foolscongress

i second that. vagamundo for president! stay away from the tambo if you're trying for an alpine start.

TNF used to make a pack called the snow leopard, in an age before side compression straps. my partner has one, and it's great. i think they've pretty much gone downhill since then, and aren't even near hitting bottom. they've had consistent quality control problems for ten years, their frame engineering changes every other year, and their packs aren't very durable. someday they might start making good packs again, but i say why risk it when there are so many other great companies out there (dana, osprey, wild things, almost anyone else). having said that, i would like to hear if anyone has a pack of theirs they like; maybe i'm just unlucky.

two great books are: The Andes: a Climber's Guide, by John Biggar; and Climbs of the Cordillera Blanca, by David M. Sharman. used them both for my trip, am using them again this year. brad johnson's book looks good too, though haven't used it. as for routes, depends on how good you are. i'm not any kind of great climber, so we concentrated on routes in the paron valley. in this small valley are a couple peaks that go at 60-70 degrees of alpine ice (artesonraju and piramide norte), and the paron peaks (grande and the other one) that are walk ups. the area is a good warmup for bigger plans if you are going to be there awhile, and the glacier is only about 6 miles from where the taxi drops you off. not too crowded in the paron, which is nice. have a great time.

as far as the life of goretex, i don't know. probably it's really the life of the face fabric in that case. thread rotting is generally considered the end of its normal life. if they're not using good enough thread, that's a design issue and likely not covered under warranty unless the piece performs much more poorly than the average one. broken snaps? usually warrantied either free or for a nominal fee, just like old zipper parts. velcro wears out. when it gets to the point it won't grip any more, it's past warranty. strangely, my wife's laptop just died, and now she needs mine to check with dell to see if it's covered. later

Ketch and Congress, yes, I agree as I would hope most people would that taking in stuff with holes from wear and tear is not appropriate. But consider this. Last year, my OR gators had the velcro blow off for the second time. (The first time I re-sewed it on.) But if Or can't use strong thread or grab enough material where it gets sewn to have the velcro stay sewed on, that's a defect imo. So yes, my gators had crampon holes that I had patched myself, but that is not why I brought them back. Likewise I have pants that have holes in them I have patched. That is not the reason I have sent them in for repair or replacement. But sewn seams are blowing apart all over and not because I have gotten fat. It's like the thread has suddenly rotted!And what if your goretex delams after 10 years? Get off the holes and normal wear and tear (abuse) stuff. I'm asking what is "lifetime" for delam gortex, thread rotting, snaps breaking, velcro coming off, gortex leaking, stuff that comes apart NOT as a result of user abuse, just normal use? agreed. i like stitching to stay put too. i've never had a jacket delam, and i don't take care of my gear so well either. i'm guessing that's a 'their problem' and not a 'your problem'. i'm not meaning to get on your case, and i'm sorry if i sound that way. as i said, my problem is with those who make a game out of how often they can rip off REI, et al.

right, i know it's ambiguous. 'lifetime' means normal life of the product. is it reasonable to expect gaiters and the like to be unscarred after 4, 6, or 8 years? i don't think so. you could make gear like that, but it would be too heavy and more expensive. warranties cover defects in materials and workmanship. that means stitching, delam problems, bad hardware, etc. we don't expect a 'lifetime' warranty with cars, and why not? because things that get used regularly and hard don't last forever. when i break a pick on my tools, i don't ask BD to replace it, even though i was using it only how it was intended to be used. course, if that same pick broke when i set the tool down on a rock, i'd complain. anyway, i'm not suggesting you're an asshole. but all of us know those folks who proudly return stuff they've wrecked and brag about it. i don't support that kind of nonsense. it lacks dignity, and honor; it's too much of the new american attitude that says no individual can be held responsible for his actions.

my opinion: the warranties are generally very clearly stated on the product. people who return boots, jackets, etc. after thrashing them are assholes. it's wrong, and it makes everything more expensive for the rest of us. good companies take care of their customers, and if we want them to stick around we should do the same. re: Chelle's comment on TNF, i've had the same problems with them. it's always the same thing with those fucking guys.

