TOO LIGHT ?
THE MEME IS ‘FAST & LIGHT’. THERE IS A REASON ‘FAST IS PUT FIRST, WHICH IS THAT IT TAKES PRECEDENCE, AND THAT ‘LIGHT’ DOES NOT MAKE UP FOR LACK OF IT. FAST IS ABOUT YOU AND YOUR ABILITY, SOMETHING DEVELOPED OVER TIME, KCALS AND INTENT. LIGHT IS ABOUT WHAT YOU SPEND ON AND KNOW HOW TO USE, AND PUSHING THE LATTER WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE FORMER IS PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. THIS CAN HAVE RESULTS RANGING FROM THE SILLY TO THE LETHAL.
IN THE GRAM WAR BETWEEN MANUFACTURERS SOMETIMES SACRIFICES ARE MADE TO FUNCTION IN ORDER TO GAIN MARKET ADVANTAGE. IN OTHER CASES PRODUCTS ARE SOLD AS BEING WORTHY OF CERTAIN USEAGE WHEN THEY ARE NOT, THEN IN FURTHER INSTANCES CLIMBERS ARE BRAINWASHED BY MARKETING TO MAKE UNINFORMED CHOICES. WITH NEW MATERIALS AND VAGUE METHODS OF QUANTIFICATION IS IT EASY TO SLIP FUNCTION PAST THE UNAWARE, UNDER THE GUISE IT WILL LEAD TO PERFORMANCE WHEN THE OPPOSITE IS ACTUALLY TRUE.
GEAR IS TOO LIGHT WHEN IT DOESN’T FUNCTION TO THE NECESSARY STANDARD, WHICH INCLUDES DURABILITY, SCOPE OF USE, STRENGTH AND REDUNDANCY. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT NO CLIMBING GEAR IS MADE INTENTIONALLY HEAVY, MEANING THAT STUFF THAT IS BUILT FOR PURPOSE HAS NO NEED TO BE REPLACED BY SOMETHING THAT ISN’T.
PRICE IS NO INDICATOR OF FIT-FOR-PURPOSE, AND THOUGH SOMETIMES IT CORRELATES IT BY NO MEANS IS ANY STANDARD. YES, THINGS LIKE 1000FP DOWN AND UHMWPE ARE EXPENSIVE, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING MADE FROM IT IS EXPEDITION-GRADE, ANY MORE THAN STAMPING ‘8000m’ ON SOMETHING GUARANTEES IT WILL WORK AT THAT ALTITUDE. ‘FIT-FOR-PURPOSE’ MEANS SOMETHING WILL COVER ALL THE DEMANDS OF EXPEDITION CLIMBING, WHICH INCLUDES THE RIGORS OF MANHANDLING, APPROACHES, FORAYS AND CONDITIONS. MORE AND MORE THIS TERM RELATES TO STUFF PORTERED TO HIGH CAMPS FOR ONLY VERY SHORT TERM USE – SOMETIMES ONLY 24hrs – WHICH IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO BEING FIT-FOR-PURPOSE ON REAL EXPEDITIONS.
.
THE MAIN THINGS TO WARY OF ARE;
HELMETS
FULLY FOAM HELMETS ARE NOT UP TO THE RIGORS OF ALPINISM, BEING MADE FOR DAY ROUTES WHERE THEY SUFFER MUCH LESS OF A BEATING. THESE SORT OF HELMETS SOMETIMES BREAK DURING PORTAGE, AND EVEN AIR TRAVEL, AND ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR THE FREQUENT SMALL IMPACTS OF BIG MOUNTAINS, AND OFTEN NOT THE SIDE IMPACTS THAT GO WITH ALPINE FALLS.
HELMETS WITH PLATES FAIR A BIT BETTER, BUT DO LITTLE TOWARDS THE DAMAGE FROM HANDLING. DON’T EXPECT THEM TO LAST SEASON AFTER SEASON LIKE A FULLY SHELLED HELMET WILL. FOR EXTENDED TRIPS WITH MULTIPLE ASCENTS, SHOWING UP WITH A FULL FOAM HELMET IS BAD PLANNING IN THE WORST PLACE. IF AN EXTRA 50g FOR YOUR HEAD IS TOO MUCH YOU NEED TO RETHINK YOUR YOU’RE DOING.
.
BOOTS
BOOTS ARE THE ORIGNAL GEAR-WAR, AND SOME BRANDS HAVE CHOSEN TO SHAVE TOO MANY CORNERS IN ORDER TO WIN IT. SOLES TOO NARROW, MATERIALS TOO THIN, FOAMS TOO DEGRADABLE, DESIGNS TO COMPLEX, RANDS NOT DURABLE ENOUGH, CHEAP INSULATION – OFTEN ALL COMBINED TO MAKE A BOOT THAT DOESN’T LAST AND IS AWKWARD TO USE.
