Fromage

Nano has been great in the rain for me. On a 6-day North Cascades trip where it rained every single day my Vireo stayed totally dry, even when I crawled into my tent dripping. The folks at FF can explain the technical details of the fabric to you. My understanding is that the surface of the fabric is textured like a jagged mountain range on the microscopic level. That way there is hardly any surface area for water to adhere to, and moisture just beads up and rolls off. Whatever kind of witchcraft they use, it has worked for me. No fabric is going to hold up to sharp limestone, so if you'll be sleeping in the open you might want to bring a ground sheet of some kind. Better to shred a $20 piece of fabric than a $250 sleeping bag.

I second what MaxTrax says. I have a Feathered Friends Vireo that's even lighter than his (mine has the Schoeller NanoSphere fabric instead of the heavier eVent). I love it. It has been warm enough for me to sleep comfortably at 11,000 feet on Rainier in May (along with my FF hooded Helios jacket). I thought the no zipper design would be a drag but I don't really miss having it. I also have a 20-degree, 2-pound down bag but I rarely use that any more because my Vireo is versatile enough to do well on most of the trips I take. I'd recommend going with either the Schoeller NanoSphere fabric or the Epic shell on the Vireo. My experience with the Nano has been positive, its water resistance is just as good as the Epic and it's lighter & cheaper than eVent. Plus FF stocks them in Nano so you don't have to wait a month for a custom order.

Only $20 per toe!

Three pairs of Koflach Arctis Expe for sale. Two pairs size 12. One pair size 5.5. Boots are new in box, never worn. No photos to post, sorry, but since they are new it's easy to visualize. Since Koflach is now extinct this is a good chance to pick up some great plastics in pristine condition for a fair price. $200/pair, $350/2 pairs, buy all three pairs for $450. Send an email to lousapienza AT comcast DOT net with questions or if you want to come check them out. Located on the west shore of Lake Washington just north of I-90 in Seattle.

Right, diameter is 11/16", about 11mm. This is the "Assault Line."

Thought I'd get some use out of this, turns out I'm probably not going to. Didn't make the cut for the SWAT team, guess I'm going to have to go back to being a backup dancer for Sir Mix-A-Lot. Minimal use. It's black, so perfect for rappelling out of helicopters, storming buildings at night, etc. Located in Seattle. Forty bucks cash money. I don't check this board very often these days, so a PM will go unanswered for a while. Email me instead, njbratton AT hotmail.

Sold pending payment. Thanks!

I weighed the tent, too. Me + tent + poles = 210.5 pounds Me = 206.5 pounds. Tent + poles = 4 pounds. This was measured on a bathroom scale, so if you are a gram counter your results may vary.

I took some photos of der tent. Factory taped seams, bug netting, mini windows (essential for knowing if it's raining outside). Interior length is 8 1/2 feet. Palatial.

I have removed this tent from Feathered Friends, so if you want to check it out we'll have to make a plan to meet up. Alaska season approaches. I don't check this board so often anymore, so please send me an email if you are interested: njbratton AT hotmail Cheers.

Still available. Come on, tall dudes.

From this morning's PI. Details are unclear from the story, but it definitely mentions ice climbing. Both folks involved worked at Crystal. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/394393_avalanche01.html

I did a complete ascent of this route a few years back. Your photos show the route looking pretty thin compared with my memories. Very fun climb, meandering up through that rocky gully. Nice job.

This tent is a few years old, North Face only made them for a brief period. It isn't the lightest one out there, but it accommodates tall dudes better than any other single wall except those wonderful old Garudas. This model is not free standing, but it has lots of stake-out points and guy lines. NOTE- this tent has 2 doors! A rarity on today's single wall tents. I only used this once on a 6-day winter climbing trip in the North Cascades, and it held up really well in the wind. Ventilation is good, condensation was not an issue. Setup is simple- three different color poles slide into three different color sleeves. I don't have a photo of the actual tent, but here is a stock pic from the interwebs. Imagine one just like this that has only been used on a single trip. I have 4 tents, of which 3 are single wall, and since this is the heaviest I'm selling it as part of my personal economic stimulus package. These things retailed for close to $600 ($715 in 2008 dollars), so this is a reasonably good deal. For those of you who need more length than a Bibler Eldorado or ID MK, this tent will give you plenty of room to stretch out. For your shopping convenience I am leaving this tent in the sale corner at the back of Feathered Friends. This way you can stop by at your convenience to check it out and we don't have to consult our crackberries to coordinate schedules. FF is open weekdays 10-8, Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5. If you have any questions you can send me a PM. I will also ship this tent to addresses in the lower 48 at the buyer's expense (I'll take PayPal or money order). Peace out, Napoleon.

