bearman14

Hey, I just picked up a pair of Grivel Air Techs (w/ New Matic binding) to replace my worn out 2F's, and I'm finding the extensions barely long enough for my size 10 plastics. Grivel claims they fit up to a size 12 (EUR 46), but I can't believe a size 12 boot would fit in them. My biggest issue is that when I have my overboots on, they're pretty much impossible to get on. Anyone else run into this? I'm thinking I'll probably have to pick up the extenders, but before I do, just wanted to see if there were some other suggestions. Thanks. ps) Of note, the new locking tang on the bottom side of the bar isn't getting in the way or causing the problem

The Olympus camera takes very average pics, and it's biggest limitation, in my opinion, is the video feature maximizes at 15 fps. A buddy of mine just bought the Pentax W20, and while I wasn't blown away by the image quality, it didn't suck either. And it's significantly cheaper than the Olympus. I've got some pics of a recent climb we did, but I can't figure out how to load them onto this post. It's waterproof, but not "shockproof". Personally, I've been pretty happy with my Panasonic FX01, and I've had no trouble using it in the snow and rain. You just need to take a little extra care with it, and have a good case, as was posted earlier.

Ahhh -- I see. I misunderstood and thought you were looking for a bag to replace your 30 degree bag because it was too cold. In that case, the 10 degree option is a good one. You can always double up with the 30 degree for really cold temps as well. As far as Epic, I haven't had any personal experience with it, but some of the reviews I've read on it have been less than steller. Sorry I can't offer anything more productive than that. The Gear Guy from Outside Online recently wrote this piece which you might find interesting: http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gearguy/200702/20070201.html My 15 degree bag uses Pertex Quantum, which is pretty sweet, and my really cold (-30) WM bag uses DryLoft, which, like eVent, is loud, loud, loud, and doesn't breathe nearly as well as advertised. However, the peace of mind of knowing the bag won't easily get wet was worth it for me.

Hmmmm... difficult to answer without knowing exactly the purposes of the bag, but here's my two cents. If you've been using a 30 degree bag, you may be able to get away with a 15 or 20 degree. Unfortunately, FF lists only 20 or 10 degree bags on their website, but my experience with their bags is that they rate them very conservatively for temperature. I've always used a 15 degree bag (-9 C) in the Canadian Rockies for early spring to late fall trips, and found it more than adequate. However, a lot of that depends on what kind of tent (if any) you are using, what kind of pad, other people in the tent, etc. Personally, I sleep pretty hot, and I'd find a zero bag WAY too warm for most uses (outside of winter), and therefore it might be a bit limited. Most of the time, my 15 degree bag is open and used like a quilt. However, if you're still wanting to use your 30 degree bag for warmer trips, then a 10 degree bag might be the way to go to give you more versatility. Bottom line, though, is you're a lucky guy if you pick up a FF bag. I'm jealous!

Thanks for the suggestions folks. For what it's worth, I ended up finding some 1/4 inch felt at my hardwear store that I was able to cut to size. A little sticky velcro holds it down nicely as well. It's a little less compressable than the closed-cell foam I was trying. I haven't fit the liners into the boot yet, but even with just my sock in the shell, it feels not too bad.

Hey hopper This thread has some folks talking about their experience fitting Intuitions into their boots. http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/628228/page/4#Post628228 Seems like the consensus is to go a little larger -- that's what they do at the Intuition factory anyway. That $30 price is pretty sweet, but I tried to ask them (at sidewayspeople.com) what particular model they're carrying, as there are a few listed on the Intuition web site. I never heard back from them. The Denali model at www.intuitionsports.com is cut quite a bit lower than the others. And back to the original thread, regarding the Vasque Ice 9000's, like many technical pieces of gear, fit is important. I tried really hard to like these boots, but they were brutally uncomfortable on my foot.

Hey guys. Thanks for the replies. Mark -- do you not feel the gap in the heel? I was wondering if I would constantly feel a depression there. That's definitely the easier option, so if it works, I might go for it.

Hey, I'm going to be fitting a pair of Intuition liners into my Koflach Arctis Expes, and I was wondering if anyone here has had good/bad experiences with working around the heel cup. I've seen some suggestions for plastic, or blue foam, but if you've tried something, and it worked well or bombed, can you let me know? Thanks.

I second the Cloudveil recommendation. I'm 6'3", and the Symmetry pants size large fit like a dream, even a bit longish.

I have the Expes, and they're a bit sloppy on ice, particularly grade 5 ice. My heel floats around a lot in them compared to my LS Nepal Extremes. Granted, I'm still using the stock liners. I've picked up a pair of Intuition liners, but I'm not sure that they'll climb any better -- rather they'll just be warmer and lighter. But even with the stock liners, these suckers are warm, warm, warm. No frostbite yet :-)

Hey, I'm looking for a new pair of crampons to replace my worn out ol' Grivel 2F's, and I'm looking at picking up the Air tech's. I'd be using them mostly for traditional alpine climbing, with a smattering of vertical ice (mostly WI 3+, nothing more than 4+, I have kids now ). Anybody have any thoughts on these? Used 'em on any long routes or multiday trips? As a comparison, the other models I've looked at are the Petzl vasak's, the Sarken's, the BD Sabretooth's, and the Grivel G12's. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks.