Archive for the '02 Gear' Category

BeaconReviews.com

Published
by
Andrew
on November 20, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 0 Comments

I found out about BeaconReviews.com through an odd coincidence - the webmaster, Steve Achelis, is a mountain unicycle rider and was suppose to go out on a ride with us today, but couldn’t as he was reviewing beacons.  I’ve never met Steve, but the website is excellent.

I’ll probably get sued for saying this (like I almost did for my last beacon review…), but the top brands of modern beacons are all pretty good and as much as anything, it is a matter of personal preference.  In the right hands and with enough practice, people can get very speedy with any beacon in a search.  That said, I was psyched to see that Steve also thought my current beacon of choice was one of the top contenders.

A great thing about BeaconReviews.com is that as much as anything, it is a labor of love for Steve.  He is a software entrepreneur and presents everything you’d ever want to know about how beacons work, current reviews, known issues, history and tons of links.  It is like Consumer Reports for beacon buyers - straight up facts coupled with ratings which are unbiased by manufacturer’s advertising.

Hopefully I’ll get out MUni riding with Steve sometime soon (or better yet, skiing) as it would be fun to discuss this in person with him.  Until then, check it out.

http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/

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High Stakes Snow Anchors

Published
by
Andrew
on October 9, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 3 Comments

When it comes to dedicated snow anchors, nothing beats the simplicity, strength and versatility of the classic Snow Stake, also known as a Picket, Snow Fluke or Snow Pig.  They are the ultimate do-it-yourself piece of climbing equipment involving not much more than a length of angle aluminum, a drill, hacksaw and some beer. 

Placed correctly, pickets (as I call them) can be unbelievably strong and provide a secure anchor in the middle of a blank field of snow for belaying, hauling, rappelling or lowering.  The metal ones are usually retrieved, although skiers have been known to make bio-degradable versions out of stout wood if they anticipate leaving them for a rappel.

Broken pickets from Don Bogies excellent study.
Broken pickets from Don Bogie’s excellent study.

A few years ago I was attending an AMGA Ski Guides Course when the instructor made an off-hand comment about how his picket was so strong it could hold ten people.  We all immediately challenged the claim, and after whacking it in and clipping a rope on to it, we lined ten people up and pulled as hard as we could.  The rope almost broke, but the picket held strong.  Pickets can be so reliable that it is easy to take them for granted, which can lead to accidents.  In 2003, four climbers died on Mt. Tasman in New Zealand as a result of a failed picket, which lead Don Bogie to conduct an exhaustive study on how to build, place, clip and best use them in all sorts of snow.

Click here for the pdf link to Don Bogie’s paper on Snow Anchors.

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Ode to the Voile Strap

Published
by
Andrew
on September 29, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 6 Comments
Duct tape doesn’t work very well for the cold, wet environs of ski mountaineering, but it hardly matters as there is something way better - Voile straps.  In terms of classic designs, these are right up near the top and incredibly useful for almost anything, including holding your skis together.  I prefer the Old Skool versions with the metal buckles as they are lightweight, simple and never break. 
Voile Straps - the world would fall apart without them...
Voile straps - the world would fall apart without them.
I’m not sure where this design came from, but I first saw it used for skiing purposes by Mark W. at Voile, thus they are commonly called “Voile Straps.”  They can be used to clamp boots if a buckle breaks, hold a blown skin onto a ski, help split a broken leg, field-repair a binding, strap crap onto a pack, hold together a cook kit and just about anything else you can think of.
They work well by themselves, or you can chain them together for added reach.
Great on their own, or you can chain them together for added length.

The longer the better, although beggars can’t be choosers and any length will do.  I assume you can buy these things, but more often than not, they are handed out for free at skiing events where I always try to grab more than my fair share.

Strapping up in Iran - Greg VonDoersten photo.
Strapping up in Iran - Greg VonDoersten photo.

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Avalanche Beacons - My Personal Preference

Published
by
Andrew
on September 24, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 0 Comments
Picking the right avalanche beacon is trickier than it may seem.  I’ve used Pieps, Barryvox, Ortovox and BCA Trackers over the years and am not wedded to any particular brand, but instead look for the best beacon available at the time when I decide to upgrade.  I hold onto my beacons for 2-4 years because once I learn a beacon, I like to stick with it.  For me to upgrade, there needs to be some major advancement, like dual frequency (now a non-issue), advent of digital beacons (now the norm) or a major leap in technology, as happened in the last couple of years. In addition to that, all the top-tier beacon companies make good products and are constantly leap-frogging each other with features, distance or speed, so it really depends year-to-year which one is the best.

