Whoo Hoo....new gear!

“�I got a new snowboard and I'm tellin' everyone on this backpacker message board haha you can't get me.�
rockymountaineer
1:50:50 PM
9/04/08

i'll race downhill on my new skis! :)

should get them back from the shop on Monday and I'll post up a pic.”

“zune 3.0 is up and running yaaay!!!!

...hey wait a minute this place doesn't look right hmm oopsies”

“I put a dent in my Gabel 3 piece poles ski-ing with my daughter last winter and they one doesn't completely contract (is that the word?). I took them to their Noprth American distibutor in Montreal and they told me Gabel no longer use them and have set up their own distribution centre in Toronto. The guy said he still has a few parts. Two minutes later he brought two shafts and, sure enough they fit. I took the old shafts back home (I fall more now at my age and you never know) with the nes ones. pretty much new poles and at no charge.”

“BD Camalot #4 (used my REI coupon). Total impulse buy. I had to borrow one of these the last time I was in the Gorge. I have a Metolius of the same size but it is very old (Metolius doesn't even make one this size anymore). I thought it would be cool to get the #5 but it was HUGE so I got the 4 instead.”

“Nice! i carry the #4 up every trip and almost always place it. The 5 is rarely needed here unless your on an offwidth, and i kinda hate offwidth climbing.

I like the BD cams over all others that i've used (Metolius and Wild Country)”

“take a look at the new metolius cams... really nice. they did what looks like (on the surface) a redesign... single stem rather than double. i have a ton of their cams... and like them a lot... esp the TCUs for thin cracks... but the bd cams have proven to have a very smooth action and seem to be aging better. i wouldn't sell out all my metolius cams to trade in for bd, but if i had to do it over again i might buy more bd. still, i got the gear "one piece at a time" and it's not like i made a concious decision to buy all one or another brand. i have op link cams and also a handful of wales cams and i think a single trango cam in addition to a host of metolius cams (tcus as well as 4-lobe cams).”

“the guy i first started climbing with has the TCU's for his small gear. When i was building my rack i looked at them and compared to the BD C3's and I liked the trigger action better on the C3's - i didn't care particularly for the U stem on the TCU. This was just before the Master Cams were released. Another buddy of mine has the master cams and i've used those a few times, really smooth action and they place easily. I might go that way when i start adding doubles to my rack.

I also have a few of the Trango flex cams and i've gotten to where i don't use them anymore - no faith in them. I've had them walk out of placements - even when extended on LONG runners and i've had them walk backwards and overcam themselves. I just don't trust them any more.”

“Total geeks! Yes Mike, I am flipping you off.”

“:)”

“Mmmmmm.....Italian footwear...

”

“Does it for me, Spindlette.”

“love the wall paper and the wooden floors!!!!!

class all the way!!

'32oz”

“Nice! What brand of boots? I can't read the label.”

“Thanks. They're hot, literally, to wear around the house. La Sportiva Glacier EVO's.

The wallpaper is my doing. The floors were contracted out and need a mopping. :)

I'd rather be taking the boots for a break-in. :(”

“I thought they were cold weather boots. I just wore my winter boots and got back from a hike on the local woodlands. There was a foot of snow up there and wind was gusting to 40 mph. :)”

“I'm jealous. That's where I should be today. :<

Yep, I'm preparing for some winter peakbagging.

So far I'm liking them very much. Heavy, but comfortable. I can even get en pointe in them for a few moments. Not that I'd recommend that normally. :)”

“At first it felt strange wearing heavier boots. The snow is only in the elevations. Down here two miles away there's nothing. From 1500 feet on up there's a good amount of snow.”

“No chance it'll still be there for the weekend huh?

We have nothing here but wet leaves.”

“You poor, cold nor'easterners...”

“Bear creek got 16 inches of snow and that's only a few miles from the Pinchot trail. I'm sure there will still be snow on ground over the weekend. It may get slushy though by the afternoon if it gets to about 50 degrees, which it what they are forecasting for the weekend.”

“Rosey, we like our cold!

Hmmm slush. Not so much fun. We'll see.”

“pretty boots but they are WAY too clean.”

“I'll remedy that soon.”

“Believe it or not I bought a piece of gear! First thing I've had to buy in years. I bought a 3 liter Platypus hoser. So my total gear costs for about the last 3 years is up to $20.”

“You got a good price on it too!”

“What a hoser!”

“Nigal always gets hosed.”

“Picked up some 6 mo clothes for Suzanne including a 200 wt. fleece bodysuit (I think called a bunting? what's up with that weird term?), a fleece lined nylon windbreaker and some fleece pants. Everything was $30 from Sierra Trading Post! She's getting just about old enough to hit the trail!”

“my new trail runners arrived yesterday from Steep and Cheap!”

“just got my new exped down mat 9.
its nice and light.
I like how small it packs”

“great piece of gear. the 9 full length is a tad heavy for me, but the 7 3/4 pad is probably one of the most versatile pieces of gear i have.

suggestion: it's full of feathers. just as you would not store your sleeping bag in it's stuff sack, don't store you downmat compressed. i store mine inflated in my closet. i imagine (don't know) that this helps maintain the loft of the feathers in the sleeping pad and will keep it at top performance with the longest lifetime. so far no complaints, but as i said... i only imagine this helps. i have only had one of these and no evidence that storing it compressed has any impact on it's effectiveness or lifetime.”

