Trying to lighten the Load...

[Terminal_Gravity]

Yes Yes...all of the above.

And then there is the food question, My answer is cream cheese, GU, cytomax, Ramen, beef sticks, olive oil and warm runny gelitin. Never ever bring Mountain House. Concentrate on usable calories / ounce (packaged). Ramen is my exception to this rule but with the olive oil poured on it is still a good weight saver.

The money saved on ramen instead of Mtn. House allows you to by GU which is so hard to choke down that you eat less and bring even less weight.

Also, get rid of all those extra zippers and zipper handles. When does some one really need to be able to open their pack from two directions weather they are outside or inside of it. I acctually removed more weight from extra zippers than my head light (tikka) and my stove (giga-power) weighs - combined.

[willstrickland]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman:

When caching gear "Danimal" discovered that bug juice is a good lubricator for cams that have been sitting in the wilderness

---

Just remember this...DEET, the active ingredient in most repellants, will slowly degrade synthetic fabrics like the slings on those cams...think twice before using this strategy. I'm not saying not to do it, just know all the issues beforehand.

For me the best way to lighten up is to just go continuous push. Aside from that particularly in the winter, use snow shelters, and climb with a female...one bag, spoon-up. For alot of the mellow alpine climbs where it's just easy ice and steep snow with not much rock a 30m piece of 8.8 in place of a regular rope can cut a good 5 lbs off the weight...but again know that they are not designed for use as a single rope.

 

[Cpt.Caveman]

Ok getting into good food.

Sausage and cheese.

Pakets of tuna (they dont have the water) Yummy!!!!!!!!!

Candy Bars and other bars

 

I know will, I dont spray the slings.

[This message has been edited by Cpt.Caveman (edited 10-09-2001).]

[Terminal_Gravity]

Will,

It is my understanding that in unpublished tests even an 8.1mm rope will hold exactly one UIAA single rope leader fall, but you MUST retire it afterwards. That is an expensive weight savings, but only if you fall.

[Matt_Anderson]

Knew a guy who climbed on a 9 mil (or smaller) rope he found left on the descent off liberty bell. Looked like it got cought when someone rapped. This was definitely not a single rope (i.e. the knew 9.4s), just an ordinary double rope produced at least seven or so years ago. He used it as his main rope for a year or two, until I talked him out of it. Took many, many falls on it. Course, he was pretty damn light - 135-140 lbs. Not suggesting it, just putting the info out there . . . .

[Cpt.Caveman]

I think Beckey used to climb on hemp. I guess when they went out of style he smoked it?

[genepires]

Hey D,

Get the grivel air tech racing and it won't let ya down. Really light and I've known 4 people use it on n ridge of baker with no failure. Relatively cheap too. I've seen a lightweight kong axe break while self arresting. What good is that?

I will fight the trend and say that one can go too light. Don't be one of those stories ("unprepared victims") we hear about. Instead climb with me and I will carry the rope/rack.

[Alex]

Gene, you're older than dirt, no one would want to climb with you even if you offer to be a Sherpa!

I have Mon/Tues off...?

[Bronco]

Take "lite" beer, heh heh, get it, "LITE"

Seriously, cut your hair and shave. especially if you are sporting a big ass ponytail or rasterferian beard. This stuff can be free to. $0.00/oz. Same with droppin' a couple pounds of love handles. If you are really concerned about your knees, try some Physical Therapy. No - not your weinee.

[Backcountry]

*****************PRESS RELEASE************

The Team Gander Mountain R&D department is pleased to announce the Home Hydrogen Kit. The HHK is a cylinder filled with Hydrogen, an array of adapters to fit just about any need today's expedition climber can throw at it.

The HHK can be supplemented with the trail version, which comes complete with battery pack and leads, and a smaller vessell to capture the hydrogen. The travel kit works by energizing plain water, breaking the atomic bonds of the water molecule, creating not only hydrogen, but OXYGEN. So the THK not only provides for hydrogen to make your gear lighter it can provide you with much needed oxygen at higher elevations.

