Fromage

I used to feel the same way. I owned a WM Apache Super DryLoft for a number of years and it served me well. I was convinced I had the Lamborghini of sleeping bags. But when my Apache was in decline after a long and glorious career, I discovered Feathered Friends. Ten years later in my FF bags and I'm never going back. The WM-FF discussion is kind of like comparing a Ferrari to a Lamborghini. There is a clear difference in quality between these bags and bags from other manufacturers, but the differences in quality between FF and WM are so small that they almost amount to personal preference. The thing that sold me on FF was their hood designs, the tuck stitch construction (more durable than WM's top stitch) and fabrics. I found them to be warmer and more comfortable than WM's. Then I picked up a Vireo and unless I'm going car camping I use that bag almost exclusively. It's light, it's comfortable, it stays dry, it is specialized and does its job extremely well. I've slept in mine comfortably on Rainier, N Cascades in early spring, it is brilliant. I think the most versatile combo is the Vireo with the Hooded Helios. If you're not convinced, you can rent a Vireo from FF and if you like it they will apply the rental cost towards a purchase. Free test drive!

Mark Twight also advocated the use of twin ropes in that book, so I don't take everything he says as gospel. If I'm sketched out on an alpine rock lead, knowing that my rope system is going to place the most amount of dynamic load on my last piece if I fall (relative to a single rope or double ropes), that is not worth the tradeoff of a few g/m in my book. The man had some bold ideas about climbing technique, equipment, and training in his day, many of which have been widely embraced, but some of his ideas worked for him because he was Mark Twight.

Anyone who expected that kind of quality from Mad Rock has only themselves to blame for the disappointment.

Depends if your map shows the location of DB Cooper's stash of cash.

Eddie, can I have $100 to climb the REI Pinnacle? Or to put up a new route on the south face of The Tooth? Sorry, couldn't resist. In all seriousness, it's a great opportunity and thanks for sharing the announcement here. It would be cool if you could post some examples of past recipients.

Hey Dan, I've done the ID as late as end of June before. If it's in shape I think it is a more enjoyable alternative to the DC. Considering that the Cascades are somewhere around 150% of average annual snowfall there is a decent chance you might find the ID is an option by the time you get here. Talk to the rangers, talk to the climbers at Muir who have just descended from the upper mountain, you'll be able to gather enough firsthand information to make a decision. There will probably be some trip or conditions reports posted here and on the Mt. Rainier climbing blog as your date approaches. Good call on leaving the snowshoes behind. Bear in mind that Rainier weather in May can be quite variable. I've had glorious t-shirt days and windy whiteout days on the mountain in May. Come prepared for both and load your pack in the parking lot based on the most recent forecast. Have a great stay in Washington.

I'd classify that as a big maybe. Let me provide a little more context. When I climbed Adams in July I took crampons and an ice axe. They stayed on/in my pack the entire time. My partner also used neither, instead summiting in running shoes. Seven of my friends who have also climbed Adams reported no need for an ice axe. So from a sample size of 9 individuals on 4 separate trips, my experience is that these pieces of equipment are superfluous. If you are concerned about not having them, then taking a Grivel Air Tech Racing axe and pair of aluminum crampons will only add a couple pounds to your pack, tops. That way, if/when you don't use them, it won't have been as much effort as if you had carried a Raven and steel crampons up there. If I planned to climb Adams again in July I would leave axe and crampons behind. It's everyone's personal decision to carry whatever gear he or she feels is appropriate for a climb.

South spur of Adams is a fun outing. I second the advice on making the trip in a single push (I think my car-to-car time was about 12 hours) but if you're coming from the east coast then the experience of camping on the side of a volcano is one to enjoy even if it means a heavier pack. Conditions are usually pretty favorable in July, although be prepared for the possibility of whiteout conditions. Don't forget your permit, which you can pick up from the USFS ranger station in Randle. A light down jacket is a good idea to bring and a sleeping bag rated to +20 degrees or so depending on your personal comfort. The climb is not technically demanding. In July you will hike a ways on trail, then the rest is hiking on snow and you'll probably see some patches of rock exposed around the lunch counter. Go slow, enjoy yourself, enjoy the views. Ice axe and crampons are not necessary, a trekking pole or two might be more useful. If you can time your trip this way you will avoid some of the crowds (assuming you are going on a weekend): arrive in Randle in the evening before you start your climb to get a permit and check in at the ranger station. Camp at the trailhead. Wake up early and hike to the lunch counter in the cooler part of the day. You'll have the pick of campsites for your tent. Then wake up early and head for the summit while the snow is still firm. Slushy soft snow is more energy intensive to hike in. The descent from the summit can be made more entertaining by glissading down long stretches of snow. You may see some chutes in the snow made by previous glissaders. Zooming down these on your bum can be fast and fun, but it can also be a quick way to injure yourself if you slide into piles of rocks. Reaching the trailhead is easier in a high-clearance vehicle. You don't need a 4x4 to get there, but the road is beat up. Have fun!

Translation (blurted in clipped nasal whine of Cartman on South Park): Screw you guys, I'm going home.

