Fromage

You are correct that FF only works on their bags. For the price you might expect to pay to modify your bag you could probably buy a new Vireo. What you propose to do is a cool idea, but would be challenging from a practical standpoint. If you find a place to do it, please post up and share the results of your project.

These dudes all hit it. If your sleeping bag is wet, the problem is not the sleeping bag. It's your leaky tent, leaky stuff sack, etc. I don't have the mileage that Gene does in the Cascades, but for my 14 years here I've exclusively used down, including on a number of 6-day courses I worked where it rained the whole time. Some basic gear management, a silnylon drysack, a well-maintained shelter, and a water resistant shell fabric will keep you warm and comfy while keeping your pack smaller and lighter. I use a Feathered Friends Vireo (one pound, size of a cantaloupe) for 90% of my trips in the Cascades. It has a water resistant shell and it is the tits. Go talk to the peeps over there. Spend the money, do it right, you'll be happy for a long time.

For $99 you can expect the liners to be pretty hammered. Those boots have probably seen many laps on Rainier and Baker. The shells will likely still have plenty of life left. Find a set of appropriately sized shells, buy them, then go over to Feathered Friends and buy a pair of Intuition liners for them (free thermo-mold included with purchase). You'll then have a very lightweight, durable, warm, and inexpensive boot system for year-round use anywhere in the lower 48. If you ever want to do something higher, like Denali, throw on a pair of neoprene overboots and you're good to go.

x2 on the Revivex. And so you don't sound like a tool when you go into the gear shop to buy it, you want to re-treat the DWR (durable water repellent) finish on your pants, not "re-waterproof" the outer layer. You clearly understand the design, function, and construction of your pants, so no reason to confuse others. Other tips: 1. wash your pants first with a tech wash non-detergent soap. Dirty pants don't stay as dry as clean pants. 2. when you put your pants in the dryer after washing with Revivex, turn them inside out so the treatment doesn't rub off on the dryer. 3. run a warm (not hot!) iron over your pants to melt off the small mini fuzzy abraded threads that act as water magnets.

Anyone remember the DMM Mamba quickdraw? These saw a brief stint of popularity in the 1990s, not sure if they are still around these days. It was a clever design: a captive quickdraw in which the sling was sewn into a bespoke biner. This completely prevented movement of biners on both ends of the draw. I never saw many of them at the crag, probably because at the time they were the most expensive draw you could buy.

Who cares about the gear? HOW WAS THE PRANA PARTY?!!!! Post pics.

My Scarpa Triolets (size 48, biggest size made) are a tad small for me. After tolerating their punishment of my big toe on descents for years, I'm looking for a replacement. I see North Face is now making alpine climbing boots and I'm curious if their interpretation of size 14 will be a better fit for my foot. Before I go ordering a pair to try on I'd like some feedback from peeps with direct experience wearing this boot. If not, maybe I'll gamble and check them out. Also, if anyone has recommendations for comparable models to consider from other manufacturers, I'm open to suggestions. The only catch is that they have to come in a US size 14. Trangos are nowhere close to possible for me. I can make the Sportiva Makalu-lasted models work, but that last still leaves a bit to be desired in terms of fit for me. Garmont Tower Plus looks functionally similar but I can't find sizing info. Link to TNF boots

And I thought they smelled bad on the outside!

Gene, my comment was not a response to anything anyone may have suggested here- no offense taken. From what I've read of your commentary on this site I find that your posts are sincere, considerate, and based on experience, so I encourage you to continue being an exemplary contributor to the forums. I was just sharing my personal experience and knowledge of the injured climber. I've since spoken to his family and another of my friends, who was the injured climber's partner on Chair. The short version is the injured climber triggered an avalanche on the descent, slid 200-300m, was buried (unclear whether complete or partial). Partner watched the whole thing happen, dug him out, treated him on scene, was able to make a phone call. Another of our friends responded from Seattle, was first on scene, and helped out until the cavalry arrived. Broken wrist, broken ankle, but recovery projected. Excellent response from all involved.

I like a harness with adjustable leg loops for ice. Leg loops that are not just adjustable, but that open completely. The adjustability is not the key feature, but having leg loops that open completely are a worthwhile feature in my experience. Why? You hike in to a climb with your harness in your pack. Frequently, when you reach the base of the route, you don't have a big, flat friendly area in which to gear up. Maybe you are in uneven terrain, maybe you are above the climb. Instead of balancing awkwardly on one foot to get my big honking insulated boot through a closed leg loop, it's easier and safer to simply buckle the waist loop and leg loops without having to pick my feet off the ground. This advantage is even bigger if you are already wearing crampons. Same holds true for when you're taking the harness off. No need to increase the chances of going for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride when you're gearing up. Or looking like a klutz in front of your buddies.

I know the climber but don't have any information I can share. He's a tough cookie, has solid first aid training, and a cool head. He made it to the hospital and will be alright.

