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crackers

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Everything posted by crackers

  1. Maybe the community needs to man up. When I've actually climbed it, I'll give you my $0.02.
  2. Just cause I'm like this, but please do forgive me. It's not exactly like your yellow one but blue, or I'd be shocked. EVA is made by many many companies. The best is EvaZote made by Zote Foams, it is used in yellow hard man pads and it does come in different colors (we use yellow, black and blue here at CiloGear depending on what our supplier has on hand). EvaZote comes in at least 8 different densities and you can have it cut to any thickness you want for the most part. From what I know, the wholesale price of a standard sheet at a standard thickness (~48" x 108" and 8mm) yellow hard man foam is about $40. That said, does it matter? Over the long run, yes. The Zote stuff lasts longer. In terms of "R-Value"? Probably. But R-Value testing against human body heat loss is a joke not a science, so... Manufacturing meets design. Manufacturing wins. Have a look at the thermoformed backpanel and the framesheet and it should be come clear. The designer wanted to have a nice effective load transfer while saving weight. The factory offered the high tech looking (and cheap) thermoformed backpanel as a feature and the designer required the removable framesheet. The designer might have wanted a tapered framesheet pocket, but setting that pocket would be a TON of work. Check out the bladder pocket for an idea. That is sewn on in with the folds and everything by a special, incredibly expensive machine with a jig. The manufacturer really didn't want to do a new jig and dedicate machines to this part and a have a manufacturing bottle neck with the designers silly contoured framesheet pocket. Not to mention the scrap material! The designer knows you don't want the framesheet running around and not being in the right place. It's not going to work well for first time pack users. Furthermore, a removable pad is just going to irritate the buyers at Big Box Retailer who see a disaster of lost crap in a price point pack. So the designer demands a tapered framesheet pocket that is hard but not impossible to open and keeps the framesheet intact with a minimum of shrinkable parts. Solution? Sew in a nice rectangle of fabric and add a couple of stitches to it to keep the framesheet where it was supposed to be.
  3. Fabulous. Thanks for the tip. seriously! But is it FFA or is it ONLY FA? Now that we've gotten the name right, has anybody led it? I did this 10d in the gunks once. Hardest thing I've ever done at the grade at the time, and I think it still is. I fell and fell and finally got it in proper ground up style. After I got it, I gave the guy who did the FA a call to ask him just what he had been thinking when he opened the route. Shouldn't he have called it 5.9+ if he was going to do that? He stated that when he did the FFA, he had recently returned from Yosemite, where he had climbed this mind altering 5.11 that took everything he had in the tank and more. As such, it was provably inconceivable that he could possibly put up a 5.11 first ascent. Ergo, this climb is 5.10d(+++). Actually, (+++++) I definitely climbed 11b's in the gunks that have much easier crux moves but with more exposure. The climb stays at 10d because it's that "oh, if you can climb THAT, you're definitely ready for 11's..." And Opus? I'd rate the move I haven't done at B2 . It's amazing movement, but I've never seen such a hard move on 11's that I can remember leading. I know I'm an incredibly weak never-was, but after watching a friend who used to do V9 and now climbs V5 onsight fall off in about the same horrific style that I do, well, at this point, I'd call Opus 5.11+ C2. So ols, the rating is given by the FA? What about the community?
  4. I think he meant Opus. D'oh! Yes. I meant Opus. 3 bolts to an anchor.
  5. thet you tyler? thought you wuz in yo semite. you led it? i sure didn't. crap, i couldn't even pull the first real move. Bill, I'm faaaar from climbing that thing. Which does prove tyler's point. Anyway it seemed much much harder than most if not all 11's i've climbed in this state. Not quite as bad as that blank section next to classic crack, but not that far off.
  6. Howdy All, I gots me a question about your climbing at broughton. Anybody here who's actually led OttoOpus feel it goes at 11+ R? Am I missing something? Like a sandbag?
