Re: disposable hand warmers as I understand for use in emergency situations for warming ... etc.
Body warmer size better
Body warmer size better
Last edited:
-
For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.
What's in your pack?
- Thread starter Noodler
- Start date
I think those are little webbing loops on @jmeb ’s pack, meant for the upper attachment of ice axes, or maybe diagonal ski carry.
If your pack doesn’t have them @Noodler , find some others. Most packs have compression straps on the side, or Daisy chains on the back.
No on any full size carabiners, unless you are ski mountaineering.
Like @Pequenita said, less dangling on the outside. Catches on branches, gets wet and makes you loose your balance,
If you are short on space, either get a bigger pack, or add a zippered pouch clipped on to the pack:
zpacks.com
Don’t forget a sit pad. If you want to sit down and take a snack break, it keeps you warm and dry, especailly if you are wearing softshell pants. But even most hardshells wet out quick in the butt. And if it is cold and dry, you need the insulation.
More importantly, if you ever have an emergency where someone is immobile, a space blanket does very little underneath you.
Plus, can be used as a splint if needed.
+2 on @Pais_alto headlamp. You never know what might happen leaving you out after dark. If you need light, you need your hands too.
If using a ski helmet, consider some stick on headlamp clips on the front.
(Ski)Mountaineering helmets will come with headlamp clips.
www.petzl.com
If your pack doesn’t have them @Noodler , find some others. Most packs have compression straps on the side, or Daisy chains on the back.
No on any full size carabiners, unless you are ski mountaineering.
Like @Pequenita said, less dangling on the outside. Catches on branches, gets wet and makes you loose your balance,
If you are short on space, either get a bigger pack, or add a zippered pouch clipped on to the pack:
Multi-Pack
Zpacks Offers the Best Lightweight Backpacking Gear: The Ultralight Multi-Pack is a versatile four-in-one backpack accessory that is a popular add-on for long distance hikers.
zpacks.com
Don’t forget a sit pad. If you want to sit down and take a snack break, it keeps you warm and dry, especailly if you are wearing softshell pants. But even most hardshells wet out quick in the butt. And if it is cold and dry, you need the insulation.
More importantly, if you ever have an emergency where someone is immobile, a space blanket does very little underneath you.
Plus, can be used as a splint if needed.
+2 on @Pais_alto headlamp. You never know what might happen leaving you out after dark. If you need light, you need your hands too.
If using a ski helmet, consider some stick on headlamp clips on the front.
(Ski)Mountaineering helmets will come with headlamp clips.
UNI ADAPT - SPECIALIZED-headlamps | Petzl USA
Petzl USA. Adhesive clip for mounting a Petzl headlamp on a variety of helmet types (pack of 4)
www.petzl.com
Last edited:
Besides what you take, the big question is how to pack it.
If things are inaccessible, you either don't use them (often a safety concern, like Clinometer, radio or warm gloves), or spend a lot of time stopped to get them out.
I love hip belt pockets for snacks, hat, Clinometer.
Insulated Water bottle holder on shoulder strap is great for the same reason.
40below.com
A little more work to get the bottle in and out, but works in very cold weather.
cripplecreekbc.com
This style won’t work when it’s frigid, but if you use an insulated plastic bottle, it’s good for moderate winter use.
I put my thermos next to the vertical side zipper, so that I can swing the backpack around, unzip that and take a swig, without taking the pack off or digging into it.
Puffy jacket near the top /zipper or in an outside pouch, so you can grab it first thing when you stop, and put it away the same.
If things are inaccessible, you either don't use them (often a safety concern, like Clinometer, radio or warm gloves), or spend a lot of time stopped to get them out.
I love hip belt pockets for snacks, hat, Clinometer.
Insulated Water bottle holder on shoulder strap is great for the same reason.
Forty Below® Bottle Boot™ 16oz/500ml - Forty Below
The Forty Below® Bottle Boot™ 16oz/500ml size is the easy to use and effective insulating bottle cover that help slow down the water from freezing quickly, especially in extreme cold environments. Please see below for more information and specifications.