The HHK and THK are utilized by filling any enclosed cavity with hydrogen. Hydrogen being lighter than air helps make your gear lighter. Some example that we have found to work exceptionally well are food bags and ice axe handles. The wieght savings is proportional to the amount of hydrogen that can be inflated into the cavities.

But yet there is more!!! The THK can be adapted using the HSK or the Hydrogen Stove Kit as well, to provide for fuel for your stove. Again lightening the load that you have to carry.

WARNING: Team Gander Mountain will not be responsible for any "accidental" or any other misuse of this product such as filling of human orfices...

******************************************

The things that I found the cheapest and easiest to dump wgt on were: stove, pump, headlamp. I have the BD LED type lite, it was much brighter than I had anticipated. I havent tried it on the snow yet, but it MAY perhaps be bright enough for moderate glacier travel. Especially in the boot track like on Rainier...

[Terminal_Gravity]

Beck, you are right about the spike, it blows on ice or even really firm neve. But I have to disagree with the your caution on a boot/axe belay. IMO

[freak]

Um, I use a compresion stuff sack for my down jacket, small pad and fleece pants, bivy sac, and lite rain gear, no sleeping bag, This allowed me to take a much lighter super basic day pack, and still have room for gear, It can be a bit cold at night to augment this I have used a onetime use space blanket inside my bivy, This has proven to be a good strategy when I have to pack up and over a peak, preferably not bivying on the route but somewhere in the lowlands on approach or decent..nic

[wotan_of_ballard]

I'm not trying to sell going heavy, but I've had more turnbacks and scary events from going too light than going a bit too heavy. Alex did a good job in his article "Going Light in the Alpine" the right gear will vary from trip to trip, last weeks "right stuff" may have you cussing or worse the next.

Too heavy -came out up to a couple hours or so later than expected, or threw food away, dumped water, hauled a pack a few times, took more vitamin I, got more conditioning than planned.

Too light-1. bailed because too small rack, another time scary run outs.

2. cold all night and didn't sleep, wanted out at dawn, not summit - and almost died driving and dozing off. 8 to 12 oz of down would have prevented this repeating problem.

3.ski poles are great until the snow is firm and over 30 degrees. seen the guy going "light and fast" with ski poles fall way behind the other 2 with light axes (at much more risk of long scraping fall and maybe over a cliff) despite being experienced and in same condition as axe carrying guys kicking steps.

 

[Dru]

quote:

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Originally posted by wotan of ballard:

I'm not trying to sell going heavy, but I've had more turnbacks and scary events from going too light than going a bit too heavy. Alex did a good job in his article "Going Light in the Alpine" the right gear will vary from trip to trip, last weeks "right stuff" may have you cussing or worse the next.

Too heavy -came out up to a couple hours or so later than expected, or threw food away, dumped water, hauled a pack a few times, took more vitamin I, got more conditioning than planned.

Too light-1. bailed because too small rack, another time scary run outs.

2. cold all night and didn't sleep, wanted out at dawn, not summit - and almost died driving and dozing off. 8 to 12 oz of down would have prevented this repeating problem.

3.ski poles are great until the snow is firm and over 30 degrees. seen the guy going "light and fast" with ski poles fall way behind the other 2 with light axes (at much more risk of long scraping fall and maybe over a cliff) despite being experienced and in same condition as axe carrying guys kicking steps.

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This coming from a guy who carried a huge cross and a viking helmet up a mountain?!

 

[freeclimb9]

As you noted, gear is your heaviest set of items. Shorten your rope, or eliminate it, if the targeted route allows it. Whittle down the rack.

You might also try a strategy where you set up a base-camp of sorts and go much lighter from there.

 

[Beck]

Ya Ya I'm sure it's UIAA spec so strength isn't the issue, I thought the tooth pattern extends way too close to the shaft on the Grivel Air Techs, maybe a real rope chewer...IMO.

I've got a Grivel Pamir I use sometimes, seems plenty light, I don't own the Ushbai but picked one up at Nelson's shop and thought, DAMN this is lite!