Long ice axes are for people who wear giant heavy gaiters, plastic boots, shorts over polypro, the Seattle Sombrero, and take a 50-pound, 5,000 cubic inch backpack loaded with the 87 essentials, including a titanium spork, on an overnight scramble. It's the kind of thing they think they need because it's "conventional wisdom" but don't question why. I'm 6'4". According to "conventional wisdom" I should be carrying a fully-deployed avalanche probe with an ice axe head welded on to one end. Yet I use a 58cm ice axe. It works great. In fact, it's even better than the 65cm axe I used to own. Long ice axes are a liability. If you need a walking aid on low-angle terrain either your footwork is deficient, your pack is too heavy, you need to train harder, or you should take up dog sledding. I may come across as an ice axe length snob in this post and for that I offer no apologies. In 16 years of climbing mountains I have not found a single advantage to a longer ice axe. Actually, that's not true. Fording a creek in the North Cascades once my partner fell in and was swept away by the current. She reached out her ice axe to me and I grabbed it, pulling her to the bank. If she had been carrying a 70cm ice axe instead of a 60cm, I might have been able to grasp it a split-second sooner.

If you're looking for challenging training then taking laps on the Muir Snowfield at this time of year will be superb exercise. If you want to find out about conditions you might give Alpine Ascents a call, they should have a 7-day Denali prep course coming off Rainier right about now.

A partner discovered a leak in his Exped down mat on day 1 of a 6 day trip in early season North Cascades. He was bumming. I'm a fan of the evazote foam pads (yellow or gray, not blue). On the comfort scale it's not too cush, but it's light, a good insulator, and will never deflate. For extended trips on snow I pair it with a Thermarest Prolite 3. I used to be a RidgeRest fan, but once I started camping on snow I discovered that all the surface topography of that design works great for catching snow. Then you wind up sleeping on top of a bunch of little puddles. Same with Z-Rest. The yellow foam pad doesn't have this issue since it's totally flat. You can just brush any snow or wipe any liquid off that lands on your pad.

The Ahwanee is a good tent. I think of it as an Eldorado with the door on the long side instead of the short side. I have an Eldorado and love it. My tent is reasonably simple to set up quickly. Stow it with the door mostly closed so that if it's raining while you're setting up water doesn't get inside as you futz with other things. Connect the poles. Then unzip the tent, crawl inside, and plug the pole ends into their metal seats. This is a key step to get right. Once I missed the metal seat and punched the end of the pole through the tent floor. Having a second person helps. Get both poles seated, drag gear inside, climb back out, zip up door, and secure the tent to the ground with whatever is appropriate- stakes, guylines, rocks, pickets, stuff sacks filled with snow, etc. The total weight you're packing for that tent does sound a little on the high side, but the ground sheet and vestibule add up. I saved a little weight by making a ground sheet from a piece of silnylon. The longer zipper and extra mesh contribute to the weight, as well. If you are getting a good deal on the tent and it's in great shape then go for it. The Ahwanee will be a bit more versatile than the Eldorado for warmer conditions and will do fine in Cascade winters. I see no reason a compression sack would harm the tent, as long as you are drying it thoroughly before storing it. I have decent success with my Eldorado by folding it a couple times and then rolling it up into as tight of a log as I can get it. A compression stuff sack will also add weight. If the weather forecast for your trip is good you can leave the vestibule behind and if you're on snow you can leave the tarp, too.

No guide I've ever worked with would use that -30 sleeping bag on Denali, early season. The collar looks like an afterthought. Compare to the collars on Feathered Friends or Western Mountaineering bags. Hell, the collars on FF & WM 0-degree bags are more substantial. The draft tube on the Karakoram looks wimpy, too. Total claimed weight of the Karakoram = 3 pounds 15 ounces. By comparison a FF Peregrine weighs 3 pounds 13 ounces. Without knowing the fill weight or the dimensions it is hard to compare. The dimensions are important because they determine the volume that the down must occupy. For example, a narrower bag will require less down to achieve the same loft [compare FF Ptarmigan (35.5oz) with the Peregrine (37.3oz)]. *Assuming* the Peregrine is identical in dimensions to the FA Karakoram -30, the fill weight of the FA bag should be about 39 ounces since both bags use the same shell fabric and 20d interior fabric. That is within the range of the respectable for a bag of that temperature rating. The WM Puma's fill weight clocks in at just under 37oz. Depending on the dimensions, an extra 2oz of 850-fill might justify a rating of -30... But fill weight, fill power, and fabric do not comprehensively determine a bag's warmth. The cut, the design of the hood, the collar, and the draft tube also play an important role. These features do not appear to be strengths of the Karakoram's design, at least at first glance. Plus, anyone who is going to Denali or the Himalayas should understand that their sleeping bag is their second most important piece of gear. This is not where economizing is justified. Save money elsewhere, but your sleeping bag is worth every penny.