YOU ARE GAINING NO ADVANTAGE WITH A BOOT THAT IS PARED DOWN TO 100g LIGHTER THAN THE COMPETITION, BUT IS DESIGNED FOR LOW DEMAND CLIMBING. WHEN IT MATTERS MOST, WHEN THE CLIMBING IS RIGOROUS AND COLD, YOU WILL NOTICE WHERE THAT 100g WENT.
THE OTHER SIDE TO THIS IS CLIMBERS TRYING TO SKIMP ON BOOTS BY USING THE BARE MINIMUM FOR THE EXPECTED CONDITIONS, SUCH AS 1.5 BOOTS FOR 6000m ASCENTS AND EVEN SINGLES FOR BIG ROUTES. WRONG THINKING. IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD THE RIGHT BOOTS YOU CERTAINLY CAN’T AFFORD THE RIGHT SURGEON, AND NEED TO SAVE MONEY ELSEWHERE.
.
TENTS
LETS GET THIS STRAIGHT; SUB-1kg TENTS MADE FOR FAST PACKING DO NOT COPE ON BIG MOUNTAINS. WHILST SOME ‘MID OR A-TENT MAY WEIGH AND COST THE SAME AS SOMETHING FROM SAMAYA, THEY ARE SIMPLY NOT STRONG ENOUGH NOR PITCHABLE IN STEEP MOUNTAIN TERRAIN.
TENTS ARE TOO LIGHT WHEN THEY CAN’T COPE WITH THE WIND AND SNOW OF ALPINE CLIMBING, AND ARE OFTEN MEASURED SANS THINGS LIKE PEGS AND GUY LINES THAT THEY NEED TO BE PITCHED. TRUE ALPINE TENTS ARE FREESTANDING AND GUY DIRECTLY FROM THE POLES, SOMETHING THAT ACCEPTS A CERTAIN WEIGHT BECAUSE IT MAKES THEM VERY STRONG. THROUGH-HIKING TENTS MAY WEIGHT VERY LITTLE, BUT RELY ON VERY SPECIFIC PITCHING – OFTEN INVOLVING TREES AND TREKKING POLES – IN ORDER TO KEEP WEIGHT DOWN.
.
PACKS
THOSE FLIMSY FASTPACKING PACKS WITH LOTS OF MESH AND SMALL VOLUME ARE NOT EXPEDITION CLIMBING PACKS, BEING NEITHER MADE FOR THE LOADS TO BE CARRIED NOR THE BEATING OF ACTUAL CLIMBING. THOUGH SOME HAVE COOL NAMES THAT ALUDE TO BIG PEAKS, THEY DEGRADE FAST FROM THE HAULING, YOMPING, DRAGGING AND MANHANDLING BY CREW.
WE HAVE EXTRAORDINARILY LIGHT PACKS FOR CLIMBING, BUT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AS HIKING PACKS THAT CAN WEIGHT A BIT LESS. WITHOUT REINFORCED SEAMS, STREAMLINED DESIGNS AND SUSPENSION MADE FOR CLIMBING, HIKING PACKS FAIL EVEN WHEN MADE OF THE SAME FANCY MATERIALS, BECAUSE THEY CAN’T TAKE THE ABUSE WHERE STIFF LOADS MEET COLD GRANITE.
.
SKINNY DOWN JACKETS
JUST BECAUSE A JACKET HAS 1000FP DOWN DOESN’T MEAN IT’S MADE FOR EXTREME COLD, BECAUSE WHAT MATTERS IN THE AMOUNT OF DOWN AND HOW IT IS BAFFLED IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE EXPEDITION GRADE. MONTBELL IS FAMOUS FOR ITS PLASMA 1000FP JACKET (JAPANESE 1000FP TOO, SO THE REAL DEAL) BUT IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN MIDLAYER IN THE WORLD OF HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING.
HIGH ALTITUDE JACKETS ARE OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT IN THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF DOWN, CREATING A LARGE INSULATED SPACE REGARDLESS OF THE FILL POWER. HIGH GRADE DOWN OF COURSE MAKES THIS LIGHTER TO DO, BUT ALSO SENDS THE PRICE SOARING, WITH 1000FP, FULLY BAFFLED JACKETS COSTING THE SAME AS SLEEPING BAGS.
