Tag Archive for 'gear'

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Love’m… and Leave’m Behind

Published on September 5, 2008 in 02 Gear. 10 Comments Tags: , .
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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Gear – Use it & Don’t Lose it.

Published on August 19, 2008 in 02 Gear. 2 Comments Tags: .
Whatever gear you decide to use, make sure to actually test it out before taking it on an extended trip. Little details, like boots not fitting in bindings or crampons being the wrong size can be show stoppers in remote locations. It sounds basic, but it is surprising how often this comes up and how much it can impact a trip! 
Two telemark skiers trying to decide which Alpine Touring boot will work best. This image of Armond (left) sitting on a one-gallon propane cylinder in front of a wood stove always brings a smile to my face.
Two expert tele skiers trying to decide which Alpine Touring boot will work best. This image of Armond (left) sitting on a one-gallon propane cylinder in front of a wood stove always brings a smile to my face.

Identifying your gear with self-adhesive return address labels which are then covered with clear tape is a good way of getting it back if it is lost. Skiers are an honest group and if a lost ski has a name on it, most people will try to get it back to you, if for no other reason than to hear how it was lost in the first place.

Return address labels attached to your gear and covered with clear tape.
Return address labels attached to your gear and covered with clear tape.

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Spare Gear

Published on June 28, 2008 in 02 Gear. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Skins and beacons are popular items to forget, which shuts down a tour before it even begins.  It’s almost a physical impossiblity for a person booting through deep snow to keep up with a group on skins, and forgetting a beacon not only means you won’t be able to find them, but they also won’t be able to find you!  Because of this, keeping a spare beacon and set of generic skins in your car can rescue many wayward days of skiing.  A bonus of retiring your old beacon to a dedicated car beacon is that you will already know its history and how to use it.

Forgetting gear is a lot like skiing naked...
Forgetting gear is a lot like skiing naked…

Shovels and water are also common show stoppers.  A spare shovel in the car is a good idea for digging the rig out of a snowbank and a liter of water has many uses as well… assuming it doesn’t freeze.

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Preventative Maintenance

Published on June 23, 2008 in 02 Gear. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Most backcountry ski equipment will live a long, happy life if treated with care.  When used as intended, it’s possible to get many seasons out of a pair of skis, boots or bindings.  When not used correctly, it can break on the first day, which explains why Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are well known at Warranty Centers.  A ski may look like a pry bar or have sharp edges like an axe, but should not be used to move boulders or split wood.


The life of a backcountry ski would make a World Cup ski tuner cry…

Preventative maintenance is an excellent way to extend your gear’s life.  A good habit to get into is to wipe your bases down and prop your skis upside down to drip-dry when you are done for the day.  This helps keep the edges from rusting and your bindings from getting gummed up with sludge.  Skins should be hung up to dry as well. Boot liners will dry much faster if pulled out of the shells. 

 

Another important part of preventative maintenance is having a good storage system.  Nothing kills off a fresh edge sharpening quite like having your skis slide off the wall, scissor the edges and land on some open paint cans.  Two dowels drilled through a ceiling joist make a quick, cheap and effective place to hang your loyal ski-steeds.

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One for the Road

Published on June 10, 2008 in 14 Travel. 3 Comments Tags: , , .

One of my favorite pieces of travel advice came from a hokey little magazine article about family road trips, but the advice is applicable to ski mountaineering trips or expeditions as well. The basic idea is to force yourself (and your partners) to spend one minute of contemplation before you take off going through a list of things you need to bring. Skisbootspoleshatglovesgogglesmoneydrugsfood?

Prepping for a trip always takes longer than expected and often ends with a last second dash for the car, squealing wheels and a mad rush out the door. It is only when you are twenty minutes down the road that you remember that your wallet/boots/jacket are right where you left them… safely back at the house.

Now you have to turn around, go all the way back, then back again, which makes you REALLY late.

The trick is to nip the panicked exit before it begins, which is right as the car key is heading for the ignition. Put the key down, look at the clock and force yourself to think for a full minute before you begin. The minute you spend could save you hours afterwards.

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