Bill_Simpkins

I am a big supporter of the Mammut Alpine Lite Harness. It's simple, pretty lite, and cheap. Things to look for in an alpine harness: 1. Lite! 2. Water Resistant 3. Simple 4. Can take on and off with crampons. 5. Doesn't clash with the Schoeller leisure suit.

I go 8.3 mm 30 m because I like being able to pretty much use anything I got on me prussiks if I have to. Cord, webbing etc ... Plus it's not too bad rapping with it with a pack on. Munter hitch on a doubled rope suffices. Plus it's nice to have a rope you are comfortable belaying with. 30m has been long enough most of the time, but I've had to downclimb on a few rappels. I'm all about dynamic ropes too.

I think the conversation is about truly frameless pack such as the Wild Things Icesac and the CCW Chernobyl. They have no internal stays, just a bivy pad. The Granite Gear Alpine Lite has no frame.

About 400 mpg for a car weighing 2000 lbs an average of 60 mph with 100% energy efficiciency (i.e. no heat loss, engine resistance etc...). Just road resistance. With engine resistance and heat loss, we are looking at about 80 mpg for a 2000 lb car, upper limit of coarse. Need to factor in hills, acceleration, people mass etc...

That site is funny! The BASE CAMP tent is a giant Teepee! Funny stuff! Good joke I think.

I free soloed the South Face of American Border Peak this morning ... naked. I went super lite. I ate mice and drank goat blood. I left the rappel ropes, but you may not want to use them, considering I didn't use a harness.

Wrap a 1/2 length sleeping pad around the inside and put everything within the pad. This gives it more of a frame and keeps the pad inside and helps protect the contents. You can combine this with the back panel bivy pad for sleeping. I use a short length ridge rest or blue pad and it overlaps a bit on the inside. I put the overlapping part where my back is.

Eat mice.

Granite Gear Alpine Lite. Click Here, probably find a better price somewhere else. PM me for tips for packing a frameless alpine pack if you want.

The EDK is fast and simple. Just make sure it's neat and pre-tensioned. You can tie that knot half-blind and crazy. I HAVE double rappelled on the EDK 100 times (one guy on each rope) with no problems. If I get wigged out, I tie the backup overhand on one strand when there is little for the rope to catch on.

Olympus Stylus Weatherproof Version : Light, small, durable and slightly weatherproof. Slides in chest pocket nicely. Can use with one hand easily. And I didn't even include any sunset pictures!

Do you hike or climb on a regular basis? Once a month? Once a week? More? Less?

Dan......Dan......Dan.......

Downclimb Winnies Slide. Hard Shells are so 90's .....

Oh, IC! In the Cascades: 30m rope 8.3 mm rope crampons- BD Sabertootsh or GrivelG10's depending on boots. ice axe-BD Raven Pro picket mammut alpine lite harness 3 24" mammut runners (one for waist prussik) 1 48" mammut runner (foot prussik) 1 48" tied runner. 1 petzl attache 2 trango superfly lockers 4 trango superflys

I generally use: 30 m 8.3 mm rope alpine harness 1 picket w/ 24" runner and biner ice axe with long leash crampons waist prussik ( 5mm cord, locking biner) foot prussik (5mm cord, 48" runner , locking biner) 1 belay biner 3 extra biners 1 48" tied runner 1 24" sewn runner

Make SURE you know what you are doing before you go tromping across a glacier. It's worth the effort to take a class, read a book, whatever. Because if your buddy goes in a slot and you can't fish him out because your a newb, you'll kick yourself forever. Plus, it only takes away from the pleasure of the trip knowing that your gear is worthless cause you can't use it well. If you have practiced and are confident, a buddy going in a slot MAY be a five minute delay in the trip and a few laughs. Maybe this will get you started: glacier travel 1 glacier travel 2 glacier travel 3 crevasse rescue 1 crevasse rescue 2 crevasse rescue 3 For glacier gear you generally want if you're a newbie: ice axe around $100 Crampons around $100 30-50 meter 8.3 mm rope (generally for glacier only used singly) around $100 Alpine Harness(light and doesn't absorb water) $40 One picket each (travel in groups >=3 for newbies). $30 1-2 ice screws each if no snow on ice(usually depends on season) $50 webbing for pickets, pack etc... $10 waist prussik and feet prussik $10 pulley $15 1 locking belay biner $20.00 1 ATC $15 (or munter hitch=$0) 2-3 additional locking biners $25 4-6 biners $25 Just general guidelines above. Be safe (please).

Be more careful with your spikes man.

Maybe that was it.

Nope. It locks up and you have to push it up from the biner with your other hand to unlock it. Some people like it for that reason. But I don't need it, so I don't like it. I don't think the design will last.

LOL Layton. You know what I mean. Single runner on two biners draw style. My cordellete doubles as bail slings. I think a lot of folks do that. No need to keep in pack. It's also long enough to wrap around a seqoia. I wish they made the rabbit runners a few inches longer so beefy guys like me could wear them.

As far as X-terra and Subaru's, my experieince is that most approaches around here can be done with a car. If you need a truck, just call up a friend or find someone to climb with that has one. A good climbing partner to have is a guy that has a 4x4 if you have a car, or a guy that has a car if you have a 4x4.

I'm with Dru. I basically program and run them. I can't do much else while they are running. You need mental breaks, you can't think technical and creative all day long. It's hard to multitask cause you're mentally tied up witht the complicated scope of the current project. Sometimes I'm busy as hell , some days, not so much. The point is, I'm here at work when people need me, and I do a very good job. Between projects or while they are running I can either spray, read, go fo a walk or go home. I usually choose to spray so if someone needs my I'm here at work. The people I work with know I spray, they spray too.

I'm not a big fan. I used to use them, but in general there really is no advantage. Sometimes they are easier to get on and off your body, you just unclip them, but in general my runners are tripled in alpine draws anyways. They are cool for trees, but I usually girth hitch trees anyways. plus they are a little too short for my torso. They fit a bit tight when I had a jacket on. However though, I use a Rabbit Runner Style Cordellette for belays and I love it. I made it out of tubular webbing which I can cut up for rap slings if needed.

Well, since you are going down to Chilko (very pretty), there are many better lakes for fishing than Piper. Just bring your pole and throw it in where ever. Rainbows in the lakes and sometimes you'll get a Dolly-Vardin in the creeks. Take some small spinners. Let me know if it's still good up there. In some lakes we caught our limit in less than an hour! Fish Lake used to be good, but I believe they put a mine up there. Have fun!