sobo Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 Isn't cold springs over 6k? Might be good to just camp up there for a night. then head up to the lunch counter (9100). That's where you park anyway for heading up Adams' S Side... Not the prettiest spot but good to begin the acclimatization process... Close, Doug. Cold Springs is under 6k by a few hundred feet, at 5,600 AMSL. And he should be able to get in there pretty easily in July, as long as he avoids the weekend... But why go to all that trouble driving miles of dusty dirt roads when you could drive up to ~6k at Timberline Lodge on paved roads the whole way? Just drive up and "sleep" in the lot and you've done the same thing that you'd fight tooth'n'nail for at Cold Springs. Plus, the drive from Hood to Rainier will be way easier than from Adams, IMHO. That's my $0.02 and the Quote
obwan Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 Good idea to Timberline - sobo! Slate Peak/Lookout in the North Cascades on the PCT above Mazama is deemed the highest one can drive a car in WA - about 7400ft. But not worth the effort as it is about 5-6 hours drive. The recon trip mentioned by Water is worthwhile from the experience and exposure to The Mountain, and a chance to see the coming and goings of summit teams. The idea of packing water up the hill is a great idea in training, to save those knees for the real thing. Good Luck! Quote
sobo Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 The idea of packing water up the hill is a great idea in training, to save those knees for the real thing.And I'm reasonably sure there might be more than a few folks encamped at Muir for the evening that would love not to have to melt snow for dinner... Quote
dougd Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 Isn't cold springs over 6k? Might be good to just camp up there for a night. then head up to the lunch counter (9100). That's where you park anyway for heading up Adams' S Side... Not the prettiest spot but good to begin the acclimatization process... Close, Doug. Cold Springs is under 6k by a few hundred feet, at 5,600 AMSL. And he should be able to get in there pretty easily in July, as long as he avoids the weekend... But why go to all that trouble driving miles of dusty dirt roads when you could drive up to ~6k at Timberline Lodge on paved roads the whole way? Just drive up and "sleep" in the lot and you've done the same thing that you'd fight tooth'n'nail for at Cold Springs. Plus, the drive from Hood to Rainier will be way easier than from Adams, IMHO. That's my $0.02 and the What's 400' between friends? Seriously thanks for the correction. Excellent suggestion on the Hood - Rainier itinerary Sobo, probably best for the time they have to spend on their trip to our area. That drive up to Cold Springs is a bit of a bitch. d Quote
sobo Posted January 15, 2012 Posted January 15, 2012 What's 400' between friends?In my current state, it could mean the difference between summitting and surfing the couch... Quote
ADKMan Posted January 16, 2012 Author Posted January 16, 2012 Thanks again guys... All excellent information. I now have WAY too much to think about. Fortunately I have six months to digest and plan. Quote
selkirk Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Not to call out some that recommend a heavy backpack to Muir, IMO it can train you to go slow, if you take a heavy bp to Muir for training take a bunch of water and give it away up ther and save your knees going down. I have a pack with rope dialed down to around 30 lbs that time of year and wonder why some pack 45-50 to climb the big R. Not recommending this but letting you know ther are other options. I'd love to know your'e gear / pack breakdown for how you manage a ~30lb pack. I'm by no means an ultralight expert, but I think I do OK, and still came it at around 40+ lbs. Could probably have trimmed a few pounds but 10+ would be a stretch. Quote
Marmot Prince Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) Not to call out some that recommend a heavy backpack to Muir, IMO it can train you to go slow, if you take a heavy bp to Muir for training take a bunch of water and give it away up ther and save your knees going down. I have a pack with rope dialed down to around 30 lbs that time of year and wonder why some pack 45-50 to climb the big R. Not recommending this but letting you know ther are other options. I'd love to know your'e gear / pack breakdown for how you manage a ~30lb pack. I'm by no means an ultralight expert, but I think I do OK, and still came it at around 40+ lbs. Could probably have trimmed a few pounds but 10+ would be a stretch. Very impressive. I have a UL setup and without rope it weighs 25 pounds with 5 days food and 2.3 litres, but my gear is definitely not mountaineering grade. Edited January 16, 2012 by Marmot Prince Quote
Phil K Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 "Very impressive. I have a UL setup and without rope it weighs 25 pounds with 5 days food and 2.3 litres, but my gear is definitely not mountaineering grade." Judging by your rappel setup, I'd say that's a given. : ) Quote
Alpinisto Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 I'd love to know your'e gear / pack breakdown for how you manage a ~30lb pack. I'm by no means an ultralight expert, but I think I do OK, and still came it at around 40+ lbs. Could probably have trimmed a few pounds but 10+ would be a stretch. Seconded... Quote
DPS Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) I'd love to know your'e gear / pack breakdown for how you manage a ~30lb pack. I'm by no means an ultralight expert, but I think I do OK, and still came it at around 40+ lbs. Could probably have trimmed a few pounds but 10+ would be a stretch. Seconded... white mesh ballcap fleece hat glacier glasses three LED headlamp with 2 AAA lithium batteries Petzl Elios helmet boots Scarpa Summit GTX liner socks - (2 pair) heavy socks- (2 pair) light weight nylon gaitors cheap poly pro liner gloves Primaloft insulated gloves Soft shell pants mid weight long underwear short sleeve poly tee shirt- light colored Marmot Driclime windshirt Montbel Versalite shell hooded Patagonia Micropuff Primaloft belay jacket Petzl Vasak crampons old Grivel Air Tech Racing ice axe simple, unpadded, webbing harness locking carabiner picket pulley prusiks - 5-6mm perlon slings - 2 single, 2 double spectra carabiners - 6 wire gate, 3 light lockers Rando rope - 30 meters, 8 mm high quality down sleeping bag - 20 degrees (Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering both make bags weighing little more than 1 lb Black Diamond Betamid tarp thin Evazotte pad Montbel Blanace Light 40 pack trekking poles pocket rocket stove fuel 1 liter pot pot lifter knife 2", 1/2 serated blade tiny Bic lighter map compass 1 - 1 liter HDPE Nalgene water bottle, doubles as a mug 1 - 1 liter bladder with no hose Disposable plstic bowl - Ziplock plastic spoon food sunblock 2 oz lip balm toilet paper blue bags first aid kit - For blisters and small wounds Sharing the tarp, rope, stove kit with my partner brings my pack weight to 30 -35 lbs Edited January 17, 2012 by DPS Quote