40below.com
Dynafit Alpine Bottle Holder
When ski touring doesn't mess with bladders that freeze or water bottles buried at the bottom of your pack, this bottle holder keeps your water front and center and even slightly insulated from the cold. Perfect for a racer or someone who knows the importance of efficiency while in the backcountry.
cripplecreekbc.com
I put my thermos next to the vertical side zipper, so that I can swing the backpack around, unzip that and take a swig, without taking the pack off or digging into it.
Puffy jacket near the top /zipper or in an outside pouch, so you can grab it first thing when you stop, and put it away the same.
Last edited:
Carabiners are through daisy chains stiched to the outside of my pack from the manufacturer. Keyring carabiners are through the helmet straps. It just lays flat against my pack this way, if I was mountain biking it'd be bouncing everywhere. Skinning up a skin track it's floppiness is unnoticeable. I got the idea from Cody Townsend -- think you'll like this video:
@jmeb , you must be similar age too me, I used to try and sell that Lowe Alpine hat, about 20 years ago, haha! Great item, keeps rain and snow out of eyes, covers ears, easy to take off.
For anyone liking the Nalgene bottles, consider the milky plastic (HDPE) ones, instead of the clear colored ones. They are much lighter, and less likely to crack in extreme cold.
They can not take boiling water, so let your tea cool before pouring it in.
For anyone liking the Nalgene bottles, consider the milky plastic (HDPE) ones, instead of the clear colored ones. They are much lighter, and less likely to crack in extreme cold.
They can not take boiling water, so let your tea cool before pouring it in.
@Noodler , One other thing I didn’t see on your list was a shell jacket or layer of some kind. Most days you’ll want to put something extra on for the descent. Which means, it needs to be in your pack on the up.
Oh and one ‘trick’ I like for winter adventures that start at the car:
Have a separate, big warm jacket or parka for wearing when you get out of the car. Nothing fancy, lightweight or technical. Even better if it’s stained or ripped.
Most mountain adventures start with an uphill, so you ‘are bold, start cold’.
But it can be very hard to get out of the car in those thin layers, and if you need to get
some gear or people together, do a beacon check, put on boots, etc etc, you get very cold fast.
You could wear the puffy that you take touring, but that means unpacking and repacking.
Instead, I take an old heavy down jacket, winter Carhart jacket, or insulated resort jacket, and drive in my ‘action suit’.
When I get to the trail head, I pull that old jacket on, hop out , do all the ‘faffing’ as the Brits like to call it.
Then, at the very last moment before skinning/hiking off, I pull it off, and throw it in the car, and away you go.
Oh and one ‘trick’ I like for winter adventures that start at the car:
Have a separate, big warm jacket or parka for wearing when you get out of the car. Nothing fancy, lightweight or technical. Even better if it’s stained or ripped.
Most mountain adventures start with an uphill, so you ‘are bold, start cold’.
But it can be very hard to get out of the car in those thin layers, and if you need to get
some gear or people together, do a beacon check, put on boots, etc etc, you get very cold fast.
You could wear the puffy that you take touring, but that means unpacking and repacking.
Instead, I take an old heavy down jacket, winter Carhart jacket, or insulated resort jacket, and drive in my ‘action suit’.
When I get to the trail head, I pull that old jacket on, hop out , do all the ‘faffing’ as the Brits like to call it.
Then, at the very last moment before skinning/hiking off, I pull it off, and throw it in the car, and away you go.
Yeah, I have almost the same things, except a much smaller multitool w pliers. And crampons, verts (actually snowplak) ski crampons and ice axe always with me. Almost every time i go out i end up booting up a couloir.
And I'm using skin bags, one for each, faster than anything else i tried.
And i use my phone for slope angle, 50 degrees today.