i keep hearing that, but i've never had a problem. maybe i'm just lucky, or my feet don't sweat much. i guess if that's a problem then plastic's the better choice. they're just too heavy for my wee chicken legs.

for those who don't like plastic boots, don't get them, sez me. i've never been anywhere i've needed plastics, and have been much happier on the approach and climb in leather. la sportiva makes excellent insulated leathers, as does solomon, and the montrail ice 9 qualifies also. the insulation in these boots isn't much, so if i expect it to be below 0 all day i'll use an insulated supergaiter. that worked well for me down to -20 (peru, winter). i haven't had any problem freezing my boots because i always put them in a stuff sack at the bottom of my sleeping bag. my feet have never given me too much trouble, and i always approach the new boot experience with excitement--somewhere out there is a boot that will feel deliriously great right out of the box. you just have to have the patience to find it and the right fitter to make it work with your foot. expect to add supefeet or some other footbed to get a perfect fit. it's just like dating: don't settle for simply good enough if you're looking for a long term gig. bad boots are way worse than getting nagged for not doing the dishes. re: crampons--get good boots and fit the crampons to them. you might not be able to make your favorite crampon work with every boot, but crampons are mostly the same anyway unless you climb ice at a very high grade.

in its size, the icesack is better than most packs: light in weight, about the toughest pack you can find, and not too pricey. the carry will depend on fit entirely, since its frameless and has minimial cushy stuff. my experience with them is that when the fit is right (i'm a medium in about every dimension; easy to fit), they carry very stably. on arcteryx: they make great clothing, but i just can't figure out how they keep selling packs. in the smaller pack sizes, you don't need much (or any) framing, so it seems to me that weight and features come to the fore. their packs are heavier than they need to be, and have fewer climber specific features. i think their new waterproof fabrics are great, and the packs are well made, but they're still too heavy in the small sizes. and i really don't understand their larger packs: they're among the heaviest on the market now for their size, and the framing is ten years behind the times. arcteryx has always emphasized its foam molding tech (great for harnesses) in packs, as if how the foam is made or shaped is the primary factor in how a big pack feels. the fact is, for heavy loads the weight rides best if disributed around the hips. every major pack maker but arcteryx has well engineered frames that make this happen (dana, osprey, gregory, etc.). arcteryx, unless they've changed something in the last year, offers aluminum stays in the back and foam on the hips, and nothing that transfers weight from the back of the belt to the hips. the big boras are basically a tarted up version of lowe alpine's old contours. they must be doing something right, but i just don't get it--their frame engineering is fifteen years behind the times. thanks for witnessing my rant...didn't know i had all that trapped inside me.javascript:void(0)

my recollection re: spectra/dyneema/other slippy nylon is that the manufacturers recommend a triple fisherman's knot if you HAVE to tie them, but suggest you just don't do it. on using a skinny retrieval cord, i don't see a problem if you manage it carefully. people have been doing it for most of a hundred years; i'd call that a significant sample size. i found even using two biners as a brake with a skinny (sub 10mm) rope a fast ride, and i don't weigh all that much. i'm assuming it's a just in case question? i mean, why bother with a ten step setup that leaves more opportunity for error when there are such excellent rap devices on the market designed for skinny ropes (jaws, newer atc, etc.) that are easier to set up and double check for safety?

we fools need to stick together. enough of us, we could have our own institute.

osprey makes a new version of its older zealot called the ceres in a couple sizes. the smaller one might be worth checking out. i've got the larger (4400 cu. in.) version, and after a little pack surgery it's only 4 lbs., so i'd guess the smaller isn't too weighty. great suspension, tool tubes, ski slots, etc. the other thing i use is a golite speed pack. it's just barely large enough for two nites if you go reaaaalllly light, but after i cut all the nonsense off it only weighs a pound . it's no kind of durable, but i've gotten two hard years out of it already. and like daniel said, the bd ice pack is great--are they still making that?

have her try the montrail ice 9--lowish in voume, narrow heel and midfoot, mid width in the forefoot. put superfeet in them to take up some space. montrail also makes a couple lighter duty versions of this boot, tho i can't recall the names.