sport & Face Climbing by John Long Advanced Rock Climbing by John Long and Craig Luebben More Climbing Anchors by John Long and Bob Gaines Self Rescue by David J. Fasulo Guidebooks, prices include shipping, willing to combine shipping on multiple titles. Washington Ice by Martin and Krawarik $12 Exit 38 Rock Climbing by Garth Bruce $15 (it's heavy) Leavenworth Rock by Viktor Kramar first edition $10 Snowshoe Routes Washington 2nd Edition by Dan Nelson $10 Backcountry Ski Washginton by Seabury Blair Jr. $10 Cross Country Ski Tours 2 WA South Cascades and Olympics by Kirkendall and Spring $10 Escalade en Pays d'Aix - guidebook to the amazing limestone in southern France near Aix-en-Provence. $10 Literature Scrambles Amongst the Alps 1860-1869, includes the epic recounting of the first ascent of the Matterhorn, Edward Whymper $10

Clearing out room in my garage and this treasured relic must go. This is a 1996 edition Bighorn pack, handmade in Bozeman, size L-XL, very much sized for tall dudes. I have a 22" torso and it fits me perfectly. This is the most comfortable pack I have ever owned (and I've had more than I can count). It had better be, because it weighs 6 pounds empty. It's worn, it's beat, it ain't pretty, but it has lots of life left. All hardware present, intact, and functioning perfectly. Volume is about 4,000 cubic inches, it has 2 ice axe loops, top and panel loading design, and a versatile integrated compression panel for your shovel, helmet, snowboard, whatever. I've worn this to the summits of Rainier, Mont Blanc, and more peaks than I can recall. It even comes with nifty Arc'teryx ice axe keepers. Here's the deal: Price is free Pickup in Seattle I don't want this to go to a collector or to some lame-o who will sell it on ebay to monetize its historical value. Send me an email (njbratton AT hotmail DOT com) with a 150-word essay describing your favorite alpine climb and why a heavy, 24-year old climbing pack will improve your mountaineering experience. Most compelling and creative essay gets it.

New with tags, men's Arc'teryx Thorium AR hooded down jacket, size large. Color is "Orion" which is fancy for "black". Never worn outside. Retails for $350, asking $260 includes shipping USPS priority mail anywhere in the USA. I'll take payment via PayPal for non-local purchasers, cash in person $250 in Seattle. I don't come round these parts much these days, so best way to reach me is by the electronic mails: njbratton AT hotmail DOT com

One pair Koflach Vertical double plastic mountaineering boots. These are the same shell as the Expe but use a thinner, lighter liner. In the product line they are warmer and stiffer than the Degre but lighter and more versatile than the Expe. I used them for mountaineering in the Cascades for a few seasons, wore them comfortably to the summit of Rainier (and back down) several times, Eldorado in winter a couple times. I was going to wear these on Denali but priorities changed. Other than some scuffs on the shell these boots are in excellent shape. All the hardware works perfectly, the bellows are in good condition, the heat-reflective footbed is in great shape, and the sole has tons of life left in it. I mostly wore these on snow and glacier climbs so they haven't seen much action on trails, dirt, or rock. These suckers are not light and shipping costs reflect that, so local pickup would be preferable but I'm willing to ship. Can meet downtown Seattle at the library weekdays during business hours, or near the Mount Baker light rail station evenings/weekends. I'm also selling a pair of Intuition Denali thermo-moldable foam liners. These weigh only 10.6 oz for the pair and are sized to fit these boots. It's a huge weight, warmth, and performance upgrade. Used once on a winter Rainier climb. They are molded to my feet but can be re-molded up to 4 more times. Feathered Friends offers this as a service, I highly recommend getting this done by pros who know what they are doing and have the right equipment to get the perfect fit. The liners include a set of custom foam heel inserts to fill the space in the boot shells where the stock liner heels fit. Retail on these is $176. Shells with stock liners: $100 Intuition liners: $60 Both for $150

Older style duffel, zippers are in great shape, 2 side pockets, internal compression straps. Volume is about 7,000 cubic inches. The coating on the outer fabric is flaking away in a couple places. Can meet downtown Seattle at public library during weekday business hours, or at Mount Baker light rail station Starbucks evenings/weekends. I don't check this site often so email to set up a time - njbratton AT hotmail DOT com.