To confuse the issue, the “best” beacon will depend in part on your personality.  In the hands of a Luddite, the fanciest, feature-packed beacon will be overwhelming, but to a techo-geek, it may be a dream come true.  For me, a big consideration is durability, as I tend to be hard on my beacons.  If I’m looking at a new beacon and it doesn’t seem like it could withstand being dropped on the floor, I don’t care how many fancy features it has, I’m not going to buy it. I want a beacon which is fast, easy to use, durable and absolutely intuitive.  Complicated button sequences to change modes doesn’t cut if for me.

There are no bad beacons, only bad users.
There are no bad beacons, only bad users.

I had the good fortune of doing a beacon review for SKIING Magazine last year.  The premise was (this came from SKIING) that you open the box, turn the beacon on and use it without reading the instructions.  I liked this idea as it was so real-world, for better or worse.   In the hands of someone who practices often, any beacon will be fast, but in a panic situation, intuition counts for a lot.  My personal pick from the beacon litter of that era was the Pieps DSP, based in part on its tight feature set, but also because it looked like I could drop it a few times.  So far I’ve been very happy with it - your mileage may vary.

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The Classic Diaper-Seat Harness

Published
by
Andrew
on September 15, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 7 Comments

After years of looking, I still haven’t found a harness that works better for general ski mountaineering than the trusty “diaper-seat” design.  This design is at least 25 years-old and its most famous incarnation is the Black Diamond Bod Harness, (named after Rod “The Bod” Johnson who designed it) although many other companies make them as well.  The diaper-seat name comes from the idea that after the waist belt is put on, you then pull the leg-loops through like a diaper and clip them off.

Because you are usually wearing thick, warm clothes when ski mountaineering, padding is unnecessary and is even undesirable as it absorbs water.  A spare set of gloves can provided extra padding if you need it, like when pulling a heavy sled. This style of harness works well for glacier travel, alpine and/or technical rock climbing, kiting, rappelling or hauling sleds. 

The time tested diaper-seat harness.
The time tested “diaper-seat” harness design.

 Advantages:

- Can be put on/off while wearing skis
- The leg loops can be dropped to drop your pants while still remaining tied in
- Has no padding or lining to get wet.
- Is compact, lightweight and inexpensive
- Can haul sleds off of the gear loops
- Has a full-strength rear gear loop for belayed skiing and/or glacier travel (or sled hauling)

Disadvantages:

The two major disadvantages of the Diaper Seat design is that it is decidedly unsexy and very low tech in a high tech harness world, and there is a higher chance of ROTT (Risk Of Trapped Testicles) if you spend a lot of time hanging in it.

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Ditch the Plastic Shovel

Published
by
Andrew
on September 11, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 5 Comments

By the numbers, plastic shovels are supposedly as strong (or stronger) than steel and able to withstand incredibly low temperatures.  Their big selling points are that they are lighter and cheaper than metal.  The weight claims are a bit suspect as plastic shovels tend to be on the small side, which naturally makes them lighter, but also less functional.  When it comes to cost, there is no denying they are less expensive, but is $30 really worth it?

A plastic shovel which shattered catastrophically while digging a tent out. The tent survived, but a buried partner probably would not have.
A plastic shovel which shattered catastrophically while digging a tent out. The tent survived, but a buried partner may not have.

The biggest issue with plastic shovels is that they fail catastrophically without warning.  A metal blade on the other hand usually gives you some warning (if you are paying attention) in the form of bending or cracking, and can be nursed through an expedition and/or replaced before they have a chance to fail in the field.

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A Shovel Named Desire

Published
by
Andrew
on September 8, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 0 Comments
Avalanches shovels are a matter of personal choice and with so many out there, it is hard to go wrong.  The most important thing is to carry one - after that, if it works good, it is good.  I consider a well-made shovel to be a quality tool and am very particular about what I look for in them.  Probably the biggest mistake a skier can make with shovels to get a small, cheap one in order to save weight and cost.  Save weight in your ski/boot/binding set-up and think of a shovel’s price in terms of what your friend’s life is worth.  An extra $40 is well worth it and a good shovel will last a long time.

