Tag: expeditions

512 Expedition Journal

512 Expedition Journal

| October 5, 2009 | 3 Comments

I tend to get excited about small things and in that regard, I’m downright giddy about the #512 Expedition Journal from  Rite in the Rain (RITR).  I’ve always been a list, sketchbook and notebook kind of guy and really came out of the closet when I saw that some of the best expedition leaders I’d […]

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Expeditions – Food Treats

Expeditions – Food Treats

| May 21, 2009 | 2 Comments

In the process of perusing Costco,  Emergency Essentials, WalMart and Southeast Supermarket, I came across a few little treat that I know Fred, Kip and Courtney will love… Tea specifically for that slack-tart Courtney, who needs all the male vitality he can get: And, for day three in the snow cave…   I have no […]

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Expeditions – Stove Set-Up

Expeditions – Stove Set-Up

| May 20, 2009 | 16 Comments

Stoves are the heart of any expedition, as without them, you are not going to be melting snow for drinking water or cooking food – at least not very fast.  No food & no water equals no movement. Within the grand stove category, there is really only one that matters, the Mountain Safety Research (MSR) […]

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Expeditions – Hanging Scale

Expeditions – Hanging Scale

| May 18, 2009 | 2 Comments

If I had to pick one of the most important pieces of pre-expedition equipment I’ve ever bought, without a doubt it would have to be a hanging scale.  I use this thing on an almost daily basis for weighing all sorts of items and it goes into overtime when prepping for a trip. For instant weighing, I’ve […]

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Expeditions – Wands

Expeditions – Wands

| May 15, 2009 | 12 Comments

Placing wands in the mountains is a bit of an art.  On one hand, you only have a limited number of them, so you don’t want to over-place them, and if it is clear and sunny, there is a temptation to skip placing them as the way up and back is obvious.  Because of this, I’ve […]

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Expeditions – Food Drier

Expeditions – Food Drier

| May 14, 2009 | 9 Comments

I’ve tried a variety of different foods for expeditions ranging from Himalayan style where you just hire a cook and they take care of it all to dumping hot water in a bag of freeze dried food.  My current, and favorite technique is to eat as much “normal” food as possible as I think it is […]

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Expeditions – The Proposal

Expeditions – The Proposal

| May 12, 2009 | 5 Comments

A written proposal acts as the statement-of-intent for an expedition and a formal starting point. I got into writing proposals after filling out a few grant applications, and whether I won the grant or not, I liked the way that it forced me to think way ahead of time in terms of trip logistics, dates, costs, partners […]

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Expeditions – The Beginning

Expeditions – The Beginning

| May 7, 2009 | 5 Comments

John Ryan from “The Lonely Planet” describes the travel cycle as “dream, plan, book, go, come back,”  This covers it, but it is easier said than done.  To me, the “plan” part is the most important, but before that, you have to have a dream of where you want to go skiing. I get my expedition […]

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Expedition Season

Expedition Season

| May 6, 2009 | 4 Comments

To me, expedition skiing is what it is all about.  I love the idea of using skis to explore remote areas, the sense of commitment, the fun of travel, the great partners, meeting new people along the way, hopefully ticking off some challenges and more than likely adding a few more to the To Do […]

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Death by 1,000 Ounces

Death by 1,000 Ounces

| June 19, 2008 | 0 Comments

It is easier to ruin a trip by having too much gear rather than too little.  The issue with too much gear is weight, and too much weight means reduced mobility.  As Ray Jardine, the master of ultralight backpacking says “If you need something and you don’t have it, then you don’t need it.”  This […]

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