spionin Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 maybe not entirely applicable, but here's my full gear list from july 2010 lib ridge climb: https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/bdv7A Quote
selkirk Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Big difference from my gear set are probably: Pack (CCW Chernobyl) +1 lb Sleeping bag (0 deg Go lite ~ 3 lb) +2 lb Fuel (+6oz) (I knew I had too much going in due to late breaking party changes) Stove (whisper lite) +4 oz ? Pad (1x foam, 1x air) + 1 lb Hardshell Pants +12 oz Tent/Tarp (ID MK1 Lite) +2 lbs As usual the big hitters are Pack, Tent, and Sleeping bag. On the up side I slept warm and woke reasonably rested for our summit bid, so I can't bitch too much. Quote
DPS Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 I should mention the Montbel Balance Light 40 (available at pro mountain sports) might be the best value in a Rainier sized pack. Its volume is more like 45 liters, it weighs 2lb 4 oz and has everything you need (almost) and nothing you don't. It would be nice if it had a crampon holder. Quote
sobo Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 I should mention the Montbel Balance Light 40 (available at pro mountain sports) might be the best value in a Rainier sized pack.Wow, that thing is really only $79??? I think I gotta upgrade my pack... Balance Light 40 Hey Dan, how do you think that pack would fit on a 5'-10" frame with only 32" inseams? Yeah, I know, I'm built wierd... It would be nice if it had a crampon holder.I think I could fix that with a couple Fastex patches, a speedy stitcher, and some GoreTape. Put it right on top of the little storage baggy thingy on top... Quote
DPS Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Hey Dan, how do you think that pack would fit on a 5'-10" frame with only 32" inseams? Yeah, I know, I'm built wierd... I'm 5' 9" with a 32" inseamm - I can't imagine in inch would make a big difference. Quote
sobo Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Hey Dan, how do you think that pack would fit on a 5'-10" frame with only 32" inseams? Yeah, I know, I'm built wierd...I'm 5' 9" with a 32" inseamm - I can't imagine in inch would make a big difference. Well, that's not what she said... But in all seriousness, thanks for the tip. I think I'm gonna go online right now and order me one'o'those. Quote
DPS Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Just beaware, the suspension is very simple (foam pad, unpadded hipbelt) and forces you to pack light. Quote
sobo Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Yeah, I noticed that there wasn't a lot of complicated thingamabobs regarding the suspension system in the pictures on PMS's website. I've been using an Osprey Finesse for the past 10 years or so, and find that I tend to pack too much shit in it cuz the suspension works so well I don't really notice the extra weight. The unpadded hipbelt on the Balance might be a real selling point for me, cuz the hipbelt on the Finesse is too bulky and makes the pack sit too high on my back in order to be able to access anything on my harness. I've never liked that about that pack... Quote
ADKMan Posted January 17, 2012 Author Posted January 17, 2012 All of this discussion about packs, pack weight and gear lists got me thinking, what do you bring to the summit? I realize that it will vary based on season, route and weather but in keeping with my original questions, what would your summit pack contain for a July trip? Quote
DPS Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 ... what do you bring to the summit? I realize that it will vary based on season, route and weather but in keeping with my original questions, what would your summit pack contain for a July trip? Assuming I'm not doing a carry-over, I bring everything minus: -Tarp/Tent -Sleeping pad -Sleeping bag -Stove kit Pretty much everything is worn (harness, crampons, rope, ice axe, helmet) so the summit pack weight is very light. A belay jacket, 2 liters of water, some food, and extra gloves/mittens, glacier glasses, and some odds and ends is pretty much it. Quote
sobo Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 ADKMan- Exactly what DPS said. Leave everything that you would use for an overnight at high camp at your high camp (shelter, sleeping shit, cooking shit, etc.). Unless it's a carry-over. Quote
DPS Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 An easy way to save 2.2 pounds is to drink a liter of water on the drive to the TR, drink another liter while you register, pack, and gear up, and carry only a liter of water for the approach, refilling from streams and adding chlorine dioxide disinfectent. You second liter container is an empty bladder which weighs about nil. Quote
Rainierwon Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 Agree with recent posts, sorry to start a mild commotion but in the summer pack weights are for a stellar forecast and wearing the climbing boots and some other stuff not measured, last time was 33lbs actual on a DC climb, not a more tech route and sharing stuff like tent poles and such. Marmot Eiger fully stuffed (not recommending this pack--sometimes take the Dana jet pack) my point was that I see tons of overfilled packs--note earlier it varys and training with heavy packs train you to go slow, take water and donate it at Muir to save knees on the way down when training. nice summary DPS. I usually take two bottles the second half full that gets stoked with snow on the way up on a climb, beware where you gather the snow. Quote
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