Original version, still waterproof. Sole has plenty of life left, these were just a hair too small for my feet. Can meet downtown at Seattle Public Library during weekday business hours or at the Mount Baker light rail station Starbucks evenings/weekends. $50 cash in person, can ship if you're not local - shipping would probably be another $15-$20 depending on destination. I don't check this site often so if you're interested email me: njbratton AT hotmail DOT com.

Skis: K2 Shuksanne, 167cm length, waxed, never used. Not once. Pristine showroom condition. Bindings: Fritschi Freeride Pro size small. Mounted to skis for the following boots, also never used. Boots: Garmont SheRide 4-buckle, DynaFit compatible, used a couple of times. Thermo-moldable liners. Mondo size 25.5 / US size 7.5 / Euro size 38 Black Diamond waterproof/breathable gauntlet gloves with removable fleece liners. Used on one (successful!) Rainier summit. Smith ski helmet (women's), size small, gunmetal gray, used on one trip (sorry, no photos of this) Prices: Whole shebang = $550. I'm willing to separate items. If sold individually I am asking: Skis + bindings = $400 Boots only = $120 Gloves = $30 Helmet = $30 This is an ideal ski setup for a woman looking to get into backcountry skiing. The skis are not the cutting edge of design or technology as they have been sitting in a closet for a few years, but they are ideally suited to snow conditions in the Cascades. Selling because of health reasons - my wife thought she was going to get back into skiing but the reality is her touring days are over. New this entire package was $1,750. Can meet downtown Seattle near the central public library weekdays during business hours, or weekends/evenings near the Mount Baker light rail station. Please include your name and phone number when you email me. Cash only in person. I don't circulate much round these parts anymore. Best bet is to email me directly: njbratton AT hotmail DOT com

A reasonable and knowledgeable person would infer from this statement that you have not worn the Feathered Friends Rock & Ice Parka. Which is understandable. The R&I is not for everyone and certainly is overkill for anything in Alaska.

I can tell you the answer to that from a local perspective: none. That is how much Feathered Friends spent on advertising during the 4 years of my employment there. The best free advertising we got was from outdoor magazines that reviewed our products. I was fortunate enough to have a hand in designing this, which won an award: http://www.backpacker.com/gear/sleeping-bags/editors-choice-2012-feathered-friends-spoonbill/ During my tenure as manager I received a couple requests per week from individuals and teams that wanted sponsorships. Some of them got access to pro deals, but those were mostly limited to guides who had influential reach into a large potential customer base. In 4 years I can count the number of actual sponsorships I awarded on one hand. Those were: - Colin Haley, who received a few sleeping bags, a prototype jacket, and the Spoonbill 1.0, which he used on some impressive climbs. - Chad Kellogg, who received pretty much whatever he wanted, which wasn't much. - an American team making an attempt on a new line on the west face of K2, they got a few jackets and bags. - a guide who brought over $10,000 in business to the shop in one year. I don't know who the sponsorship gatekeeper at Feathered Friends is these days, but when I was making the calls the standard to meet was extremely high. FF was highly selective about handing out pro deals, even more so with freebies. It's an investment whose payoff is hard to measure.

Thanks, I've seen that movie and met the filmmaker. The setup used for their equipment was custom fabricated. I'm more interested in something that is commercially available off the shelf.

A buddy of mine is trying to come up with a power solution for a remote, high altitude camera setup for extended time-lapse photography. Is anyone familiar with a solar panel that can withstand sustained exposure to cold temperatures? The NPS rangers at 14 on Denali must be using something to recharge their technology that can handle prolonged cold. Suggestions appreciated, especially if accompanied by personal experience.

I've guided Rainier in March and from personal experience the weather and conditions have been unfavorable for climbing more often than not. In a way this has been ideal for my purposes, since the trips I usually guided were week-long Denali prep courses. The more wind, snow, and misery we encountered on Rainier the better prepared the clients would be for Alaska. I have never made it above Ingraham Flats on these trips. Even when the weather was tolerable the snow conditions were unsafe above Cathedral Gap. Lots of snow drifts on the upper mountain an builds up slabs that can become surprisingly deep. It's certainly possible to climb the mountain at that time of year, but many stars must align to make it a pleasant experience. If everything works out it can be a special time to be up there since you won't have much company, but that's often for a good reason.

