THE FURTHER YOU GET FROM ESTABLISHED ROUTES AND ESTABLISHED STYLES THE FURTHER YOU GET FROM WHAT COMPANIES DESIGN THEIR PRODUCTS FOR
.
THERE’S STANDARD GEAR, THERE’S OBSCURE GEAR, THERE’S CUSTOMIZED GEAR, THERE’S ADAPTED GEAR AND THEN THERE’S MODIFIED GEAR. EACH SUITS CLIMBING AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, AND THE FURTHER YOU GET FROM ESTABLISHED ROUTES AND ESTABLISHED STYLES THE FURTHER YOU GET FROM WHAT COMPANIES DESIGN THEIR PRODUCTS FOR.
THE NORTH SIDE OF K2 IS THE KIND OF PLACE FOR MODIFIED GEAR.
IT’S BEEN SAID THAT THE FINEST CLIMBERS KNOW HOW TO SEW, AND IT’S NO ACCIDENT SEVERAL OF THE LEADING GEAR COMPANIES WERE STARTED BY CLIMBERS PUSHING THE EDGE OF THE EQUIPMENT OF THE ERA ALLOWED. EXPEDITION CLIMBING HAS A LONG HISTORY OF MODIFYING AND ADAPTING EQUIPMENT AND IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG IN A PLACE LIKE THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORAM TO START FINDING THE LIMITATIONS OF GEAR MADE FOR COMMERCIAL 8000m ASCENTS.
BUT BEFORE WE START…
THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T MODIFY
MODIFYING GEAR INSTANTLY VOIDS MOST WARRANTIES AND IN SOME CASES FOR REASONS THAT MAKE NON-NEGOTIABLE SENSE. NEVER PERMANANTLY MODIFY ANYTHING WITH AN INDUSTRY SAFETY RATING. THIS INCLUDES HELMETS, HARNESSES, KARABINERS, ASCENDERS, ICE TOOLS etc. STICKERS ARE OK, SPRAY PAINT IS OK ON METAL, GRIP OR INSULATING TAPE IS OK, SPECIFICALLY MADE PARTS LIKE TOOL RESTS OR VISORS ARE OK, BUT ANYTHING INVOLVING HARDWARE PROBABLY ISN’T. THE ACTUAL PRESSURIZED PARTS OF A STOVE ALSO SHOULDN’T BE TAMPERED WITH.
THE ONE EXCEPTION HERE IS PICKS – MOST PICKS CAN DO WITH A DEGREE OF FIDDLING AND ARE MADE FOR IT.
.
NOW THAT’S OUT OF THE WAY…
REASONS TO MODIFY GEAR
EQUIPMENT CAN BE FIDDLED WITH FOR ALL SORTS OF REASONS, USUALLY ONES THAT ALIGN ALREADY WITH THE GENERAL ETHOS OF CLIMBING GEAR ANYWAY, IN THIS CASE IT’S SIMPLY AN EXTENSION OF IT
- TO MAKE IT LIGHTER
- TO MAKE IT SIMPLER
- TO MAKE IT WARMER
- TO MAKE IT STRONGER
- TO MAKE IT SPECIFIC
- TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT
- TO MAKE IT EASIER TO USE
- TO ADHERE TO A N ALPINE IDEOLOGY
- TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT HITHERO DIDN’T EXIST
.
