02 Gear
PackRafts – Small Miracles
I’d heard about PackRafts from a few adventurously inclined people, but didn’t really get the full picture until I was up in Alaska last spring and had a chance to see a real, live version at the AMH store. In short, PackRafts are very compact, high quality, lightweight personal rafts made out of durable raft […]
Updated Gear Links
Updated links? I know – pretty damn exciting. :) When I first started StraightChuter.com, I took my gear lists for day backcountry ski trips, ski expeditions and technical ski descents and put them on the Gear & Food tab (located about an inch directly above here). Over the last year, the links have all become […]
60 Second Bomber Tent Anchors in Snow
In general, tents are only as secure as their anchors. In the past, I’ve used all sorts of tent stakes including a crop of sawed off ski pole tips, ice axe shafts and sections of tomato stakes. While skis, poles and pickets make great anchors, when you pull them up to use them for the […]
First Go at a Real Helmet Cam
About a month ago, perhaps because I wrote an article on how to make your own $2.00 helmet cam, Chris Dickey from VIO helmet cams sent me a demo VIO 1.5 helmet cam to try out, which was most likely a ploy as he knew that I’m a techno geek and once I tried it, I would want to […]
Gear – A Question of Balance, Part II
In regards to balanced gear diets, here are my current favorites: Superlight (15% of the time) Skis – 160cm K2 Sahale (68mm waist) Bindings – Dynafit TLT’s without brakes Boots – Scarpa F1 Comments: In the right conditions, I love this set-up as it tours effortlessly. Because it is so light, you […]
Gear – A Question of Balance
Individually, skis, boots and bindings are important, but a far more significant concept is how they all work together. I was reminded of this the other day when a friend mentioned that he didn’t think his new boots were stiff enough, which may have been the case, but then again, the 125mm waisted skis he […]
BeaconReviews.com
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 […]
High Stakes Snow Anchors
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 […]
Ode to the Voile Strap
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 […]
Avalanche Beacons – My Personal Preference
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 […]
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