AlaskaNative

Years and years ago, I started gearing up, reading, strength training, etc., for climbing. Never happened, never gonna, so I have a fair amount of gear for severe conditions (I was pretty extreme about spending all the overtime money I got on gear and was going to thin it down when done trying things) that I'm going to selling off now (besides, I could really use the money right now). Anyway, I have an original unused Bibler (not Black Diamond) I-Tent, Big Wall version, made for a Portaledge (I don't have the vestibule or the Portaledge). I bought it Marmot, so it's not a prototype or anything like that - it's the real deal. I figure it's worth really good money to the right type of climber, but wondering where I'd find the right buyers, and I'd like get it into the hands of someone who could really use it (it's heavier than a standard I-Tent because of the extra features for ledges and tie-in - it would be a shame to cut off the extras and use it on the ground only). I see the Black Diamond version (made in China, not the USA like the Bibler version) went out of production at $700, and that was not the Big Wall version. Bottom line, where would I find the right people to buy it, and what are some opinions on what it would be worth?

NASA site CalTech site May also be useful someday to deliver rescue gear or help with retrieval for climbers in trouble in dangerous places.

SF Chronicle article.

Good discussion, and pretty much in line with what I expected. Again, not wanting to create tension, and sorry if some of that has happened. Two things worth pointing out: - rbw1966 was right about the instructors reasons. The instructor said he wanted her to have a helmet that could take repeated hits. His reasoning was that multiple hits are much more common when Alpine climbing, where it would be unusual while Rock climbing. He didn't mention any concerns about hits while attached to a pack. - I definitely don't want to be hostile towards the instructor, or undermine his authority. He does care about his students, is doing his best (for free), and cannot be expected to know everything. I just wanted to collect a better cross-section of opinions from experienced climbers (well, that and see if she really needs to go out and buy another helmet). Any comments on the Ice Axe with the Axe-S attachment? If this is too small an issue to merit comment, that makes sense, just asking.

A friend of mine is in training with a popular climbing club right now, and she showed up for Ice Axe training today with a Petzl Meteor III ( REI, Petzl), only to have the instructor tell her it was unacceptable for anything but rock climbing. I know it's polystyrene and can only take one hard hit before needing replacement, but nothing I've read in FoTH, or online, or heard from climbers, has said this. So I'm not looking to incite an argument, but wondering what the climbers here have to say. This instructor insisted on polycarbonate helmets like the Ecrin Roc, or the Elios. Of course, the same teacher told her that her axe was attached to her pack all wrong because she was using the Axe-S attachments on a Mountain Hardware pack... (Axe-S uses a metal tab that goes through the head of the axe with a thin bungie, so you don't have to do the drop-and-flip, then wrap the shaft. There's an example in this photo.)

I looked pretty heavily at that tent, but decided the Firstlight was a better option. The OneShot is too short to sit up in, can't accomodate a 2nd person, and has no vestibule option. You can remedy all of those problems with the Firstlight, for another half-pound. I bought a HiLight thinking it would be worth the ounces saved, but decided it was too short (ceiling height) and hard to setup, compared to the Firstlight. Here's some reviews and other information: BackPackGearTest Alaska Mountaineering. Really a page on the Firstlight, but note their opinion on water-resistance of EPIC fabric. Climber's review. Note that I don't agree with the fabric being no good in the rain. But it had better be seam-sealed properly before using it in rain. For ultralight 1-man/2-man tents these three standout, IMO: Hilleberg Akto This one is the strongest, easiest to pitch with gloves on, fail-safe (can't really puncture tent with a ruptured pole), has a built-in vestibule, never needs seam-sealing, and is the driest for setting up (and using) in heavy rain. No windows or direct vents, end-vents can easily get buried in snow (although you would still have a working roof vent), not freestanding (not a big deal in most cases), no entrances on the ends (not good for knife-edge ridges), much shorter inside height (can't really sit up all the way), expensive for a one-man tent. 3 lbs 5 oz, 36" height, $385 Moontrail page for the Akto Black Diamond Firstlight, detail page. Simple, light, breathable, freestanding, end entrance (for knife-edge ridges), high ceiling (like the MK1 Lite), room for two. Vestibule is more cost and weight (but not needed unless bringing a partner), poor UV-durability (must limit use at high altitudes and take down during sunny days), not waterproof for more than a couple days, most fragile (main fabric, and floor), easiest to damage (spearing a pole through the fabric), and least warm. 3 lbs 5 oz, 42" height, $299 (vestibule adds $129) Moontrail page for the Firstlight. Integral Designs MK1 Lite Simple to setup, freestanding, end entrance (for knife-edge ridges), vendor will custom-build, strong fabric. Compared to the Bibler tents - a lot less seam-sealing is required, has a sleeve vent on the side (better venting in cross-winds, also gives some side view, but lacks an eyebrow peak over the door), no snaps in the bottom corners to seal or leak, easier and safer to setup (rubber pole-ends with tougher fabric), uses double-velcro to hold poles which is more secure (but also requires that you take off your gloves), floor is 2" narrower than the Firstlight. Heaviest of these three tents, expensive, no vestibule option (only a problem for two people). 3 lbs 12 oz, 42" height, $500