MAKING STUFF LIGHTER
THE OLD CLICHE OF DRILLING HOLES IN YOUR TOOTHBRUSH IS DONE TO DEATH (WHEN THINGS ARE THAT MENTAL YOU TEND TO FORGET ABOUT BRUSHING YOUR TEETH) BUT THE OFT LOST POINT IS THAT ACROSS ALL THE GEAR REQUIRED FOR A BIG ASCENT, LOTS OF LITTLE MODIFICATIONS ALL ADD UP
MAKING THINGS SIMPLER
FOR THE OXYGEN-STARVED BRAIN, THE LESS MOVING PARTS THE BETTER
MAKING GEAR WARMER
OR MORE CORRECTLY – MAKING IT INSULATE BETTER. THE PHYSICS OF HEAT LOSS ARE RARELY BEST APPLIED BY COMPANIES WHO TRADE ON WELL UNDERSTOOD BULK MECHANISMS THAT WILL DO MOST OF THE TIME. BUT, AS THE MARGINS TIGHTEN ON SERIOUS ASCENTS WHERE MORE ADVANTAGES SIMPLY NEED TO BE HARNESSED, UPPING THE INSULATING PROPERTIES OF YOUR CLOTHING & SLEEPING GEAR HELPS KEEP THE DEMONS OF THE CRYOSPHERE AT BAY.
CUPS & WATER BOTTLES
MAKING THINGS STRONGER
CLIMBING GEAR SEEMS INCREDIBLY STRONG, BUT TRIPS LIKE TIBET IN WINTER UNLEASH CONDITIONS THAT MAKE STUFF THAT SEEMS ‘BOMBPROOF’ IN THE SHOP FLAIL LIKE IT WAS MADE OF TOOTHPICKS.
SEAMS CAN BE REINFORCED, GUY LINES CAN BE REPLACED,
MAKING GEAR MORE SPECIFIC
MOST GEAR IS MADE TO SATISFY ABOUT 60% OF USERS. IN THE CASE OF 8000m GEAR, 95%. BUT THAT 5% LEFT OUT IS THE MOST DEMANDING AND RAPIDLY FINDS WHAT WAS NOT MADE WITH THEM IN MIND.
INCREASING EFFICIENCY
THIS IS MOSTLY ABOUT STOVES, WHERE EFFICIENCY IS EVERYTHING ONCE IT GETS COLD, OR HIGH OR BOTH. TO THIS DAY NO TRUE HIGH ALTITUDE STOVE REALLY EXISTS SO THINGS NEED TO BE MODIFIED TO MAKE THEM BURN BETTER (OR AT ALL) & SAFER.
MAKING THINGS EASIER TO USE
HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING IS HARD ENOUGH WITHOUT SMALL THINGS THAT RENDERED DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY WEREN’T PRODUCED ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM.
ZIPS
THE ALPINE IDEOLOGY
UNTIL RECENTLY ALPINE CLIMBING ALWAYS DID INCLUDE A DEGREE OF DIY, AT ONE END OUT OF FUNCTIONAL NECESSITY, AT THE OTHER AS PART OF A DOCTRINE THAT EXPRESSES MORE THAN JUST CHIPPING YOUR WAY UP A MOUNTAIN.
MODIFICATION IS A WAY OF STAMPING SOME INDIVIDUALITY AND COMMITMENT TO ONES ACTIONS INTO THE PROCESS. THE VERY IDEA THAT GEAR NEEDS TO BE MODIFIED FOR A CERTAIN OBECTIVE IS ITSELF PART OF A PROCESS THAT LOOKS AWAY FROM INDUSTRIAL CLIMBING
TO MAKE SOMETHING NEW
SAT IN CAMP DURING BAD WEATHER IS A GREAT PLACE TO DREAM UP IDEAS FOR FANTASY GEAR, AND WITH CLIMBING STILL BEING IN IT’S RELATIVLY JUVENILE PHASE, THE CHANCE OF ACTUALLY COMING UP WITH SOMETHING IS STILL PRETTY GOOD. THIS LEVEL OF MODIFICATION IS REALLY MORE INVENTION, AND IS USUALLY MUCH MORE INVASIVE THAN SNIPPING EXTRA NYLON OFF, USUALLY INCLUDING SEWING MACHINES, PATTERNS, GLUE GUNS & PROTOTYPES. THAT SAID – EVERYTHING MADE FOR CLIMBING THAT WE USE TODAY STARTED THIS WAY, SO IT’S REALLY THAT PERIPHERAL EITHER.
ONCE A CLIMBER DEVELOPS AN EYE FOR MODIFYING GEAR