Have a look at the Scarpa Triolet (beefier version) or Charmoz (lighter version). Both of those will climb rock well (I have had good experience with my Triolets) and accept hybrid or full strap crampons. The fit of these boots accommodates higher volume feet than the La Sportiva Trango S. There are a great many choices of boots in this category, so start trying them on and sooner or later you'll find a good fit. I got my Triolets at Feathered Friends, they had a pretty good size selection. Charmoz Triolet

Quarks: Bionics: Frontpoint: So long, America!

A friend of mine is moving to Australia and has some cold weather gear he won't be taking down under. The move is happening in a couple weeks, and since he's pretty busy with other preparations I am posting these goodies on his behalf. Paul and I used to live together and took several trips to Lillooet, which is where this gear got most of its use. Having seen and used this stuff myself, I can attest to its good condition. It's not exactly the season for this stuff, but if you want a good deal on some well cared-for ice gear, this is a good opportunity. Everything is pick-up only in Seattle, and if you want to make Paul an offer on anything go right ahead. Ice tools: Charlet Moser Quasars, one hammer, one adze. Includes SafLock leashes. Picks have been tuned and have plenty of life left. Includes head weights. I believe there is a spare set of picks to go with these tools, but that is a question you can ask Paul directly. Could be useful for chopping heads off deadly snakes, but better used on water ice. $200 for the pair. Crampons: BD Bionics with ABS plates, full step in bindings. The orange powdercoating on the frontpoints has worn away a bit, but these things are in great shape. They have about ten or twelve days of climbing on them. Never drytooled. $100. FF Down Jacket: Frontpoint model, Epic fabric ("Forest"), 800+ down with overfill. CORRECTED: size large (will fit 6' and up, 180-210 lb. climber best). Barely used, superb condition. No custom modifications. $200. If you have questions about these items, if you want to set up a time to check them out, or if you want to explain the difference between a ruck and maul in rugby, please contact Paul directly. His phone number is 206-409-7700. Photos to follow.

Lots of thanks to the Cascade Land Conservancy for the persistent work going into making this happen. article on passage of Wild Sky

I use a Feathered Friends Vireo for my summer trips. This bag has kept me warm in the North Cascades in early April, and is comfy on Rainier in the summer. Plus it is light (one pound), packs down to the size of a Nalgene, and comes in groovy water resistant fabrics. Oh yeah, and it's pretty reasonably priced at $230ish. The trick is that you often need to sleep wearing your insulated jacket, but this creates greater efficiency since you are probably bringing this piece of gear anyway. I used to have a Western Mountaineering bag, but I wasn't psyched on the way the hood fit, and their fabrics in their ultralight bags feel kind of flimsy. Of all the bags I have, I probably use the Vireo for about 80% of the trips I take in the Cascades. link to Feathered Friends Vireo

Sold the Alti Mitts yesterday. Thanks for all the interest. William, I suggest you call Feathered Friends, they typically stock tons of Alti Mitts this time of year for the Alaskan and Himalayan climbing seasons.

boots are sold.

Get a Cilo pack, and get it from Feathered Friends. You can try one out there before putting your money down. Plus they can bend the stay for you.

Hey big dudes headed to AK, here are some goodies to keep your extremities warm. Scarpa Invernos, shell size 12. These are the older version with the purple plastic, but the color is the only difference since these shells have remained unchanged since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Liners are standard, and in decent shape. Boots come with Wild Country Gore Tex Supergaiters that are a little chewed up but still quite functional. I don't want to sell the gaiters separately, so it's all or nothing. Lucky for you, I only want $30 for the whole shebang. This would be a great shell to get for cheap and upgrade with an Intuition liner. OR Alti Mitts, size XL, $100. These are in perfect condition, only used for one winter climb of Rainier. They are too frickin hot for Cascades, so someone going to Denali or the Himalayas would get more use out of them than I will. Retail on these is $180. This stuff is located in Seattle, but I can ship at buyer's expense. I'll try to get some photos of the boots posted soon since it's a little tricky to picture their condition from the description. Send a PM if you are interested.

I saw a picture of the Westcomb insulated Event jacket when I was at FF yesterday. They said they might get it as soon as spring, but will definitely have it by fall. There were no specs on the weight, but it is seam taped, laminated insulation, and will cost $440. Not cheap, but less than a Fission SV. It's still a little more than I would consider spending on a synthetic jacket, but if this is exactly what you are looking for, it might be the ticket. I have seen enough of Westcomb's products to know how well they make their stuff, and quality comes at a premium.