Not my write-ups, just putting in a few links to read. BackPackGearTest review NWHikers BackPackingNet

One last comment. It won't matter which breathable fabric you choose, if it saturates on the outer surface with water (flat wet look, instead of water beading up). That's "wetting out", and once it happens no more breathing, no matter what the fancy material is underneath. Rainy Pass recommends Grangers, but they are also OK with Nikwax.

I bought an ID Cruiser jacket (half price) to test the eVent breathability. I normally use a MH Backcountry Recon jacket, which I've been really happy with, but haven't climbed in it. I think it would work with a helmet, and the lower pockets clear a pack belt. Love this jacket, and since it's been discontinued, it's on clearance at a number of places. Standard 3-layer PTFE laminate like Gore-Tex. I tested both on a trip up Mailbox Peak with a pack on. Steady wind and rain all day. The ID jacket sucked for one simple reason. No underzips (pit zips). The Recon let me easily "vest" the jacket without taking anything off, and being able to put my arms outside the jacket was far more "breathable" than any material could ever be. Haven't worn out either one yet, but the Recon is pretty light (1 lb), and seems much more durable to me. I also tested the Recon in measured winds of 50-60 mph (higher gusts) with a steady rain. Not a drop of water made it through. All the zippers are better protected on the Recon for conditions like this. For "usability", I like things like hood cords that are always easy to find, usable with gloves, and don't whip in the face in high winds. Other things like a hood that closes high on the face if necessary, with a brim, allow for a full closure with just the eyes exposed, and that makes a big difference in severe conditions. Just another opinion.

I freely admit that I can be way too much of a gear geek. But what if the question was only asked to help zero in on giving better advice? I was very clear that it was not criticism or arguing. But thanks for the advice.

Can't argue with your assessment. Looks like I've hit the point of diminishing returns on benefit vs time spent in gear anxiety... Looks like I have to use the Sabretooth Clip-On and not the Sabretooth Pro, because those boots don't have the proper front welt. Crampon guidance for Trango S EVO Crampon guidance for Scarpa Charmoz Just to show I can't say quit til I've obsessively stressed over each detail, here's a couple write-ups I found and was wondering if anyone agreed/disagreed with the comments on these two pons: Sabretooth at AlaskaMountaineering.com G12 at AlaskaMountaineering.com Found some other reviews here: Sabretooth at REI G12 at REI Sabretooth at Backcountry.com G12 at Backcountry.com Sabretooth at Trailspace.com Sabretooth at OutdoorReview.com G12 at OutdoorReview.com Vendor page for the Black Diamond Vendor page for the G12 An oddball here, a review of the Stubai Light

Sounds like so far nobody really advocates the Contact pons, and instead would recommend aluminum unless you're exposed to a lot of rocks. Several prefer the G-12 to the Sabretooth, but I was wondering if there was anything more specific about the difference, like weight, grip, ease-of-attachment, durability, balance, fit, bots, versatility, etc. Thanks for the feedback so far, and interested in anything else on these two pons.

I'm looking for suggestions on which crampons might fit needs ranging from use on snowshoeing trips that turn out to need pons for parts of the trip, up to lightweight mountaineering on Baker, Ingraham, Emmons, etc. It would be great if it could span to higher difficulty terrain later, but that's not a requirement at this point. For some of the higher glacier trips (summer only), I'm considering a boot like the Trango EVO Glacier, also, if that's the recommendation. I assume a new-matic is preferred to the hassle and compression of a strap-on, but open to advice. Also open to suggestions on models, but it seems these 3 get high ratings: - Black Diamond Contact - Grivel G12 - Black Diamond Sabretooth Not sure how much the anti-bott devices are needed, so interested in opinions on that also. Last, is how people like to carry their pons; dedicated carry case, tied on somewhere, protective guards, etc. Thanks for any advice.

