ADKMan

I'm glad to see you got down safely but this trip report could be the outline for a course on what NOT to do on Mt. Rainier.

I've never actually made them before but I would imagine material from a plastic milk jug would work.

Hilleberg Nammatj a good choice? I used a Nallo 2GT at camp Schurman last July and it worked perfectly. Being the heavier cousin of the Nallo, the Nammatj will hold up to anything the mountain can throw at it.

Sorry to veer off topic, but are you referring to Dan Smith? I've been wondering about him. I was wondering about Dan Smith as well. Although I never met him we conversed several times while I was preparing for a Rainier summit attempt last summer. He was very helpful to a stranger that he never met. I don't think I have seen a post from him since last July.

Cliff Bars are the worst!

But is taking Ginko and Ibuprofen cheating?

This is an interesting but circular discussion. Most everyone who summited Everest in the 20+ years or so after Tenzing and Hillary used supplemental oxygen. Were they all cheating? On the other hand, they wore wool clothing, hauled heavy equipment that we all consider to be antique technology. Technology and techniques change over time and it's not always easy to accept changes in the "rules" which go along with these advancements.

A Black Diamond Firstlight might be a good choice. While technically a two person tent it is really a roomy one person tent. At around 3 pounds it's not a bad option.

With due respect, this is a bizarre question coming from someone who is tasked with going into the mountains to "save" people. Maybe I have missed the point or misunderstood the original question but it would seem to indicate a basic lack of understanding of mountain knowledge.

You are correct, Scarpa boots generally tend to be a bit wider in the toe box. I have a pair of Scarpa Phantom guides that fit me like a glove and my forefoot is pretty wide. This is a different type of boot than the Trango but Scarpa makes a number of other "mountain boots" that may work for you depending on your specific needs.

AMS has several courses in Alaska but the Kahiltna Dome Denali Prep course can't be beat for Denali training. AMS Kahiltna Dome Denali Prep

My liners have been molded but I sill find I get some toe bang when I use anything thicker than a thin liner sock. The Baruntse is a bit better because the toe box is silghtly wider and I can lace them tighter but unfortunately still not a perfect fit. Fortunately I get absolutely no heel lift with either.

I own both a pair of Spantik's and a pair of Baruntse's and in my opinion the Sapntik's are a bit "stiffer" so although I am not a snowboarder, I would assume they might work a bit better for your application. By the way,FWIW, I wear a 10.5 shoe / boot in almost everything and the Baruntse / Spatnik's in size 44 are just a bit snug for me.

I have 44's and probably need 44.5's

I got a gently used pair of LaSportiva Baruntse boots that don't fit. You will probably see them in the Yard Sale Forum soon.

Layback, I finished on Allen, we had an enjoyable 13 hour day in the pouring rain. It wasn't my favorite climb but bringing my "journey" to a conclusion was very satisfying. Best of luck with your quest for the 46!

Well I think we have allowed ourselves to get off track on this one.

Being a double boot the Baruntse will be warmer, not climb as well and be a bit "clunkier" as compared to the Phantom Guides. I've had warm feet in the Guides down to about -5 degrees but if your feet run cold you may not be able to go that low. Bottom line is there is probably no perfect boot for all conditions. I am sure both boots would be "perfect" in some conditions and not so much in others.

Like any boot question, ultimately fit is key. This being said I have Phantom Guides and find them to be the perfect all around winter boot for everything short of multiday (more than 2-3) and sustained very cold (below 0) conditions. As Dave7 indicated the deal at Whittaker Mountaineering is killer- I've never seen them priced that low.

+1 on the Hilleberg Tents. I have a Nallo 2 GT (larger vestibule version of the Nallo) which I used on Rainier in July and it worked flawlessly. It's light, lots of room for 2, and with proper setup almost no condensation to deal with. It is a bit pricey and you very rarely see them discounted but in my opinion they are worth every penny.

Ben, keep in mind that the CCW packs don't have the same capacity as a comparable CiloGear pack with the same size designation. For instance a CCW Valdez (2400 cu in / 40L) is WAY smaller in overall capacity as compared with a 45L worksack. The Chernobyl (3000 cu in / 50L) is close to the 45L worksack in size but probably still a bit smaller. I have a Valdez with a Chernobly hipbelt and absolutely love it for winter climbing.

Ben, I would strongly recommend taking a look at the line of Cold Cold World packs before going to the 30L worksack. The CCW packs don't even have a stay / framesheet to get in your way and will carry 30+ pounds quite nicely. They are made of bomber materials, the strap system is a more traditional system not like the goofy CiloGear system, you can get them customized for very little upcharge and best of all they are relatively cheap. Take a look at the Valdez (2400cu in) and the Chernobyl (3000 cu in) and I think you will like what you see. Cold Cold World Packs

+1 on the red superfeet insoles

I know Graham and a couple of his employees frequent cc.com, it would be interesting to get their take on this situation.