gslater
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Posts posted by gslater
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Those are some damn nice, sharp pics!!! And you're elevating the 3 Sisters TR into a special kind of art form...
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I've had a 52 for a few months now, and have used it 5 or 6 times. Comments:
I was oppposed to having the long side zipper, just from the structural integrity standpoint. But I actually used it once to get something out of the very bottom of the pack in a snowstorm, and that was pretty nice.
It would be kind of nice to have an elasticized side pocket on BOTH sides.
The weight is good. The carrying capacity is good.
Fit is a sensitive issue with the Khamsin series. Not a lot of adjustability, so it either fits well in a particular size, or doesn't fit well at all.
The hip belt has been more than adequate for my needs (often around a 30lb load). It's also not so beefy that it gets in the way of a harness, and it doesn't get in the way when high-steppin'.
The load lifter strap buckles run through the hypalon stuff that connects the top lid, and they tend to get tangled up a bit.
With a lighter load, the pack can be compressed down nicely.
The "take the top off and use it as a small fanny pack" thing is actually more useful than other such ones that I've seen. On my Dana Terraplane, you have to take the whole freakin' main hip belt out of the pack to use it with the fanny pack/top lid.
Be watching for a sale; obviously, these aren't super-cheap packs. But you get what you pay for, as the Arc'Teryx construction is first-rate. I also considered the Osprey Ceres line of packs, but thought their "features" weren't really what I'd want.
The daisy chain attachment points on the top lid are kind of worthless unless that lid is stuffed full and has some shape. It would be kind of nice to get them on the body of the pack somewhere. I've run some shock cord through mine.
Adjustable ice axe loops and ski loops are nice.
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A little over a decade ago I hit an indicated 71 MPH in a race in Colorado, screaming down Wolf Creek Pass at 10,000+ feet on a multi-mile long straightaway. Pretty f'ing scary, but it was my only chance to catch up with the skinny little bastards who kicked my ass on the way up.
Was really glad I was using clincher tires when it came time to slow down for the hairpin.
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Coincidentally, I was flipping through Andy Selters' book on glacier travel earlier today, and came across this paragraph, which deals exactly with this issue. Here I quote:
"glacier travelers on an icy slope need to recognize when they cannot depend on ice-ax arrest to stop a fall. Too often, teams roped together for crevasses progress up onto an icy slope where an unanchored rope only ensures that one falling climber will pull off other teammates. It's critical to recognize and prepare for this transition from a snowbridge hazard to a slope hazard. Ice-ax arrest can be counted on to stop falls on moderate slopes with favorable snow conditions, but few people fall on this type of ground. Steeper, icier slopes where falls are more likely require additional backup."
Pretty much says it all.
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Got off my lazy ass and looked it up. It's $305 for the Epic version in regular length. Nice gift.
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Distel32 said:
Just get the FF Hummingbird. 1lb 11oz and epic material is awesome!!! 20degree bag, all problems solved! I just got one as a graduation gift, and my synthetic bag will be quickly retired, I never felt really warm.
I know you got it as a gift, but do you have any idea how much $$$ the Hummingbirds go for?
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Interesting. MY Marmot Couloir (purchased last year) is a 0 degree bag and weighs something like 3 lbs.
Are you sure you're talking about the Couloir? How old is it?
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I know lots of people like to drop off their packs once they rope up on the Hogsback, but I hadn't heard of people dropping stuff off before they even got THAT far. I think I'd be too worried about somebody skiing into my stuff if I left it down there...
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I've got a Gemini, and it has worked really well. The battery life is freakishly long when using just the LED (something like 1100 hrs). The single LED is more than adequate for normal walking around and camp use and reading, but probably a bit weak for anything requiring better vision, like actual climbing or tricky routefinding. BD is changing the Gemini this summer to have 2 LEDs, which will cut the battery life from ~1100 hrs down to probably 600 or so, which is still WAY plenty. And with 2 LEDs, the LEDs alone should then be adequate for basic climbing stuff.
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I called the Hood River ranger station a few days ago to ask about this. They said the road wouldn't open until "mid-June" to give it a chance to dry out. Doesn't seem to be an issue of too much snow by any means.
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Weekends like that are why I wish I lived in Bend.
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I'd be avoiding the WCR route at this point. Too much new snow recently. I know someone who intended to do it Tuesday, but ended up doing the standard south side thing instead.
I went up with a slow group on Wednesday, and things were pretty miserable down low by the time we got back. Definitely go early as long as the freezing level is staying high. We saw a decent little slide above the Devil's Kitchen area, but never actually saw anything slide on WCR.
The 'schrund was pretty much a non-issue. Just passed by it on the left.
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Trudging back down the south side late yesterday morning, when temps were already in the 50s at Silcox, I would have paid just about anything for a pair of skis. Despite the new snow, we were able to do a lot of glissading, but that last mile back to the lodge just makes my head hurt.
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Maybe it's all relative, and there is no absolute definition. As in, "one man's climb is another man's hike". For each person, it's a climb if it has the potential to, or actually does, scare you.
Arc'teryx Khamsin 62?
in The Gear Critic
Posted
I went and looked at my Khamsin 52, and only one of the 4 compression straps doesn't unbuckle. It's the one directly over the wand/bottle pocket thingy on the right side. Since the pack has side ski loops and unbuckle-able compression straps on top on both sides, it doesn't seem like attaching skis would present any great difficulty. I'm assuming, of course, that the 62 is configured like the 52.