Did one more search and turned up these final options. REI Polar Pod, 4 lbs. REI Zenith, just under 4 lbs. Mountain Hardwear Lamina, 4 lbs. Big Agnes Farwell, 3.5 lbs, but like all Big Agnes bags, there is no insulation underneath, just a sleeve for an insulated pad. Link to Big Agnes page for the Farwell. Last is that Big Agnes sells a Primaloft overbag that weighs just over 1 lb and adds 15 degrees of warmth. The Lost Dog.

Not at all trying to be argumentative, but I'm confused. I don't understand what it means to say that the half bag is "figured out", but need something for "cold and wet". Are you saying that a synthetic half bag & jacket is *not* good for wet nights, but a synthetic full bag is good? Why is the temp 32 degrees *below* freezing, but wet is going to be the big issue? Is it because the weather may change from night to night? I'm assuming the bag would be in a dry sack during the day. Also assuming if it's wet at night the tent is waterproof, properly vented, and the wet clothes are not on top of the bag. There's no free lunch here. Primaloft Sport is your best bet. The oz/yard is basically the only issue, with the shell & lining fabric having little affect on the temp ratings. I noticed that Sierra Designs and The North Face both leave out the oz spec for the Primaloft, making me suspicious (TNF even calls theirs Primaloft, when it really must be Primaloft Sport). That plus those two companies have nowhere near the reputation for quality and severe condition gear as Integral and Wild Things. These are the only bags that meet your required specs, but again, I'm suspicious they are being optimistic about their temp ratings. Primaloft: TNF Pyxis Polarguard Delta: TNF Snowshoe I would note again that the Volt with the Primaliner meets your specs, and is a much more versatile solution, and much more likely to be a true zero degree setup. Finally, Sierra Designs has a Polarguard Delta Nahche rated to zero, but it's almost 4 pounds. Again, not trying to criticize, just trying to be cautious and help pick the best solution for an important need.

Forgot another option, the Sierra Designs Volt. It's 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lbs depending which length you buy. You could probably slide that Integral Designs Primaliner inside of it for a 3.5 lb zero degree setup also, but you'd want to check the girth numbers. I would also guess that Sierra Designs is being more optimistic in their temp ratings, and they don't give the thickness (oz/yard) of the Primaloft inside, like Integral and Wild Things. But it may still be close enough to meet your specs. Note that the Wild Things Half Bag, Belay Jacket, and Belay Bibs all use 6 oz Primaloft, which is heavier than the zero degree Integral (uses 5 oz Primaloft). Other than your arms being split away from your body making you colder than a bag, I think it's very credible to approach zero with the Half Bag & Belay Jacket, and to go well below zero when adding the Belay Bibs. But the same would be true by sliding another 3 oz of Primaloft into any of these bags with the Integral Primaliner. One nice thing about Primaloft is it doesn't need nearly the amount of loft that goose down needs, so using it in a tight space or a bivy, or when laying on it, etc, doesn't impair it's warmth as much as down. It is not nearly as durable as down for compressing it into a sack or sleeping on it, so keep that in mind too.

Primaloft would definitely be the insulation that is the lightest for warmth in a synthetic (Primaloft Sport is a less expensive version than the Primaloft One used in garments, because so much is needed in a sleeping bag). Integral Designs has a 3.5 lb 10 degree bag , but the 0 degree bag is 5 lbs. Their ratings are pretty conservative, so you may be fine with the 10 degree bag, especially if you wear something moderately warm inside it. You could also use their 10 degree bag, and use their Primaliner bag when you think you'll need some extra warmth. It adds a pound, but a lot of warmth, and you can also use it standalone if you only need a 50 degree bag on an outing. Other good option would be a Wild Things Half Bag , combined with a Belay Jacket , which they say is good to somewhere around 10-15 degrees, and weighs under 2 lbs (assuming you are taking a warm jacket like the Belay Jacket). They say that if you also wear the Belay Bibs with the Half Bag & Belay Jacket it is good to below zero conditions. The Half Bag and the Belay Bibs weigh 3.5 lbs together, so if you have a Belay Jacket anyway, you are now good to below zero with 3.5 lbs of synthetic. One big advantage of the Wild Things items mentioned here is they use EPIC fabric, which is much stronger and has a better feel. It is much more water resistant than the Pertex Microlight on the Integrals, while still being more breathable than Gore-Tex. Hope that helps, and others may have ideas also.