Clever concept, well done. For future iterations of this application, how about crowd-sourcing weight data from users? There is widespread recognition that manufacturer claimed weight can often vary from user observed weight. Why not allow users to enter their observed weights of pieces of gear into your database which you can then report back? For example, the Acme Summit Supply claims that their Bitchin' Jacket weighs 19 oz. You report that in the application as the Manufacturer Reported Weight. Climber Bob buys one in medium, weighs it, and enters in your database that his jacket actually registers at 21.3 oz. This is repeated numerous times by numerous individuals and soon you have a sample set of data that you can analyze. Then you publish a second measurement: Average User Reported Weight, which is the arithmetic mean of all the weights observed by different users. Each successive data point submitted by a user gets automatically added to the calculation and updated. This will have a couple meaningful uses for future users of your application. For one, it will give prospective buyers of products a realistic expectation of what certain pieces of gear are observed to weigh in the real world. Second, it will potentially provide more reliable data than manufacturers furnish. Third, if enough individuals submit their own observed weights, the effects of outliers on the variance will be diminished.

There are some great pieces of gear you have selected, although generally speaking I think it's too much stuff to bring. From personal experience on multiple ascents of Rainier, between guiding and personal trips, pack weight is one of the biggest factors affecting summit chances. I refined my gear selection to fit all I need into a 55-liter backpack with a total weight (excluding water) of 32 pounds. This includes a share of team gear (tent, picket, food, fuel, etc.). Climbing the Emmons is more than 10,000 feet of gain from the trailhead. Plus the linear distance traveled is longer than the Muir side. A couple pounds of weight can make a big difference over that distance and elevation. If it was my pack to carry I'd ditch the mittens, trekking poles, ice screw, hardshell jacket & pants, and second rope. This list will shave at least ten pounds off your pack weight. Even in July it can feel effing cold above 13K, especially if the sun's not up yet. I bring a Feathered Friends Hooded Helios down jacket for insulation. Plus, if Camp Schurman is still snowbound having a warmer jacket is preferable if you aren't camping on dirt. Look at the weather forecast: if high pressure is in the cards, no need for rain gear. A good softshell jacket & pants will provide sufficient wind protection and are more versatile. Good luck, have fun, climb safely.

Word. He knows his stuff and learned from the best.

I spent a lot of days on the lifts and a few in the back country comparing DynaFits and Freerides. Despite the extra weight I eventually decided on Freerides. Performance-wise, I am happy with them- they are a very user friendly binding. Still, if I had the decision to make over again, I would choose the DynaFits. The weight savings is a more important factor than I originally thought.

Buy a recent 3-antenna digital as already suggested. But here's the twist: before you leave the parking lot you give your beacon to a partner and take his/hers. Not that anyone actually does this, but it makes the point about where your priorities should be. A beacon, any beacon, is not helpful if you don't know how to use it. Having one does not guarantee your safety in snow. It is also important to have training and familiarity with your beacon, along with all the other snow safety gear that goes along with it: probe & shovel at a minimum. Beyond that, understanding snow conditions, terrains, and avalanche safety is also helpful to staying alive. Taking an Avy 1 course would be a great thing to do after you pick up your beacon. Sure, it's another expense, but the knowledge you'll gain will be valuable. The cheaper option, however, is to do none of these things and stay home. Not without its own tradeoffs.

1-2 days I use CiloGear 45L worksack. Longer than 1 night I use Arc'teryx Needle 55. I'm a big dude with a big appetite and take a lot of food, necessitating a larger pack than people with smaller appetites need. For winter overnight trips I use Osprey Exposure 66. My personal overnight best was taking my oooold school Osprey Aether (the first one they ever made- 30 liters, no frame) on E Ridge Forbidden with about 25 pounds. On the other end of the spectrum I carried 80 pounds in a Dana Terraplane on a 28-day trip in WY. My knees are happy to have retired from NOLS.

Take your boot/overboot combo to a gear shop and see what fits. In some cases, the combined volume of a boot with overboot is simply too big to fit in the plastic/webbing toe strap. Also, the width of the boot/overboot heel may be wider than the heel bail on the crampon. The heels on my boots are so wide that I had to shave a little bit of the sole off to get my crampons to fit. If you buy either a semi-automatic (half & half) or fully automatic (step-in) crampon, store your boots with the overboots on and crampons attached (i.e. as if you were about to set off on summit day). This will compress the neoprene of the overboot where the bails connect and the foam will develop a "memory" of where the bails sit. This will make it a little easier to put the crampons on when you're actually on the mountain.

Ashland is about 400 miles from Mount Rainier.

Wait until the recall. Sorry, couldn't resist.

The 3 most important pieces of gear you can take on a trip are 1. footwear 2. sleeping bag 3. backpack Depending on the trip, 2 & 3 could be reversed, but as a general rule if any of these 3 pieces of gear has deficiencies it will negatively impact your trip in bigger ways than other pieces of gear will. For $500 you will not be able to afford top-of-the line items in all 3 categories, but you could get either 1. a super awesome sleeping bag (Feathered Friends or Western Mountaineering), or 2. a really good pair of boots and a really good backpack. If you already have these items covered, then it's a question of where can you realize the biggest improvement or weight savings or simplification. Swapping out your 2-lb Thermarest for a half-pound foam pad, getting a cooking system like the MSR Reactor, or finally finding the perfect fitting pants that you'll wear on every single climbing trip would all be good investments.

Yeah, they look awesome is right.