@Rod9301 , do you mean skin gloves like these?
www.mec.ca
G3 Love Glove Skin Bag | MEC
Love Glove Skin Bag: Fast transitions are the secret to getting more runs in! A pair of Love Gloves lets you pack your skins without folding them glue on glue. To use it, fold your skins
www.mec.ca
Yep, i use coltex, but similar@Rod9301 , do you mean skin gloves like these?
G3 Love Glove Skin Bag | MEC
Love Glove Skin Bag: Fast transitions are the secret to getting more runs in! A pair of Love Gloves lets you pack your skins without folding them glue on glue. To use it, fold your skins
Thread Starter
TS
I have a big down puffy (Mountain Hardwear Sub-Zero) that I use when all I care about is staying warm. It's not something I ski in. So I'll add that for "faffing" about the car.
I have a few shells. A Descente Moe 3L, Mountain Hardwear Alakazam, and an OR Axcess jacket. They all have their associated mid-layer puffy jackets to be added for the descent. These puffies have easily packable weights.
I'm swapping the flashlight out for the helmet mounted light. I forgot I have a Platypus collapsible water bottle, so I'm going with that instead of the Nalgene.
The pack I'm trying to make work is small, but well designed. It's the Mountain Hardwear Chuter 15. I bought it for a trip a number of years back to ski the Big Couloir at Big Sky. I returned my beacon at the time, but kept the pack, shovel, and probe. The pack has some nice features, but it is small. I think for day tours it will be OK as long as I get creative with the use of its storage. Here are some interesting thoughts on small packs from the designer of the pack:
http://straightchuter.com/tiny-packs/
Oof, @Noodler ,15l is pretty darn tiny. Obviously I can’t compare my experience and knowledge to Andrew McLean, but I have a hard time seeing how you make 15l work. I agree with his genre rap statements about the advantages of a small pack, I just would lean to 20-25 liters rather than 15 liters.
The other thing I have experienced is that too small of a pack makes the pack bulge and carry poorly (think football strapped to the back), and makes it much more difficult to get things in and out of the pack.
Of course it depends on the conditions, in warm May and June days, with lots of daylight, on a short tour, I could make that work, but for midwinter, packing roughly like @jmeb did, in my 30l pack I am pretty well maxed out.
For example, he mentions: “extra gloves need not apply” With my circulation, warmer gloves/mittens are required in winter.
With just 15l, you will pretty much need the very smallest and lightest of everything:
-7oz waterproof waterproof shell, or 3 oz windshell in safer, midwinter conditions.
-super light, 850 Fill-Power down puffy, somehting around 8 oz.
-Soft bottle like you mention, even better, carry a bottle on the shoulder strap like I mentioned above.
-No regular ski gloves (those alone would fill most of a 15 liter pack.)
Something like these instead: https://enlightenedequipment.com/stronghold-mittens-stock/.
-No goggles, ski in glasses
Defintely worth doing some practice packing, to see how you can make it all fit. I suspect you will need to rely on jacket and pant pockets in your action layer, to help store stuff.
It’s also easy to add a waist pocket to a pack.
zpacks.com
And of course, there are a million different ski packs available, in the more common sizes of 25-35 liters.
Show us a picture of that pack loaded up, I am curious if you can make it work.
The other thing I have experienced is that too small of a pack makes the pack bulge and carry poorly (think football strapped to the back), and makes it much more difficult to get things in and out of the pack.
Of course it depends on the conditions, in warm May and June days, with lots of daylight, on a short tour, I could make that work, but for midwinter, packing roughly like @jmeb did, in my 30l pack I am pretty well maxed out.
For example, he mentions: “extra gloves need not apply” With my circulation, warmer gloves/mittens are required in winter.
With just 15l, you will pretty much need the very smallest and lightest of everything:
-7oz waterproof waterproof shell, or 3 oz windshell in safer, midwinter conditions.
-super light, 850 Fill-Power down puffy, somehting around 8 oz.
