CRITICAL THINKING

THE GOAL HERE IS NOT TO BE ‘STRONG’, WHATEVER THAT MEANS, BUT TO BE GOOD AT CLIMBING BY HAVING A CONDITION YOU CAN IMPOSE. WHEN STARING THROUGH THE BINOCULARS AT A ROUTE YOU MIGHT TRY, YOU SHOULD BE MATCHING UP WHAT YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO WITH WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE LENS. ANYTHING ELSE IS FANTASY.

UNTIL NOW THESE CHAMBERS WERE SOMEWHAT INVOLVED. THE STANDARD GAMMOW BAG WEIGHS ABOUT 8kg, PACKS TO ABOUT 40L AND NEEDS A LOT OF PUMPING. THEY ARE PORTABLE, BUT NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE, AND FEEL LIKE SOMETHING THAT HADN’T EVOLVED MUCH SINCE THE 1970s. THESE DAYS THEY CAN BE RARE TO SEE, AND PROBABLY DON’T EXIST WHERE SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN IS USED. WHERE PRESENT THEY SIT IN A BOX SOMEWHERE IN THE MESS TENT, AND THE IDEA OF TAKING ONE UP ON A ROUTE NEVER ARISES WHEN A BOTTLE OF O OR A SHOT OF DEX IS SO MUCH EASIER.

10 ESSENTIALS LISTS ARE BULLSHIT – THE WORLD IS SIMPLY NOT THAT CONCISE AND NEAT – BUT THEY ARE FUN TO HAVE IF SEEN IN THE RIGHT WAY EVEN AS ONLY GIFT LISTS FOR THE LAZY CLIMBER. THESE ARE TEN THINGS THAT YOU WILL MISS IF YOU DON’T HAVE, AND SPEND TIME AND ENERGY TO RECTIFY THAT YOU COULD SPEND ON BETTER THINGS. THEY RANGE FROM THE NOVEL TO THE DOWNRIGHT IMPERATIVE, AND ALL WILL EFFECT REAL WORLD USE. ALL ARE SIMPLE TO ARRANGE AND HAVE NO REAL EXCUSE NOT TO, AND OVER 20 YEARS ARE THE THINGS WE HAVE NOTICED THE MOST EXPERIENCED TEAMSTERS ALL HAVE.

FOR THE HIGH AND COLD STUFF WE DO WE HAVE FOUND FUTUREFLEECE BUILDS THE BEST BASE AVAILABLE TO LAY FURTHER INSULATION ON TOP OF, SOMETHING THAT REINFORCES THE ‘BASE’ IN BASELAYER PROPERLY. IT PUSHES BEYOND JUST BEING A SINGLE-FUNCTION ITEM AND EXTENDS INTO OTHER ASPECTS OF ADDRESSING HEAT LOSS, ie REDUCING EVAPORATION AND CONVECTION WITHOUT OVERHEATING, TO BRING US CLOSER TO TWIGHTS ‘ACTION SUIT’ CONCEPT.

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.

THE QUALITY OF YOUR EXPEDITION DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR IDEAS, BALANCED AND INFORMED BY A MIX OF MEDIA AND REFERENCES. IT IS INTEGRAL TO LOOK AT WHICH SOURCES YOU IDEAS COME FROM, SO YOU CAN EXTRAPOLATE HOW YOU WILL GO WHEN YOU ARE FINALLY OUT THERE

ON OUR TRIPS IT’S TIME TO SHRUG OFF MANY OUTDATED IDEAS, INCLUDING THAT OF THE DUFFEL-LADEN TRAVELLER PUSHING A HUGE CART THROUGH ARRIVALS. THE CLIMBER TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MODERN EQUIPMENT, STRATEGY AND OBJECTIVES APPEARS NOTHING LIKE THE HIGH-ALTITUDE TOURISTS SHOWING UP IN KATHMANDU, AND THE CONTENTS OF THEIR LUGGAGE REFLECTS THIS IN MORE STREAMLINED AND FOCUSED LOADS.

ALONG SIDE SEVERAL OTHER VARIANTS OF THE BRAND, MOST AIMED AT STREETWEAR, FESTIVALS, OR BIZARRE CONCEPT MARKETS, THE NORTH FACE JAPAN SUMMIT SERIES IS THAT TROVE OF SPECIALIST STUFF THAT YOU HAVE PROBABLY BEEN LOOKING FOR. WHERE THE FAMED/NOTORIOUS ADVANCED MOUNTAIN KIT SERIES CAME AND WENT WITHOUT NOTICE ELSEWHERE, IN JAPAN IT IS ON THE SHELVES, AND HAS SPROUTED ALL SORTS OF ADD-ONS USING THE TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS THAT COME WITH IT.

THE SAD FACT IS, MOST HIGH ALT DOWN JACKETS THESE DAYS ARE MADE FOR STANDING IN LINE ON A FIXED ROPE. THEY ARE DECKED OUT IN ‘FEATURES’ THAY MAY OR MAY NOT BE NECESSARY, SUCH AS COUNTLESS ZIPPERS, COUNTLESS POCKETS, FIELDS OF VELCRO, FLAPS ON EVERYTHING AND NIFTY THINGS LIKE HEAT PACK POCKETS AND EAR BUD PORTS. THESE THINGS OF COURSE ALL ADD WEIGHT, TO JACKETS ALREADY HEAVY, BECAUSE BY THEIR NATURE THEY HAVE TO HIT A PRICE POINT THAT WON’T ACCEPT THE HIGHEST QUALITY DOWN (USUALLY BEING ABOUT EURO 700). THEY HAVE HEAVY DUTY FABRICS APPARENTLY FOR THE ABRASION THEY MUST ENDURE, AND ARE MADE TO BE THE PRIMARY LAYER YOMPED UP TO CAMP 4 AND WORN NON-STOP ABOVE IT

KNOWING YOU HAVE A GOOD DESCENT ABILITY MAKES THE TAIL END OF A CLIMB FEEL SECURE. KNOWING YOU DON’T IS INEXCUSABLE AND EXACTLY THE WRONG PLACE TO HAVE UNKNOWNS.