Gear

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”  

― Mark Twain

SOME GOOD (BACKCOUNTRY) TRAVEL ADVICE:



Gear tip #1:  Wear a fucking helmet!

(self portrait, one day after an encounter with a large tree, helmet and goggles destroyed)

• Gear tip #2:  Carry a beacon, shovel, and probe when traveling in the backcountry! (and know how to use them!)
• Gear tip #3:  Wear some kind of avalanche protection device, whether it be an Avalung, like this one: http://www.rei.com/product/776564/black-diamond-outlaw-avalung-ski-pack
or an airbag, like this one: http://www.backcountryaccess.com/product/float-30/
or an avalanche ball, like this one: http://www.lawinenball.at/English/enter.htm
or all three.

• Gear tip #4:  Take a fucking class!  Don't pretend to know what you don't.  Start here: http://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/edu or here: http://avtraining.org/

• Gear tip #5:  Invest in a good pair of gloves; they could save your life.

• Gear tip #6:  Carry a first aid kit when traveling in the backcountry; it could save someone else's.

• Gear tip #7:  Avoid wearing cotton. Cotton kills! Moisture collects in cotton fibers and freezes against the skin, which can make you hypothermic. Synthetic fibers breathe better and allow you to perspire without making you cold. 

• Gear tip #8:  Carry a knife!  (if you are not convinced of this one, read "The Dangler").

• Gear tip #9:  Wear sunscreen, before your face looks old and wrinkly like mine.

• Gear tip #10:  Don't forget: water, hat, extra pair of goggles (or sunglasses), an extra layer, extra gloves, extra socks, compass, headlamp, batteries, energy bar. If you are planning an expedition anywhere beyond the sidecountry: mountaineering rope (lightweight, dynamic, 60m preferred), an ice axe (straight shaft, 60cm minimum), some webbing, a cordelette, a prusik cord (or two), a friction device (Petzl Reverso preferred), at least 4 carabiners (two locking, one pear-shaped), a bivy sack, whistle, cell phone and/or radio, and a map of the area. If your are moving through steep, exposed, or icy terrain: add a few pieces of rock protection (including a small rack of nuts, and at least two camming devices, 1/2" to 2", preferred), and two ice screws (16 and 22mm, preferrred). If you are traveling on glaciated terrain, don't, unless you are properly trained. Avoid traveling alone, unless your mission is so inherently dangerous and/or beyond the ability of your partner that having one substantially increases the risk of an accident, and you are willing to accept the potential and often irrevocable consequences of solo travel. Oh, and tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return, whether you are alone or not. The rest doesn't matter so much, as it's mostly about style and comfort.

SOLID COMPANIES THAT MAKE SOLID PRODUCTS:
(most, but not all, either make environmentally sensitive products with fair labor practices, or they contribute to environmental initiatives; of course all products are high quality and performance driven)




K2


BCS


PETZL


NITRO


SMITH


DAKINE


ORTOVOX


ARC'TERYX


PATAGONIA


CLOUDVEIL


MARMOT


WAGNER


BLACK DIAMOND


JONES SNOWBOARDS


VENTURE SNOWBOARDS


ARBOR SNOWBOARDS






(yes, that's supposed to resemble an ice axe)