My Gear Links
Links to specific pieces of my gear that "in my opinion" are the best at what they are designed to do, and at a cost I can afford.
For starters here is what I wear under everything else with lightweight poly shorts and t-shirt under the suit. In extreme conditions a medium weight base layer underneath is all you'll ever need. And it eliminates a major source of warmth leakage, where your top and bottom of two pieces would come together.
Mountain Hardwear Power Stretch Suit
Hard shell jacket: This
is the jacket with the blue hood you see me wearing in the Longs Peak videos:
Mountain Hardwear Exposure II Parka.
Mountain Hardwear Exposure II Parka
One thing I have yet to buy is a serious parka. And not the Antarctic style with the wolf fur trim around the hood but more like what they wear on Everest. You know the type where it looks like grandma's feather mattress is wrapped around the climber's head.
Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero Parka
Cold weather
sleeping bag: REI Kilo Plus 0 Sleeping Bag - Long
This is a very good sleeping bag. Unless it gets down to zero a T-shirt
and shorts are all I can stand to wear in this bag.
Looks like REI isn't stocking my sleeping bag right now. But this one they do have right now (Jan 10, 2010) is a better bag for less money than I spent on mine. Get them while they're available!
REI
Kilo Expedition -20 Sleeping Bag
Extreme
conditions winter tent: The North Face Mountain 25 Tent
This tent is heavy but it is
the most solid tent I've ever seen.
I spent 10 days
in Rocky Mountain National Park in May 2008 and had a night with strong
enough winds to really shake up some people in Wal-Mart tents. In this TNF
tent I barely even noticed the wind. It's great!
3-season
tent: REI Half Dome 2 HC Tent
This
tent can be pitched in the ultralight configuration. Footprint and fly only.
That was my setup in RMNP in Jan. This tent stood up to 80 MPH winds like
a champ.
My pack: REI Mars. I haven't seen this exact model available for some time. Just found out REI-Outlet has it. Wow.
REI
Mars Men's Pack - 84 Liters - '07 Special Buy
My boots. After 125 miles on the A.T. and who knows how many miles in Texas and Colorado they still look new. I have had to replace the laces: Raichle All-Degree Lite GTX Mountaineering Boots
My winter mountaineering boots. (below)
Now with an impressively
warm high altitude liner, Scarpa Inverno mountaineering plastic boots provide
high-performance support and protection on frigid adventures.
Mad Rock Phoenix Rock Shoes
You'll probably think this is corny but when I saw the word Phoenix I thought it was fitting for what I'd been through cancer-wise.
:-) And they really seem like they are a great climbing shoe.
My lifeline: Mammut Matterhorn 10.2mm x 60m Dry Rope
My climbing harness: My Black Diamond Bod Harness which doesn't seem to be on the market.
The Black Diamond Momentum
AL Harness. This will be my next harness if possible.
My crampons: Grivel G12 with newmatic bindings. The American distributor ran into trouble and these are not so easy to find in U.S. stores.
They work very well.
Don't Forget: Cotton Kills!
Dream Gear: If only I could afford this.
Western Mountaineering Bison GWS Sleeping Bag
Denali, Aconcagua,
Himalaya...mountaineering in its extreme sense. These are places where mistakes
cannot be made and so the Western Mountaineering Bison Super is most often
chosen to serve.
Mountain
Hardwear Men's Absolute Zero Suit
Yes this is the suit 78.2% of the climbers to the summit of Everest wear. Click the picture to find out more.