What I look for:

- A good sized METAL blade with high sides
- The joint between the blade and the handle should be precise - no wobbling
- I prefer a “D” handle as you can use it with mittens and clip it to your pack.

A shovel is only as good as its individual parts.
A shovel is only as good as its individual parts.
A flat back on the blade helps prevent scalloping when digging pit walls.
A squarish, flatter top edge to the blade gives a better boot contact surface. Rounded shapes are sexier, but your boot glaces off of them.

An extendable shaft is a back-saver for big excavating jobs. Being able to use it with or with out the extension is a nice feature.

 
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Love’m… and Leave’m Behind

Published
by
Andrew
on September 5, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 10 Comments
Thermos’, goggles, ski crampons and helmets - these are a few of my least favorite things, at least in terms of backcountry skiing day trips.  I’m a less-is-more kind of guy and if I’ve carried something in my daypack for more than a few trips without using it, it gets the chop.  If I find that I really need/miss some item, I’ll bring it back, but more often than not backpacks suffer from gear-creep, as witnessed by my wife’s pack.  Everytime I pick it up I ask her “What do you have in here..?!”

Goggles - I like them for resort skiing, but wish I could get back all hours in life I’ve spent waiting for people to clear their gogg’s, only to have them instantly fog up again.  I prefer well-vented sunglasses and case-hardened corneas.

Thermos’ - Great for saving fuel on expeditions, but pack-hogging dead-weight anchors for day trips. 

Ski Crampons - Backcountry crutches.  Learn to skin and you’ll be way better off in the long run.

Helmets - I like them for technical skiing, resorts, kiting or alpine climbing, but not general BC skiing.  If anything, I think they instill a false sense of confidence.

Skiing with elephants - Jordy Margid (the man behind plastic teleboots in the US) shows how NOT to do it.
Skiing with elephants - Jordy Margid (the man behind plastic teleboots in the U.S.) shows how NOT to do it.

Other items that must go:

  • - water purifiers
  • - ice axes, especially those with classic picks.
  • - big lunches.

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Probes - Leave Home Without Them?

Published
by
Andrew
on September 4, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 33 Comments

I hardly ever carry a probe for day backcountry ski trips. I know this makes me a bad person and I’ll burn in hell for it, but I have my reasons.

    1) Cheap lightweight probes are a disservice to humanity. They bend, break and don’t have the heft to punch through solid avalanche debris. If you are going to carry a probe, make it a good one (same thing with a shovel).
    2) A good sturdy probe is bulky and weighs too much.
    3) In the few avalanche burials I’ve been involved in, the victim was either partially exposed, or we were able to probe for him by turning a ski pole grip over and plunging it grip first, which worked.
    4) I like to ski with small groups (two is preferred, four is the max) and if there is a burial, I’d rather spend the precious few moments searching with a beacon and digging.
    5) If by chance I am part of a larger group, it’s a good bet that someone else has a probe.
An Italian Mountain Rescue team probing for bodies (none were found) with nice, big, beefy probes.
An Italian Mountain Rescue team probing for bodies (none were found) with nice, big, beefy probes.

This is an unpopular practice, but in my defense, I carried a probe for years before deciding to leave it out of my pack and still take one on all expeditions, or if I’m with a bigger group. For me, a probe is right on the cusp of “optional” equipment - somewhere between a shovel (required) and a helmet (personal choice). Your mileage may vary.

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Used Gear Selling Strategies

Published
by
Andrew
on August 21, 2008
in 02 Gear
. 0 Comments
Ski mountaineering gear loses a small amount of its value as soon as you peel off the packaging, quite a bit of its value once it has been used for a season or less, and almost all of its value after a few years of use, regardless of its condition.  At times, after 3-5 years, even if the equipment is still in its original packaging, it will be worth less than it costs to ship it as the market changes so fast.
So long and thanks for the memories. Even if it is still in good shape, old used gear has almost zero value to it.
So long and thanks for the memories. Even if it is still in good shape, old used gear has almost zero value to it.

My personal gear strategy is to make careful selections to begin with, then if for some reason I still don’t like it, I sell it right away to cut my loses.  With ski swaps coming up, Fall is a good time to start thinking about thinning out your quiver.  However, if you live in a ski town, the market for used ski mountaineering gear can be flooded to the point where you won’t get much for your used equipment and going through eBay might be a better choice.

Ski swaps are a buyer's market, but not always so great for selling.
Ski swaps are a buyer’s market, but not always so great for selling.

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