“Montbell Therma-Wrap Parka
O.R. Celestial pants
Nunatak Arc Alpinist
Nunatak Arc Specialist (wife)
BA SL1
Tarptent Double Rainbow
MSR Hubba


Wish list items remaining:

Nunatak Skaha Plus Parka or Vest?
Alpina 1560 BC Boots

The BA SL1 might have to go, along with a used pair of Alpina 1550 BC boots, size 44
last edited: 11/08/08 11:01:05 AM”

“the msr hubba is a good car camping tent. i use mine as a "first night" tent when a hike starts at a state forest campground or the like. it stays in the back of my subaru.”

“I almost forgot:

M.L.D Arc pack, with top lid pocket and (2) med. hipbelt pockets. (On order)”

“the msr hubba is a good car camping tent. i use mine as a "first night" tent when a hike starts at a state forest campground or the like. it stays in the back of my subaru.�
Yogisan
12:24:42 PM
11/08/08

Not a bad tent for doing short 2-3 day weekend trips either. I don't mind carrying slightly heavier gear, when my food weight is lower.”

“I used a Hubba for my A.T. thru-hike in 2006. I love it. There are a few other tents that are lighter, but I like free standing tents and it is quick and easy to set up.”

“well, at 3 lbs it's only 1/2 lb heavier than that double rainbow... and a heck of a lot more waterproof and durable. i know you will be pleased with the hubba. like i said, it's a staple piece of gear but it never sees my backpack. i use it scout camping and first-night camping near my car.


btw, it works very well with a small catalytic heater (which i also keep in my car). keep it outside the tent but under the rainfly. the rainfly does an outstanding job of snagging the heat and it gets really toasty inside. great for wet autumn or winter camping.”

“well, at 3 lbs it's only 1/2 lb heavier than that double rainbow... and a heck of a lot more waterproof and durable. i know you will be pleased with the hubba. like i said, it's a staple piece of gear but it never sees my backpack. i use it scout camping and first-night camping near my car.


btw, it works very well with a small catalytic heater (which i also keep in my car). keep it outside the tent but under the rainfly. the rainfly does an outstanding job of snagging the heat and it gets really toasty inside. great for wet autumn or winter camping.”
Yogisan
6:04:36 PM
11/08/08

The Double Rainbow will be used for 2 person's, the Hubba for 2-3 day weekend type trips, when I want more privacy, for hiking with larger groups or when I don't feel like sleeping under the tarp.
A lot of my purchases are impulse buys, being I like to tinker with gear and see what works for me and what doesn't.
Its expensive, but I turn a lot of gear over, reselling what I don't end up using or liking very much. I basically have fun with it all. What I need to do more of though, is make more big purchases at REI. I could have bought my BA SL1, from them, then returned it, even though, I had already used it.
Some online retailers will allow you to return used gear, and give you a full refund too, usually within a set time frame though. Backcountry.com let me return a pair of BC boots that I made the mistake of ordering too large. (Didn't realize this, until I had skied with them a few times)
As for staying dry in the Double Rainbow, I don't think it will be a problem? I haven't seen any bad reviews and know one person that uses one and loves it.
Any sil-nylon shelter, will mist-through after prolonged rains, especially hard or wind driven rains. I've had this happen under tarps and tarptents.
You never know with me, what I'll keep long term and what I won't? I've sold gear that I actually liked, in order to buy something new and different, then ended up wondering why I did it in the first place?
Although, I'll probably never part with my 2 Western Mountaineering bags or my Nunatak quilts, or my MLD Grace Solo spinntex tarp, or the ULA Circuit.
last edited: 11/08/08 6:22:05 PM”

“the best thing for me on the exped was it only cost me $45.00 .The guy at the shop needed a new satellite dish for his house so I gave him one for a even trade..”

“Wholly cat krap! That was a steal at 45 bucks. Congrats on this score. You will enjoy this deal every time you use the pad. Wow!”

“I can do back country on them..does that count.

Originally $600, payed $130... now to find bindings.

06/07 175 Armada ARV all mountain skis.
sidecut: 125-92-114

”

“wow! great find.”

“http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/outlet/BAG0157/large/Big-Agnes-Elkhorn-2-Person-Tent-w-Footprint.html?swatch=ONECOL
My new tent came today, got it off steepandcheap for $150 with shipping!!
I love this tent already, you can use just the footprint (that came with it) with the fly or you can just use the screen part or all of it together, and it is really easy to set up. I would however like to know what this is:

here are some more pics of my new baby
just the foot print and fly






this is my fancy little vent in the fly


just the meshy part (what is this called??)






the inlining photo generators wouldn't work so sorry all the pics are so small you can click on them and it will take you to the webshots album.
last edited: 1/15/09 2:51:16 PM”

“The first one looks like it might be the "loft". Is there a place to attach this on the ceiling of your tent?”

“CD thats what I'm thinking, but I have never seen a loft use that type of connecters..

Nice tent though RM..

'32oz”

“thanks CD I'll have to look into that, seems logical I don't remember seeing anything up there but I didn't really look either so I'll have to pull her out again.”

“I was thinkin' loft too.”

“Got a new XC ski package!

Salomon Elite Grip 9 skis 206cm
Salomon Equip Pilot bindings
Salomon Pro Combi Boot
Swix Comp CT-5 poles

What a difference compared to my older entry level XC ski set.”

“YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

Granite Gear Latitude Vapor arrived today...

Now to learn the most efficient way to load it...

'32oz”

“I hope you like it 32oz.

I am looking at a ULA Circuit myself, maybe for late this year. Merry Christmas to Mocs 2009.”