  7. That's Slammin the Salmon. Gunks 5.12's are no joke. I still haven't been able to figure out the crux move (lockoff on an undercling crimp with the right hand into a big cross move over with your left, on terrible feet), but I've managed to work through everything else without too much difficulty. As I recall, combine the crux of the Salmon with the lower crux to get (if I recall correctly) Bird-Salmon which is solid 12. Birdbrain slants from climber's right to climber's left while Slammin' slants from left to right. Combine them, and you start closer to transcon, hit that little roof crux (12b or so) and then the upper crux on the red face of Salmon (easy 12a as I recall). The upper crux on Salmon wasn't too bad for me (6'5") but the 10ish face moves on the exit threw me off once or twice...It took me quite a bit of work to get that combo. That area of the Nears is a top rope hard climb fantasy land. There are a bunch of hard 11s and 12s you can hit there without climbing harder than 5.8. Suddenly, I miss the gunks!
  8. Matt, if you get back on Birdland, the second pitch is full value but a wee bit thin. There's a great hard TR off the birdland anchor that you should just try whether or not you've got any expectation of doing it...it gives the "crimp, sidepull, pull up, must be the crux...jug" feeling to a very high level. Remember, the grades on many of the classic climbs at the gunks were agreed upon when that grade was the highest level in american climbing. Imagine Sharma and that lot arguing about whether 5.9 is even possible or not...and then climbing the 5.9 forty years later. I miss the incuts, but not the humidity and the heat.
  9. Call us. How much do you want? 503.305.3858 ... from 9 to 5 Portland time...
  10. Teh Phuzzy, I wonder if you were one of the people walking in while the last 3 of the early crowd were walking out? In any event, people showed up, so we're going to do it again in a couple of weeks!
  11. Howdy Folks, The American Alpine Club's Oregon Section is doing a beer night here in Portland at Migration Brewing tomorrow, the 13th of April from 7 pm. Tell the bartender you're with the AAC and you'll get happy hour pricing on beer. Yum! Migration is at 2828 NE Glisan in Portland, Oregon.
  12. Ding ding ding! Folks, we've got a winner. EvaZote is brand of Zote foams referring to those zote foams with EVA. There are a lot of different options. Here at CiloGear, we use EV-50 and EV-30 Evazote in our shoulder straps and hipbelts in different thicknesses. They've got flame retardant ones, they've got anti-static, you name it they are all EvaZote... Without knowing the specific type and density you've got nothing. EvaZote has good insulative characteristics, but it is the ultimate affordable foam for compression set resistance. Hope it helps!
  13. I agree with Max and markwebster above over all. And just in case you don't know, I own a small business which makes alpine climbing packs here in Portland, Oregon. However, I disagree about machines that do straight stitch and zigzag. They suck. I'd recommend staying away from them on the whole. Also, the thought you're going to save money over a tailor / seamstress / expert? Yeah right. No way. Sorry, you'll have a blast and you'll spend countless hours amusing yourself but it will not be cheaper. Industrial machines are made to do one thing really well. For bartacks, you need a bartacking machine. To attach buttons, you generally have a buttonholer and a button attachment machine that works with your specific button. A cheap bartacker, used and not modern, can be had for $1k if you're patient. A modern one is about $2500. I have no idea how much buttonholers cost... Soft shell and fleece totally different needs in terms of construction than canvas or a cordura type product. And then you want to sew heavy vinyls...You want a serger and an overlocker, a plain jane straight stitch, a needle feed and a walking foot. SMS has a good reputation. You might be well off to go up there and talk to them. You could probably do most of the stuff your want with a needle feed machine. Check it out. One thing I'd recommend: markwebster has a clutch motor on his machine. they're loud, noisy and use tons of power. Get a cheap servo motor put onto any machine you get if possible. good luck.
