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dbconlin

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Posts posted by dbconlin

  1. you've been hating on BD for years, they make a good product and grow larger every year for that exact reason.

     

    I don't think a comparison of MH to BD is a very good one. BD makes really good gear and most serious climbers own some BD gear.

     

    MH is becoming more comparable to TNF and Marmot. They are starting to cater to the more-casual outdoorsy folk who go day-hiking, backpacking, perhaps some cragging - not hard(wo)man climbing like all of us at cc.com! Nothing wrong with those activities/markets, but you just don't need to over-analyze and minimize and strip the weight to the bare essential for those types of activities.

  2. I've got a pair of BD contact crampons that are a few years old. On my last climb I realized i might want some plates for them, but I can't find any. Does anyone know where I could buy some, or how I could make some of my own?

     

    The BD ABS are $25 and are better and longer lasting than the plastic bottle pias

     

    Ditto...should be available direct from BD.

  3. I have the Patagonia DAS parka and am very happy with it. The DAS parka is cut large to fit over your other gear, including a climbing helmet. They are extremely light and come with a stuff sack that packs very small. I put it in my summit pack and it really takes up little room. The DAS stays warm when wet which is a key factor in the NW. It was worth every penny I paid for it.

     

    I too have/love the DAS - it is the premier synthetic overcoat for full conditions, but I have to take exception to the statements about light weight and small - there are lots of lighter/smaller jackets out there, especially once you start looking at down.

     

    As Dan Smith stated, synthetic is the way to go, though, if the conditions suck (i.e. winter in the Cascades).

  4. Has anyone gotten to South Colony Lakes basin without 4x4? Unless they have improved the road/trail since I lived there (in the basin for the whole summer of 1998), I doubt most 2wd vehicles can get there.

     

    While the easiest route up Crestone Needle is 3rd class, you really have to do the Ellingwood Arete - a lot of 4th class (about 2,000 feet) with great exposure and a few 5th class moves - highly recommended, but I've always had a rope and a partner.

     

    I would also highly recommend Longs Peak and/or other non-14er peaks in Rocky Mtn. NP.

  5. I personally have not towed with my Outback (4-cyl), but having towed with other vehicles with similar power/weight ratios, I would say it wouldn't be the fastest, but you would be fine, espescially with a manual tranny. I mean, how fast do you really need to fly up the mountain passes, which only last 20 miles at the most? A little underpower isn't necessarily the worst thing. Just stick it in third and drive 60...

  6. The Bridgestone Winter Dueller looks pretty good for a winter studless SUV tire, that you could probably run year round without too much problem. See tirerack.com for a review.

  7. I like to get army surplus pants with the rip-stop weave. Cargo pockets are great to stash a snack/hat/camera/headlamp, although sometimes the rack snags on the cover flap. Very durable and they fit me great. Relatively cheap.

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