I can't speak to Rove's standards, but this poll will never be statistically significant. Here's why: Sample is not random Respondents are self-selecting You can only respond if you are logged in Otherwise the sample size is just about large enough (you only need 40 people to be statistically significant). This is not to say that the poll is useless- au contraire. If you want to know the opinions of those people who are logged in AND read the thread AND care enough to respond, then you're well on your way to gathering meaningful information. We can get into Bayesian theory later.

The best jacket ever made was the Arc'teryx Alpha Comp Hoody. It had a stretch-woven body and PTFE hood, shoulders, and seat. Windproof, very breathable, tough, and water protection where you need it. This kind of jacket is not meant for extended exposure to rain, but in variable conditions where you are moving or doing lots of stop-start activity, nothing beats it. They haven't made this jacket for years, but the concept has been applied by other manufacturers as well. I own several softshell jackets and the Alpha Comp Hoody is the one I prize the most. Here's a photo of the women's version:

Looks like the limited edition Brookwood PTFE fabric. VERY rare. That's an old Eider, you can tell by the trapezoidal baffle construction and removable collar. The standard version of that era's Eider was rated to -25, but that was without custom mods. FF switched the pattern to the current Eider about 7 years ago. Based on the rarity of the fabric I'd estimate an age of at least 12 years. Sure looks like it's in nice shape.

I'd totally go to this conference if I wasn't already registered for the Annual Proceedings of the Spectre Preservation Society that weekend. I'm presenting a paper on the cost-benefit analysis of stopping to place drive-in protection on lead vs. just running it out. The panel I'm on is also featuring a discussion on the theme of "My Tools Are My Belay".

Z-Man...Aaron Zabriskie? How about some more information to back up your statement. Like: - Were you on scene? - Did you actually observe these claimed behaviors? - Did you do anything to help? If you can't substantiate what you're saying, it's a good idea to refrain from speculation and propagating rumor. Reconstructing a climbing accident is complicated enough without misinformation from anonymous voices in the peanut gallery.

If by SummitClimb you mean Dan Mazur, I can recommend them. I know Dan personally and he has impeccable high altitude guiding credentials. His trips tend to be good value and well suited to clients who do not require white glove levels of service. I have not been on his trips but if I had the time and money I would choose his company for several Asian climbing objectives.

Other than Feathered Friends, you mean? http://www.featheredfriendsretail.com/cigewo60l.html

I usually use any perceived damage to my gear, imaginary or otherwise, as justification to upgrade. 1-inch long tear in the fabric of my pack during a Pickets shwack? NEW PACK! A little fuzz on my Dyneema alpine slings? NEW SLINGS! Bottomed out an ice screw against rock ? Damn you, Cascade conditions! NEW SCREW! Then again, there are some pieces of gear to which I am so strongly attached that I wouldn't replace them if they got run over by a coal train.

http://www.northbendrock.com/ContactInfo/index.htm

What is a "Fast N Lite" pack? Is that some kind of pack that you carry to the drive-through of In-N-Out Burger and then fill with Miller Lite?

This thread is asking the right question but is taking a beeline to Angry Nerdville. If you want to talk about gear that slows you down we should be identifying the true culprits instead of arguing over real-world applications of high school level kinematic equations. Here is a cursory list of gear that slows you down: 1. Gaiters. Why, in the year 2012, do people still insist on wearing gargantuan Gore-Tex monstrosities on their ankles? Just think of how much extra work you have to do with every footstep when you wear huge honking gaiters. That slows you down. 2. 6,000 cubic inch backpacks on day hikes, der Toof, etc. You know who you are. You are the ones gasping for breath and staggering along the trail as the smart people blow past you wearing appropriately-sized packs that only contain what they need. That slows you down. 3. Plastic boots. Unless you are climbing Rainier in winter, these things are unnecessary in the Cascades. In a market where choices of lightweight, leather or synthetic, insulated mountaineering boots abound, plastics only do one thing: slow you down. 4. Expedition tents. These can be luxuriously spacious and instill a false sense of security, but they also weigh 9+ pounds, take a while to set up, are damned hot in the summer, and guess what? They slow you down. 5. 2" thick ground pads. You don't need a pad with an R-value of 12 to have a comfortable night's sleep. Unless you are carrying it 20 feet from the car to the campsite, they slow you down. 6. 10.5mm+ ropes. Does anyone climb in the mountains with fatty singles anymore? If so, they missed the memo that they slow you down. 7. Not having a map and appropriate navigational tools. You think carrying superfluous gear slows you down? Try getting lost. When you miss the obvious gully that Beckey describes you could spend hours bumbling around trying to get back on the approach route. That slows you down. 8. I could go on, but you get the idea.

The Google translation leaves much to be desired. If work was slow enough I'd translate the letter myself for the benefit of non francophones.

That is a beautiful bag. I owned a WM Apache Super DryLoft for a number of years, I loved that bag.

Ice tools are sold. Thank you for playing.