Coldfinger

Holy s&@%! More evidence the asshats are in charge.

Yeah that or someone is pissed off b/c they got screwed!

Good luck! Besides the boot that fits best IS best, even if it ain't spanking new & shit hot techie cool looking. Kinda hard to beat the Invernos imho, especially if you get an intuition liner (hot but makes the boot quite light).

Well, read the entire blurb, it is very lively stuff! The alleged theft of a laptop and its contents, libel, false and misleading statements, mysterious dealings in China.....

A big part of this (maybe the biggest) is YOU: Do you get cold hands and feet easier than others? Health issues (diabetic or circulatory--saw a fellow get frostbite largely due to his heart condition)? Are you getting on in years? Are you very experienced in winter/high altitude? Are you in killer shape? The other big part is what you are climbing, anything really technical and you might prefer singles. My 2 cents: You might be best off with using a good approach shoe and a pair of boots (single or double) whatever you choose. You might also look into supergaiters to bump up the warmth factor if you are going to go way high on one peak, but climb others where they or doubles might be overkill.

Have heard the shaft on the Quantum tools is really slippery.

Old BD Rage tools are pretty alpine sweet and do nice work on the WI too, just switch heads for the task.

Well the doubled sling does seem more like the proper homage by its resemblance to his image that you should be paying his holy noodleliness! Perhaps that is why he makes you suffer..... FSM forever!

agree Gonna have to call you guys on that claim, unless you use slings too long to be called quickdraws, based on the picture, I don't see how much longer a draw is and how exactly is the normal way--having to reach for a draw, clip it to the cam sling and the regrab the rope to clip--so much easier? All one has to do is unclip a strand and clip the rope.

Just got a few of these, haven't tried them out but they're pretty damn sweet!

Most important thing is your health and the condition of your feet (i.e. have they been nipped or frostbitten before). Saw a fellow north of Aconslogua with bad circulation from a heart condition get frostbite at 21,000' in your boots. If you are prone to getting cold due to build or metabolism, or have some condition like Diabetes or Raynaud's or are simply getting older, I'd consider at least bringing a broken in pair of plastic boots and or footbeds and supergaiters. No point in ruining a many thousand dollar trip over a few hundred bucks for boots, eh? Don't underestimate the danger of the wind and storms there, it can get really nasty fast. Also seems like folks with a bit more cold and/or altitude experience can more easily get away with single boots. I've used them there with good results, but did have one close call with an old nipped toe after summiting in a REALLY nasty storm. I'd make sure you have good insulating insoles, and consider supergaiters if you're going to the Polish Glacier route. Regular route isn't usually on snow very often. Big thing is you should have lots of wiggle room in your Evo's for your toes.

nope, problem with double sling cams is they do add a lot of bulk and clutter to a rack sling or harness gear loop, so thinner is great with me.

Devices? How about a lighter? Funny how nobody seems to mention a whole host of old school but very effective means of signaling. My 2cents: it's not so much that people are taking more risks because of high tech signaling devices and cell phones, from what I've seen here in the Wind River Range, it's that there are a whole host of folks who don't spend the time to learn a lot of "old school" outdoor skills, but get in over their head largely due to placing confidence in their "other" equipment (miraculous how light everything is, and expensive) rather than experience. Just seems particularly true of winter trips and some of the truly excellent gear that does indeed make it easier but not much less dangerous.

Got the DMM Torque nuts, very nice. Gotta say for any kind of icy crack I'd take a hex every time over a cam, especially as one can pound them in, besides for alpine one always has to think of BAILING and I'd rather leave a nut!

Not everyone agrees, there are quite a few folks that went through the trouble of taking college and even (gasp) grad school seriously, never mind the expense and lack of recognition. One thing to remember is that we spend billions on stealth and sports and squat on things like conservation, so not so fair to insult those who actually do what little work gets done.

I should probably mention that should one want to purchase a used Firstlight, rather than a new one, due to poverty, Epic fabric seems to have rather strong tendency to generate and hold static. The import of this is that my $90 Firstlight came with a rather extensive collection of hairs, most of which were rather short, thick and curly. I should only hope that the new fabric, in addition to being green, has not that tendency.....

I'm surprised some knucklehead hasn't suggested testing with a Koran.....

Naw man I'm in shape and out in the open (but never in the closet)! I tend to go solo in winter so little savings in mass and weight are important as it truly is my ass in that sling. Used an MSR Denali snowshoe for years as a stove base (it was great) but don't have that anymore (need more floatation here). Thanks and keep in touch if you'll be around anytime soon.

Hey man if you have a cdl or welding or any kind of mechanical skills, consider moving to either the Dakotas or Pinedale, both have great oil & gas jobs, better climbing and lots of other folks from Michigan, who are always welcome here!

Thanks John, might use that tape with the foam piece I have and cardboard.

Yeah the trillium is nice outside but I've found it gets hot enough with an old XGK (what I got) to melt a piece of pad foam to it, don't want to try that with the tent floor. Thanks tho. Looking for a less bulky way.

To be fair I should have mentioned the XGK is an older version, round base not legs like the new Megatron version, so contact with the ground or my tent is an issue, rescued it from a gear shop for $70, even got a special silver 25th anniversary fuel bottle. Yeah I've tried that foil and also a Trilium stove base on top of a piece of sleeping pad foam and the foam melted to both with an XGK, even remember using a tent with that very hole in the floor and zipper, haven't seen that in about twenty years, seemed like overkill like those old snow tunnel entrances you'd see circa 1985. I cook in tents all the time, it's a piece of cake, I just use adequate ventilation. I've even done it with an XGK, just figured with all the clever people out there somebody has a nice trick. I quite often use a book with a cartridge stove and that very piece of round ground MSR foil and the aforementioned foam or book with the white gas. John seems to be the winner, and in third place.....

Thanks John! I love gluey goodness.

Yeah it's a little early for this but sure I AGREE, though I prefer KMart or Target to Walmart since I am neither an RV owner nor a mental patient or wandering senior needing exercise. Just wondering whether you got that cat in there to keep you warm if there are no twigs and if that's how it got so bugeyed. Do you have any pan seasoning tips in the Bacon forum, do bears like bacon? Pretty sure they don't care for cats tho. Can I please have my stove tip now?

Well one can spot a fool from a good way off (like the owner of the tent now in the middle of Titcomb lake), other types are a bit harder to figger out. All the patches on my tent tell one I am Scotch. Just didn't care to be conflated with $600 tents, not my style, but Tarps don't make for very comfortable camping here until the first hard frost. Might be a good market for used Firstlights now that they come in a new color! As for additional guy points, I wouldn't bother, still think the thing will be floppy, but that's how the Siberian Larch survives cold and wind so maybe that's best. You could try some spare epic fabric (BD will give you some), sew your guy point to that and just sil-seam grip the whole thing on. I suspect that might be stronger. I personally have survived a two day storm in a Firstlight and while it was pretty grim as the tent flexed, snapped and got knocked over, it never exploded or even showed a stretched seam, I was impressed.