-Soft bottle like you mention, even better, carry a bottle on the shoulder strap like I mentioned above.
-No regular ski gloves (those alone would fill most of a 15 liter pack.)
Something like these instead: https://enlightenedequipment.com/stronghold-mittens-stock/.
-No goggles, ski in glasses
Defintely worth doing some practice packing, to see how you can make it all fit. I suspect you will need to rely on jacket and pant pockets in your action layer, to help store stuff.
It’s also easy to add a waist pocket to a pack.
Belt Pouch
Zpacks Offers the Best Lightweight Backpacking Gear: The Ultralight Belt Pouch is the perfect universal storage option for the long distance backpacker.
zpacks.com
And of course, there are a million different ski packs available, in the more common sizes of 25-35 liters.
Show us a picture of that pack loaded up, I am curious if you can make it work.
Last edited:
FWIW and YMMV, I use a 26l pack for average day trips and 36l for big-boy day trips (mountaineering gear). 50l for overnights. All skiing/mountaineering designs by Osprey. Andrew M is an animal, and always worth considering for gear recommendations, BUT not always right for everyone. Consider that a half-full medium size pack will carry better and be more convenient than an over-stuffed small pack. If you have your gear dialed and it fits comfortably in a small pack, then go for it, but I prefer the flexibility and increased options of a medium pack. Also I can carry more beer.
Thread Starter
TS
So the Chuter 15 is not going to work for anything but inbounds tours because it cannot handle both the Daymakers and the shovel. I will keep it as a light pack for stuff where it's already avy controlled. I have a Dakine Tram pack that will work, but it's not much better.
Looking at the Osprey Soelden 22 or 32 packs. Leaning toward the bigger one so I don't make the same mistake again.
Looking at the Osprey Soelden 22 or 32 packs. Leaning toward the bigger one so I don't make the same mistake again.
I agree. 32 better than 22. Of course pack size is like boot last, more of a relative idea than an absolute, but 22 liters is pretty darn small.
Osprey packs tend to be fairly supportive and ‘shaped’ too, so even half full I bet it would hold its shape well. It’s a lot easier to get things in and out of a bigger pack than an overstuffed, smaller one. And if you have large, rigid items like Daymakers, all the more so.
Thread Starter
TS
Please school me on "verts". I doubt I'll be climbing any couloirs any time soon, but inquiring minds want to know.
They look like snow shoes, and you use them so you don't sink to your waist in powder
Smaller than normal snowshoes, specially designed for steep snow climbing, where it’s to steep for skinning and regular snowshoes, but in boots you are taking 2 steps up and sinking 1 step back down (or worse).
'Cheese Grater' Snowshoe For Mountain Terrain
The cheese grater design of the Snowfoot doubles the surface area of these small snowshoes, making for a small footprint with lots of float and good maneuverability.
gearjunkie.com
Billygoat Technologies Ascent Plates Review - The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog
Review, Billygoat Technologies Ascent Plates for snow climbing, backcountry skiing snowbarding and mountaineering access.
www.wildsnow.com
Sponsor
Members online
- DebbieSue
- Hot.Tamale
- AdamSkiTech
- SKI-3PO
- Peppermint
- tomahawkins
- dbostedo
- tch
- Rudi Riet
- nnowak
- Atomicman
- hrandersonn
- charlier
- Dr.T
- aveski
- cjm
- KingGrump
- coldski
- AlexisLD
- Laurel Hill Crazie
- goaliedad
- Tricia
- JShort
- Andy Mink
- raytseng
- snwbrdr
- Nathanvg
- Turoa Kiwi
- Keys2Ski
- Wasatchman
- MNskier
- Dos-Equis
- tw90
- pud
- Pdub
- John Webb
- Philpug
- maximlloa
- zircon
- chris_the_wrench
- Bozzenhagen
- BMC
- salvatore
- JoeSchmoe
- Nancy Hummel
- JibingDownhill
- scrubadub
- Stev
- MissySki
- Jwrags