Feathered Friends has some bags that may be something like your old one. http://www.featheredfriends.com/productlist.aspx?SubCatId=3&CatId=1&selection=3

Cool tip on the Oware tarps. For the super-ultra-light, there is the adventure racer aproach of no shelter at all. Use a waterproof sleeping bag with a tarp and/or bugnet. For combined bag/shelter, nothing will beat these in weight. MacPac Adventure Sport sleeping bags. Mountain Hardwear Spectre SL (they sell other waterproof bags, this is one example).

Here are some suggested choices for tarps/pyramids. - Integral Designs SilTarp 1 or 2, with a BugaBivy - Integral Designs SilShelter w/ Bug Liner - Six Moon Designs - Tarptent - GoLite - Hilleberg Rajd - Black Diamond Beta Light w/Beta Bug More suggestions at Pro Mountain Sports: Tarps. Tents. Take a look at Moontrail Tarptents and 'Mids too. Note the following problems with tarptents: - poles in the way (with some designs like the Beta Light) - wind resistance - non-breathable fabrics - no top vents - no mesh views - not freestanding (pitching on platforms or rocky shores) - snow loading Personally, I'd rather carry another pound or two and have a higher-strength, higher-luxury shelter.

The Hubba tents are not intended for severe winds, or really cold conditions (wind blows under the fly and through the mesh). I think all the Hubba tents are too narrow in terms of shoulder width. The nwhikers board talks about tents a lot. Go here and type hubba into the little search box near the top left and hit enter. You'll see lots of threads about tents like the Hubba. If you want to see other reviews or info, here's a few suggestions: http://www.trailspace.com/gear/msr/hubba-hubba http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Shelters/Tents http://www.backcountry.com/store/CAS0356/MSR-Hubba-Hubba-2-Person-3-Season.html http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442592853 A Seattle climbing retailer with a variety of suggestions. http://promountainsports.com/tents.shtml Lots more to check out at Moontrail, many with good photos. 3-season. 4-season. I would look at the following tents as options: - Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 (lightest, small, and the mesh is somewhat fragile) - Black Diamond Skylight (3-man, lightweight, but expensive) - Black Diamond Mesa (nice, has vents in rain fly, unlike the Hubba's) - Black Diamond Vista (3-man version of the Mesa) - REI Quarter Dome UL (low-cost, decent quality/weight) There's a number of other tents to consider, but I only suggested tents with mesh views, since the Hubba Hubba is like that. All of them are also freestanding designs.

Just wanted to be clear because the wording may be confusing. I'm not a doctor, but spoke to one and was posting the information he gave me. So how do you keep from burning the roof of your mouth? Did you cover your face with something lightweight or just force yourself to breathe mostly through your nose?

I know this is just one doctor's opinion, and it will change as new information and products come out, but I talked with a dermatologist last month who said he currently recommends one sunscreen as the best choice. It's Neutrogena UltraSheer, SPF 55 or 70, with Helioplex. He used to be head of Dermatology at Virginia Mason for over 10 years, got tired of working 7 days a week forever, and moved to the Polyclinic. He also was a teaching dermatologist at the UW and Harborview for many years. Good guy, very sincere, very hardworking. One thing to note about sunscreen is that the UV A light is the one that does the most serious damage, but it's effects are not visible because it destroys cells in the lower layers of the skin. UV B light is what causes the skin to tan. SPF ratings only apply to the less dangerous UV B light, and mean nothing in regard to UV A. Also, those SPF ratings are done under unrealistic conditions, in that they apply a far heavier coat than anybody would in the real world. They also assume it hasn't worn off, which it does every few hours in real world usage. Nothing is better than clothing and hats, and doctors are trying to get people to understand that most exposure happens in everyday life, driving, walking, and during outdoor activities. They would like people to start using sunscreen the same as people do things like shave or apply makeup every morning. Anyway, just one perspective.

I don't know if this is way off, and I have never owned one, but I'm considering a Harrier as my next dog, and it seems to fit at least some of your critera. Harrier info here General dog breed info here It's not definitive, but a good place to start if you're interested in comparing dog breeds.

A serious question about the dog. I started taking my dog with me on hikes (not glaciers or up high), but I was wondering if I needed to worry about her eyes on something like Granite Mtn on a bright summer day. It's in the open sun from about 5,000 to 6,000 feet and I was concerned about it. Is this something to worry about, and where can I get goggles for her?