Gear Reviews
XGK Stove Tips & Tricks
I like MSR XGK EX Multi-Fuel stoves for the same reason military types prefer certain weapons over others – they can be dragged through the mud, stepped on, abused and still reliably fire. There are lighter, more fuel efficient stoves out there, but the XGK is a proven snow melting blowtorch, especially at higher altitudes. The […]
Super Stove Board Construction
It only takes getting three liters of boiling hot water spilled in your lap once to realize the importance of a good stove board for heavy winter camping. Boiling water and melting snow are major pastimes of winter camping and the hot little camp stoves need all the help they can get to keep from spilling […]
Winter Camping – 2016 Improvements
On my first winter camping trip we brought a gallon jug of water, which quickly froze and left us with no water and 9 pounds of dead weight. Things have improved slightly since then, but I’m still learning little tricks of the winter base-camping trade which make life warmer, drier and better fed. Here are a […]
Contour “Start Up” Kids Touring Adapters
After many hours of modifying adult touring gear to work for for my kids, I recently found a much better solution; the Contour “Start Up” Touring Adapter. The basic idea is the same as the old BCA “Alpine Trekker” which is a hinged plate that clamps onto your alpine boot and then fits into your […]
Skiing and Snow Anchors
I doubt that most visitors to Park City will ever need to rappel during a ski descent while on vacation here, but rope work and anchors can come in handy for ski mountaineering descents. At times it might be a full-on rope stretching affair like skiing the Grand Teton in low snow, and at other […]
Antarctica & General Ski Mountaineering Gear List
In conjunction with Ice Axe Expeditions, I’ve put together an annotated gear list for skiing in Antarctica,although most of the items listed here are what I use or recommend for general backcountry skiing as well. ANTARCTICA ADVENTURE & SKI CRUISE – 2016 Gear List This is an extensive list that will allow for a participant to […]
Petzl RAD System Review
The Petzl RAD System (Rescue and Descent) is designed for skiers to rapidly perform crevasse rescue, rappelling or roping up to travel in glaciated terrain. The system consists of three tried & true Petzl devices; a Micro Traxion Hauling Pulley, a Tibloc and screwgate carabiners, and also adds a 6mm x 30m RAD Line, which […]
Tiny Packs –
The Law of Luggage states: “The amount of stuff you carry will expand to fit whatever size backpack you have.” For this reason and a few others, I use a tiny little 15 liter pack for backcountry skiing in the Wasatch. Between racing packs and mechanized skiing packs, there are quite a few small packs […]
2015 Winter OR Show Review
While there was an overwhelming amount of new stuff in store for 2015/16 at the Outdoor Retailer Show, I have to admit to having a weakness for hard goods, especially those made out of exotic steels, sexy plastics and carbon fiber. I was not disappointed. Odds and Pointy Ends Black Diamond Snaggletooth Crampon Since most crampons are asymmetrical anyways, […]
2014-15 Ski Setup
There’s still no snow on the ground and the temps are downright balmy, but it is never too soon to assemble a ski set up for the upcoming season. The ski crampons are just for Antarctica, but the rest is my standard issue touring gear. Skis All around skis: Black Diamond Link 90’s in […]
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