Having worked on the design of several FF products, hopefully I can give you some insight on the lineup. Volant vs Helios The Volant is a substantial jacket and pretty warm for most folks. Do you run a little cold? If that's the case, then diversifying your jacket collection to extend your comfort range could be a good plan. I have 2 Helios jackets (hooded & std) and find that even with the sewn-through construction they are remarkably warm. I have used a Helios-Vireo (sleeping bag) combo on Rainier multiple times and it works great for me. I tend to run on the warm side. The compressibility and weight savings of the Helios relative to the Volant is welcome if you don't need the extra warmth of a baffled jacket. I highly recommend the Hooded Helios/Vireo combo for spring, summer, and fall alpine use in the Cascades. That is an unbeatable combo for weight, volume, and comfort. The Helios fits differently from the Volant. You should try it on, as many people wear one size larger in the Helios than they do in the Volant. Volant vs Frontpoint The Frontpoint is an expedition jacket, no doubt about it. It's basically a shortened Icefall with fewer pockets. The baffles are longer than the Volant so it lofts more, and it has the effective double internal/external zipper system to create a baffle at the main zipper. The Frontpoint is designed for Alaskan and Himalayan conditions. Unless you really run cold, I would say the Frontpoint is overkill for Cascade conditions with the exception of Rainier in winter when it's single digits on the summit. I've used my Volant on Rainier in the winter and found it more than adequate. Now that the Volant comes standard with double-slider zipper it's more versatile, but it still lacks features of the FP like zippered pockets and large internal cargo pockets for gloves/waterbottles (all of which add weight). The Frontpoint takes up a fair amount of pack space, so again- not conducive to Cascade style climbing where you want to go for 2-4 days with a pack that is 50 liters or smaller. If you go the Helios/FP route, my prediction is that you'll use the Helios 90% of the time for Cascade trips and the FP will hang in your closet but you'll be grateful for it on Denali or when you're hanging out at Ingraham Flats in January.

I have the woven dyneema 45L Cilo pack. It's great, but I would not bank on the waterproofness. I've used it for about 7 years and the chief advantage has been durability. It's dirty, but the fabric and components do not show much sign of wear & tear. If I am concerned about keeping my sleeping bag dry I pack it in a silnylon drysack. Which I do anyway. There's always the good old, low-tech, cost-effective, ultralight method of lining your pack with a trash bag. Much cheaper than spending $700 on a pack.

Sold.

I have had good luck with Osprey packs. I still use the original Aether pack (made in Golden CO in 1995) that weighs 16oz for day trips and spring skiing. I also have an Exposure 66 that I used to use guiding 6-day trips in the Cascades (but is too big for skiing). Both have been great and have held up well to considerable use. I'm a fairly casual skiier so I don't find myself wishing I had a ski-specific pack. My alpine packs are what I reach for when I hit the slopes and I haven't been disappointed. Some of the organizational features of ski packs might be handy if I went more often, but I've done fine so far without. If I was in your position I'd take a few ski trips with the packs you already own. Maybe they'll work for you. Maybe you'll find you need something different. Ultimately everyone customizes a setup that works best for him/her. If a new pack is the preferred course of action, I second the Cold Cold World suggestion, assuming your torso is shorter than 20 inches. Mine is not and I've never been able to make those packs fit well.

Brand new with tag still attached, one Black Diamond Realized Ultimate Reality Piton (RURP). If you need one of these you know what it is. Retail is $15, I'll take $10 cash or PayPal and can ship anywhere in the lower 48 for an extra buck. Can meet downtown Seattle during weekday business hours or elsewhere in the general vicinity of Capitol Hill evenings and weekends. Will also trade for 5 cans of Hilliard's 12th Can.

Sold, thank you for playing.

Eddie, that Paceman thing is ridiculous and even less practical than that absurd Subaru Baja, if that's possible. The AMC Eagle, however...that's a classic. Paint some flames on the side of that thing, stick a Yakmia rack on the roof, paste a Mondale '84 sticker on the bumper and you're golden!