My favourite dinner is the Chicken Stew , and this Potatoes & Beef with Onions is a close second.
I was on a 4 day trip on Mt Whitney a few weeks ago , I was looking for more calories for Breakfast and tried this beef dinner with my morning tea ! Bingo a light came on ! This beef , taters and onion meal makes a really good breakfast.It makes a sustaining meal for the start to the day .
Thanks Mountain House .

I left the extra water in the packet and ate this meal as a thick soup . It was very good . The instructions tell you to drain the extra water ! Well , duh , I am trying hard to re-hydrate at 11,000 feet in winter so I left the extra water in the packet . I now keep a good supply of this breakfast feast at home for my trips. It was very good and sustained me for several hours . Two packs may be better for a really long time until lunch !

It has been a while since I bought and ate a Freeze Dried meal . This is my first one in America . I had had a long day and had just finished pitching my tent in the snow . It was now dark and I fired up the old MSR stove . All I had to do was boil the water and pour it into the food packet. I sat and impatiently waited the suggested 8 to 9 minutes. I really enjoyed the chicken stew. I reckon the full packet (two portions) is good for a big bloke after a hard day on the hill .
Now I see there is a curry chicken dinner ...hmmm.........

This wind shield and heat deflector really shortens your cooking time. I bought one only to realize that one was included with my MSR Stove. If you place a rock wall around the cooking area you will further protect the stove parts from being lost in heavy wind gusts !

This stove could become your closest friend in the cold , high mountains . It gives out lots of heat . Properly maintained it holds pressure longer than advertised . I love the big roaring sound and pink glow that it has when hot !

I think this is a better option than the very expensive titanium set . This is half the price and not much heavier . Cleans up easily and is good to pack gear inside .

I have the large 33 oz fuel bottle .If weight is critical , don't fill it ! The larger bottle runs more efficiently than the smaller sizes .

I have had a pair of these beautiful tools. My pair were made by the previous company, Charlet Moser. I love the balanced feel when using these instruments. They are not as light as some of the newer style tools, but I believe it is possible to make something too light!
Simon,
Joshua Tree, CA.

I have had quite a number of headlamps over the years . When you you have an early alpine start and sometimes a late , late finish you need a really good lamp that will show you the way on the trail . This Icon headlamp from B.D. is just the ticket ! It is not too heavy and shines like a car headlight ! It has multiple settings , you can check out your guide book the night before , cook breakfast in the dark and find your way out on the mountain in the dawns early light !
It comes in two cool colours , and with Black Diamond quality and a Backcountry warranty you can not go wrong !
Altogether a good piece of kit .

Simon Bentley ,
Joshua Tree , Ca .

I really like these smartwool socks ! I wear them as my inner sock in my mountaineering boots . They are smooth to touch and comfy to wear . I have read that they last a long time too , so far this seems to be the casa . I am glad wool has made a comeback in clothing wear . My feet do not get wet like with other man made fibres ! Sheep grow good insulating material !
Simon Bentley ,
Joshua Tree , Ca.

These Scarpa Boots are the Bees Knees , the real deal , brilliant boots , light 'n'quick ! If you have long walk-ins to alpine climbs you love and need to get done , these are the boots for you . They feel like trail running shoes but give awsome support . It is important not to tighten the laces up too tight . I tightened them up really tight the first time , as I had done for my plastic invernos ! Big mistake , also Be carefull not to overtighten your step in crampons . Too tight crampons are not needed and can cause foot pain .
To sum up , Brilliant pair of boots !
These boots will take care of you in the hills!

Simon Bentley,
Joshua Tree , Ca.

I got a pair of these Sabretooth crampons to go with my Scarpa Triolet boots . A guy from Scarpa told me they would be a really good match ! He was very right , they work really well with the boots .
14 points are better than the old 12 point crampons .
Light and they seem to be very tough . The plastic/nylon front bail is very , very tough and should take many years of abuse .

Simon ,
Joshua Tree , CA.

When you need to stash the ice tools on a route these holsters work well. They weigh almost nothing and are never in the way when climbing . If you climb long routes and have never tried holsters , you need to buy a pair ! I had a hard plastic pair made by Troll , years ago in Wales and never climbed ice without them .
Besides , it seems very American to have twin holsters for your tools !