IF YOUR DOWN JACKET IS SUB-500g YOU NEED TO THINK IF IT’S ACTUALLY FOR HIGH ALTITUDE USE, BECAUSE ONLY A RARE FEW JACKETS OF THAT QUALITY EXIST, AND YOU WILL KNOW IF YOU HAVE ONE. SKINNY MONTBELL JACKETS ARE GREAT AS MIDLAYERS, TO FORM A DOUBLE SUIT WHEN PAIRED WITH AN OUTER LAYER, BUT ALONE THEY ARE NEITHER CONSTRUCTED NOR HAVE ENOUGH INSULATION TO ACT ALONE.
.
STOVES
90g STOVES ARE AN AMAZING ADVANCE IN STOVE TECHNOLOGY, BUT THEY ARE NOT UP TO MELTING ICE AND THE DEMANDS OF HIGH ALTITUDE USE. YES, DAVID GOTTLIER USES ONE FOR HIS EVEREST STUFF, BUT THEY ARE SHORT FORAYS OUT OF HUGE ESTABLISHED CAMPS, AND THEN ONLY FOR HIS SOLO USE.
BY THEIR NATURE, EXPEDITION STOVES WEIGH MORE, BECAUSE THEY GET USED FOR HOURS A DAY TO PERFORM A VITAL TASK. STILL LIGHT – THE BEST ONES WEIGH 170g – THESE STOVES PUT OUT DOUBLE THE HEAT OF THE LITTLE 90g ONES, BY FAR MAKING UP FOR THE BULK WEIGHT BY SAVING THE WEIGHT IN GAS. JETBOILS TOO ARE LAUGHABLY WIMPY WHEN IT COMES TO OUTPUT, MAKING A FALSE ECONOMY WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT THEY WEIGH.
.
ICE AXES & SHOVELS
LITTLE SKIMO AXES HAVE NO PLACE ON BIG PEAKS, AND ARE COMMON TO SEE BREAKING ANYWHERE LEDGES NEED TO BE CHOPPED. BUY A REAL AXE, IDEALLY ONE THAT IS CARBON COMPOSITE, THUS TICKING ALL THE BOXES, THAT HAS A STRONG JOIN WHEN THE PICK ATTACHES.
THIS EXACT SAME THING GOES FOR SHOVELS, WHERE THOSE TINY CARBON ONES ARE MADE TO MEET SKIMO RACE REGULATIONS, AND ARE BASICALLY DISPOSABLE BEING WEAK, WOBBLY AND SMALL. SHOVELS MATTER WHEN NEEDED MOST EITHER FOR EMERGENCY USE OR HARD LABOR.
.
SHELL JACKETS
WE’VE SAID THIS BEFORE; JUST BECAUSE STEVE HOUSE WORE A 90g SHELL ON NANGA PARBAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN DO THE SAME. WHEN YOUR RESTING HEART RATE IS IN ITS 30s WE CAN TALK ABOUT LIKE-FOR-LIKE, UNTIL THEN HAVE A SHELL THAT PROTECTS AGAINST WHAT ALPINISM THROWS AT YOU.
CURRENT CLIMBING SHELLS THESE DAYS ARE MOSTLY VERY LIGHT, AND LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE ON THIS LIST WHEN THEY MATTER THEY REALLY MATTER. WE FIND WE RARELY WEAR SHELLS, BUT WHEN WE DO, WE WANT SOMETHING THAT HANDLES HEAVY PACK LOADS, ABRASION, DRIVEN SNOW, SCREAMING WIND, AND CAN BE BATTENED DOWN INSIDE OF. SHREDDING A THIN SHELL MADE MORE FOR RUNNING THAN CLIMBING BECOMES A PROBLEM FAST, TOTALLY DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE 30g YOU SAVED.
.
ALL THIS WE WRITE FROM EXPERIENCE, HAVING ALTERED TRIPS AT SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE BECAUSE TEAMSTERS WENT TOO LIGHT. NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN THIS WAS MISPLACED PERSPECTIVE, OFTEN COMBINED WITH THE SISTER MEME OF ‘IF IT’S ALL SO LIGHT I CAN BRING MORE STUFF’.
THE AIM HERE IS HAVE SOLID, REFINED AND TESTED GEAR, IN A SIMPLE SYSTEM THAT IS ACTUALLY NOT THAT MUCH ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT WORKS. THE WAY TO KEEP WEIGHT DOWN IS ACROSS THE SYSTEM, BY HAVING FEWER BITS AND USING THEM SYSTEMATICALLY, AND BUYING WHAT PERFORMS BEST ACROSS MULTIPLE VECTORS.