  14. Layton, you know I'm a sterling fanboy. But that said, at least consider 6mm Power Cord which has a Technora cord so it's good at bending and it's good with heat and it's as strong as your love for the lists of gear in your closet. Honestly though, I just use plain old 6mm Accessory Cord which is currently in somebody else's hands. I use it as pull cord, and it seems to be pretty dang durable. I'm very curious about the Esprit thing though and I'm gonna have to find out more...anybody have a link to any documentation by chance?
  15. If anybody ever heads over there again, get in touch...i lived there a loooong time and did a ton of climbing over there. BTW, the "... cliffs and mountains of untouched limestone...that probably never will be touched" in the areas you were in have been heavily investigated... Did you go to the alpine bouldering area above Geyikbayiri? Have they finally started developing the back side?
  16. aw jeez folks! stop making me blush! Bigtree, if you didn't live in canuckistan, I'm sure I would have opted for the repair! Thank you. It's been quite a ride for the past five years. We're in the sixth year of sales, we've moved production from turkey to New York City and finally to Portland. We've made some far from perfect packs, and I think we're making some pretty damn awesome ones now...Check out the Hauly's and some other new packs for your cragging pleasure. Ski packs should go up at the end of the month, but I have to get through OR first.
  17. Thanks for everybody who wasted a beautiful day of perfect weather to come by! We got rid of a bunch of stuff, but still have some weird products around. We might do another sale right before or right after Christmas to get rid of any more of it that will walk out... thanks again!
  18. Heya Bill, it's the rest of the people in the building that decided to schedule this on a sunny day, not me. We'll be selling a bunch of functional, unique but maybe fugly stuff off for reasonable cash offers. We've got weird NWD packs, weird clamshells, wall packs that won't be in production, two large woven dyneema 75L worksacks and plenty of other 'stuff' including kevlar dog pull toys and stuff like that. Thanks, Graham
  19. Since we're not really a shop, I figured I'd post this here...if it's in the wrong place, move it, i'm sorry. CiloGear is having our once a year open house / get rid of all this stuff Holiday Sale on Saturday the 4th of December from 10am to 5pm or so. We'll be unloading all our older and newer prototypes, samples, a return or two and whatever we've got sitting around. We'll also be showing off our facility and what we do. Check out the craigslist post or the facebook page for more about the general Cathedral Park Place holiday sale! Thanks!
  20. I hate most of the "mountain art" that I see. My big exception to that is the work of Jer Collins. You can see his whole portfolio over at jercollins.com and honestly, I don't love all of it at all. If you haven't seen his topos, you're missing out. Check them out! (You can only get them through mgear right now, so no direct link...) Anyway, he's got a book out. Supposed to be pretty good. And today he's selling it for 25% off with the coupon code CYBER305 at his part of this self publish website lulu.com. I know Jer personally, we've collaborated on a couple of things, but it's always been AAC / Access fund stuff. I thought I'd pass along the info on his book and the discount. I bought myself a copy -- and gd knows I'm broke & cheap!
  21. I've swung the Matrix and the Quantum tech's more than a few times. The Quantum is super light, and you'd better be good at swinging with accuracy. If you are a crappy, lead handed, whacker like me, you'd probably be better off with the Matrix.
  22. Ditto. Redirect and maybe a belay glove 'cause my biners are old and filthy, and I love my cinch.
  23. It's terrible. I'm bereft as so many others in this community are... Whether or not you knew Joe, read his trip reports, or ever enjoyed a math class, donate to the Joe Puryear Assistance Fund. If you would like to make a donation to help Joe's family with the costs of bringing him back home, please visit climbtibet.blogspot.com and make a donation, however small. Donations to help Joe's family can also be mailed to: Key Bank Attn: Danielle Grubenhoff 100 7th St. PO Box 657 Zillah, WA 98953 Please make checks payable to: "The Joe Puryear Donation Account" You may also visit any Key Bank Location and inform the teller that you would like to donate to "The Joe Puryear Donation Account"
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