Coldfinger

Yeah, forty rolls of blue tape to mark the holds and it should be good to go You are wrong--sounds like Orange and Green tape. And where the trouble started seems to be where it often is (fatality here last summer)--parties got separated and had no clear plans or communication plans.

Really? You talk to folks in the wildland fire and forest management business and not only are conditions MORE dangerous, but fires are burning so hot that very few of the benefits of a "natural" fire in a "fire dependent" ecosystem accrue. Put another way, fires are now behaving in ways they often did not in the past, becoming much more dangerous and burning hotter. Round here trees are being killed even when there is no torching or crowning, just normal understory burns. It's actually really scary, but for none of the reasons you cite.

I guess I am left wondering why they don't teach how to "bail" in gyms...... Seems odd as they had rope and gear! One take home is ALWAYS bring bail cordage (6mm and/or supertape) AND a small knife..........

My advice is just bring half your twin set and be done with it! If you are skiing sanely, you will be carrying full avy gear anyway and a partner or two and splitting up rap gear even if you need 60 m of rope will take care of weight. If your party is only doing a few short raps just bring one diaper style harness (eg BD Couloir), one locker & belay device and one twin rope if weight is THAT much of a big deal.

Yeah, birthday boy ( ) is right, jerky or out of control rapping=shock loading & sawing, who's idea is this anyway?

DO KEEP IN MIND THAT ACCESSORY CORD LOSES UP TO HALF ITS STRENGTH WHEN WET. :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: Seriously, the stuff is made for pull cord duty only, NOT TRUSTING YOUR LIFE TO!

Some seriously good advice: Stop gram counting and do the following: Close your eyes and picture yourself hurtling through the air, hitting the mountain repeatedly (breaking bones) and finally hitting the talus or ending up deep in a bergschrund where you expire slowly over several hours. MAKE SURE YOU ARE RAPPING ON A CLIMBING ROPE!!!!! If you want really light, either get a 30m section of Beal randonee rope and pair it with 5mm pullcord or just get a 60m twin rope. The difference being in how much rapping you will be doing. The pull cords are light but are a real pain in the ass for a lot of rapping as they tangle unmercifully and are not a lot of fun to climb if you get a stuck cord. One 60m rope will get you plenty of distance and very less risk of getting stuck as there is no knot. You can even lead 30m pitches or bring it along with a single rope for full length rappels in summer rock climbing.

In your defense she might have been the kind of girl with whom one needs 35 pairs of undies for a road trip.

Doesn't count if you are an informant!

You are right, especially as they end up in Hong Kong rather than in line at the unemployment office!

Kinda spooky ain't it, pretty sure they got all your post editing on record somewhere....

Does anyone know if CC.com is supported by a Verizon platform or subsidiary? In light of recent news it does make one wonder.

I guess the bottom line for me is this: Nobody, well almost, is climbing in the totally rigid boots of yesteryear, and the takehome is that most modern boots, due to demand and construction are getting silly light (imho a great thing) and thus they have a little flex. So I would hope all crampon designs would take that into account, rather than blaming the boot. Petzl handled the rather similar breakage issue with the 1st edition Sarken admirably: offering a recall for replacement, and a change in design as well as a new heat treatment and clear stamping on the frames of all V2 Sarkens. Ice climbing, alpinism and especially any of the above at altitude demand 100% confidence. Adding a few ounces of metal to ensure that reliability seems to outweigh marketing your product as the "lightest". Interesting that the new Petzl Lynx matches the Saber with 14 points, 12 of them down.

Anyone got the beta on what's in, thin or out? Thanks!

Did the bar flip with dartwins with good results--the inner frontpoint is now a bit longer but I like that.

asking for people's opinion about gear on the web is not being consumed by market hype but real research. And where is the "bunch of whining" on this thread? Usual internet resort to confrontation by accusation of entire population. Kinda seemed like preaching then some combination of whining AND crying. Have to agree with many posters here, light & compact, not a sponge, etc. My two cents is the new wave of trim harnesses that mimic stretch softshell in waist and legbands are setting the new standard. Advice is buy one. Was skeptical of the dead bird leg loop mesh but I am 100% sold on it, very comfortable and durable, absorbs zero water, best material for the weight and packed size, and really doesn't feel like the whole rig is even there whether climbing sport, trad or ice.

What? Your harness came with a fortune cookie? Kinda a better idea to prosper from real suffering, or maybe just survive it, than from saving a few grams. Agree with Keenwesh, nice to have a harness that works for sport, trad, alpine and ice. Kinda nice to spend more but less than for two.

First bit of advice is you probably don't need adjustable leg loops. As long as you have room to loosen the waistbelt enough to go OVER your shell jacket you should be fine. My experience has been very good with regular leg loops as one is not adding as many layers as on a serious mountaineering trip, where adjustment is a great feature. Kinda seems like harness design has separated ice from mountaineering so don't use a mountaineering harness (ala BD Couloir) if you like uncrushed nuts and kidneys. Second, minimal padding and material are a big plus. For one thing these absorb water and then get heavy and frozen, and dont dry quickly. For another you will be wearing a ton more layers than summer rock, so layers provide the padding. Besides, you will be carrying more crap with ice/alpine and sleeker harnesses take up a lot less space and weigh less, especially if they are not big frozen sponges. As for ice clippers, I am not sold on those, but the Petzl Hirundos was my favorite and takes two. Have been using an Arcteryx S220lt and was surpised by how well it works. Who would think a sport harness would work so well for ice but it does, especially the mesh leg loops!

Just five?

Just be sure the WC Heliums arent subject to the current recall. Minimum # is 10 draws 12 better. DMM is the best Aeros and Spectre 2 are reasonably priced, Alpha Sport are awesome, ditto Alpha Trad. Snag free gates are the new standard, wire or solid gate.

Asked again--WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? Not interested in writing a book.

Welcome to CC, first off this should probably be in the "Gear Critic" and second what exactly are you using these draws for? Sport, trad, ice? Some of the above? The answer to that will also dictate HOW MANY you will need. I'd skip the Oz, there are better draws out there, especially for sport climbing. Many folks have noticed how the finish quality on those biners dropped when production moved overseas...... Solid gates are nice for sport only, with nylon runners and very importantly--some kind of rubber keeper for the rope end.

Too bad 'ol Jake isn't a Mountie 'cause this never woulda happened. Yep, you guessed it...... He would have been wearing gaiters!

A few suggestions from my experience..... First, I would not get the lightest tent out there as you will sacrifice cost, weatherproofing and livability for ounces. Smallest will be a big pain inthe butt with a partner, and you will be up against the walls which will get you wet. Get a dome! Hoops are nice too but anchoring can be a hassle and if you can't get a good anchor(or it melts out), look out! A few loops of 3mm cord on the corners are great for using rocks as anchors with either type if the ground is really hard glacier ice or rock slab. Get bug netting. Cant for the life of me understand why tents come without. Even in winter conditions, netting will keep spindrift out as you vent. Breathability only matters above freezing temps! You can often get by with a bivy sack and a good spot in three season conditions. Much smaller/lighter than a tent. Good to have both options. Make sure it has a bright interior color, dark colors suck when stormbound. Sounds silly but it is true. Vestibules are great in foul weather as you can vent or get in and out without soaking the front floor. I like Integral Designs single wall, Bibler too. Well built and designed.

Brit speak for what you need in high pressure, a locking biner.