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Aya

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Posts posted by Aya

    need helmet advice

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    The inside of my BD half dome came loose and has been sliding around for about the past year. I've been reasonably happy with it but those things do seem to fall apart pretty frequently, judging from the reviews you read of them.

     

    I finally bought a new helmet a couple of days ago.

    Of course, I've gone right ahead and possibly compromised it before even using it by painting it with acrylic paints, but hey, sometimes style is more important!

    need helmet advice

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    I have a bunch of helmet liners I wear; my favorite one is a little powerstretch one that happens to be from BD. But it still doesn't solve the problem of my ears - I can't hear as well with it as without. I really like the way that helmet pads in skiing helmets have a rim that encircles your ear, but is relatively thin over the actual ear.

    need helmet advice

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    I feel like all of these naysayers haven't actually taken a look at the Grivel Gecko. Don't check out the BD Half Dome or Petzl Meteor for a dual purpose helmet. That's not what they're designed for. The Grivel Gecko is.

     

    This reminds me, by the way - why is it that no climbing helmets have those nifty removeable ear protectors the way that skiing helmets do? It would be so fantastic because I could keep my ears warm but still be able to hear my partner yelling at me...

     

    Gidg - no?

    right.jpg

    Polypro or icebreaker?

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    I am a huge fan of the merino wool (I use smartwool rather than icebreaker because it fits me better) - so long as it's not going to be your outermost layer. It is stretchier (so it fits closer and is more comfortable to move in, layer over), doesn't seem to stretch out over time the way my poly and silk do (ie it rebounds and retains its shape well), is comfortable over a wider range of temps, doesn't get stinky the way synthetics do and looks nicer, too!

     

    Definitely takes longer to dry out, but overall not bad. It is definitely pricey, so I'm a little more careful about abrading it and stuff, because if I tear a hole in my $25 underwear, no biggie, but doing the same to my $65 smartwool would probably hurt a little more.

    Hybrid soft/hard shell. Alternative to Arc Teryx??

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    Mountain Hardwear's hybrid is the Manticore - the MH synchro hoodie is a softshell, but with a Conduit membrane that makes it waterproof, but probably less breathable than a hybrid.

     

    I think I'm going to go with a Mammut Sentry hybrid as soon as I can find one on sale for less than $295. It had a really great collar and hood. Only quibbles are that the pockets are about half an inch too low (minor), the sleeves seem to be cut relatively short (minor - just get a size larger), and there is no real interior pocket for things like gloves.

    Thailand/New Zealand rock or alpine guide books

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    If you go to the north island of NZ, you're going to want to get the New Ignimbrite Climbs book by Michael Camilleri - It describes most of the climbing in the Wharepapa region (which is really beautiful; it's where they shot hobbiton in the Lord of the Rings). If you're planning this as a climbing trip, you're probably better off hitting the south island, but if it's a sight seeing trip that might include Aukland as well, then definitely stop by!

    DSC00077.jpg

    Tick Alert

    in Spray

    Posted

    Beware of ticks on your dog, too. My dog got lyme disease (despite being on frontline) and it cost me about $1000 all told after all the blood tests and ABs and whatnot. cry.gif

     

    Symptoms can include being lame and hairloss.

    light weight alpine pack

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    OK, now I'm getting interested in the CiloGear pack too. Any girls out there who have used them? Also, it kinda sounds like there's a learning curve with figuring out how to configure them. Do you have to be a rocket scientist, or are their good instructions? And yes, I RTFM!!!

     

    I'm a girl, and I've used the pack. It's great. Mine came with a girly hipbelt! The pack is super duper light, super configurable, and should be super burly - can't honestly speak to that as I only used it about 3 times out this ice climbing season - I'll use it some more this summer on rock (like maybe this weekend...!). The whole d-clippy system is easy to use, and I don't know if it has a learning curve, per se, but I think that it will probably take some fiddling with and some use before you get it dialed in to exactly how you like to configure it for your activities, because everyone probably likes to carry their loads differently. That's the beauty of the system, you can totally personalize it!

    Help with my crampons?!

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Hammer it. Seriously. Forget wiggling - make sure the bail is oriented correctly with the hole (the hole is oval shaped, and the bail is flattened along one axis) and take a hammer to it. You won't hurt your crampons. Also it is easier if you do it one side at a time, ie, just line up the bail/hole on the side you are hammering in, and let the otehr side of the bail go wherever - NOT in the hole on the other side. I guarantee you can do it, it is just a humongous pain. And I hope that once you get the bail moved, it is indeed where you want it!!!

    Help with my crampons?!

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Had same problem with my G14s. As stated above, make sure tabs are lined up, and then use a screwdriver as a lever (assuming you don't mind scratching them up a bit!!) - or actually, I had more luck using the claw side of a hammer as a lever. I definitely was not able to get them out using a draw or cord or anytihng like that and just pulling.

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