I have the Petzl Attache and the DMM Big Boa, the Boa is my main belay biner.

It depends how you're using the rope. Lowering off anchors can induce a fair bit of twist. Try rappelling off it a few times, you can knot the ends, but don't knot them together. That seems to get a lot of the kinks out of ropes.

That is a question that is highly debatable. It is mostly agreed that wiregates are easier to clip, and don't exhibit gate slap. FYI, gate slap happens when you hit the back of the rope 'biner on your hand or a wall and the mass of the solid gate makes the gate itself open up, wires have less mass and it is nearly impossible to reproduce this under normal falling conditions.

However, solid and bent gates are stronger overall, and I don't really think much harder to clip under most circumstances. I have a mix of both wire and solid gate biners on my rack.

Wire gate biners are also supposed to be better for ice climbers because you can get them open easier if they freeze. I'm not an ice climber and therefore cannot independently confirm that, but it makes sense to me as an engineer.

Hope that helped, Climb On.

Do you mean the breaking stress? Strain is defined at change in length divided by the original length. Stress is Force divided by area. However, most climbing gear is simply rated by force required to fail it, with a safety factor. Meaning they do away with the known value of area for the end users.

On the lower left of this PDF, you will see a small little diagram that says 15kN. That seems to be the best I can find for you.

http://www.petzl.com/files/all/technical-notice/Sport/C.%20HARNAIS%20ESC%20C00500-D.pdf

First off, I am assuming you mean you want to top your mast, and not just hang over for balast. So, you should pick up two of these, one right handed, and one left handed. You will also need a harness, two slings, or one sling and a foot loop. You will also need carabiners to attach those things to the Ascender.

Some people would leave it at that, and trust that the Ascender is enough to keep you in place at the top, and in all likely hood, it will. I think that most people would want some kind of other back up system at the top. What does the top of your mast look like, is there anything else to tie off to? What size boat is it?
Foot Loop: http://www.backcountry.com/petzl-footape-adjustable-foot-loop

Haul Loop: 12kN-rated.
However, still exercise caution when using it for anything where a life is at stake. The haul loop is meant for hauling, even when it is rated at 12kN.

Outside of hauling purposes, I would be sketch about doing anything much more than rappelling with this loop, and I would still run a sling around my body to the loops in the front as a back up. I would NOT belay or fall from the haul loop.

For the record Sue, a micron is 10^-6 meters.

I also pack my sleeping bag in a StS eVent bag. Its a fantastic bag.

The Backcountry.com Tech Specs have this to say:
"Access Types: Top, side"

You are correct Raoul.

Nate,
You pose a difficult question since you are considering two awesome packs. I am an Atmos 65 Owner, and I can understand why you would worry. However, I think I have learned how to pack better, and bring less non-essential things since I have owned the Atmos 65. That said, I think if you have any doubts that you want more room, upgrade. Also, compression sacks are great for clothes and tents no matter what pack you choose.

Cheers

Tena,

I have two sets of Oakley shades. On the Montefrio's the stems (bows) are fixed in place with a typical hinge assembly. However, the Half Jacket's bow's are indeed able to pop off of the frame, as you say keeping them safe. This has absolutely kept my Half Jackets safe on multiple occasions. I have opened the bag that they are in to find five pieces (Frame, lenses, and bows). However, I would never claim "unbreakable". The lenses are quite destructible, and you can most definitely break the bows if you really wanted to.

"Joint collaboration with Wild Country to standardise colour recognition (DMM make the light weight, coloured Rocks for Wild Country)." As cited from http://www.dmmclimbing.com/productsDetails.asp?pid=5&pid2=11

So, that said,

Here are the size charts for the Wild Country Rocks: http://www.wildcountry.co.uk/Products/PassivePro/Rocks/

Climb On.

As usual, I agree with Phil. If your primary concern at the moment is rain, you should most definitely invest in a rain cover.

This bag is Unisex.

Tami, the thing about most compression bags is that you can buy them big and, not to sound obvious, compress them down. So that means that you can buy big and be good. For these granite bags, I suppose the 22L bag would be plenty big enough for your sleeping bag. Be sure to check out the other compression sacks to make sure you find one that sounds like exactly what you want.

Cheers

98% Sure in the Montbell lexicon, that U.L. stands for UltraLight. I believe that it represents their lightest gear and clothing.

According to Coleman:

"To Charge Battery:

When the battery is fully discharged, it will take 10 to 12 hours (on average), but may take up to 16 to 18 hours, to fully recharge it. To obtain maximum performance, charge for 18 hours for the first three cycles. Always charge the battery immediately after use whenever possible. Charge indoors using a household source."

So it sounds to me like you must charge it the first three or so times with the 120-volt adapter on a household plug, and for quite a long time. So, I don't know if you are doing those things, but they also note that "a small light located on the body, next to the adapter cord hole, will glow when the charger is connected correctly. If the light is not on, the blender is not being charged." So you should check for that.

Sometimes devices like this with built in batteries, the factory will put in little plastic tabs that separate the contact and the battery for shipping and initial storing. Look for something like that perhaps. Let us know what the solution was if you find it.

Good luck tracing the problem down.

For reference, you can find a copy of the owners manual here:
http://search.coleman.com/cgi-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=0&page_id=6750&query=blender

I own 4 other Garmin devices and I can tell you, they make the absolute best GPS gear on the planet. I checked out a few other review sites and this is a fairly highly regarded. I also read that you should definitely update the firmware and maps from Garmin.

Bottom line, this unit is waterproof and will get you where you need to go. Sounds like a win to me. No need to spend more money in my opinion.

~65L or so is a good size, I would absolutely get a couple compression bags for the trip too. Most importantly, don't over pack. Gear junkies want to bring something for every possible occasion. Try to keep it simple, you don't need a new shirt for every day, and you certainly don't need that many pants.

That said, for my money, I would spend a few more bucks and go with the Osprey Kestrel that is on sale this week: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Osprey-Packs-Kestrel-68-Backpack-4000-4200cu-in/OSP0185M.html

Thanks for the great follow up guys. Another solution here is instant coffee. It may not be the world best cup of coffee, but I find that french presses in general don't make the best cup either.

If nothing else here, I think you can safely say that coffee is an open-ended discussion here, and that there are many options available to you. I would take the time to research all the options for what fits your current gear best.

Cheers

You may want to check out the Nite Ize "S-biner": http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Nite-Ize-S-BINER/NTZ0009M.html

Its not a standard carabiner, but people seem to like them. Several types are available on Backcountry.com

After reading through the manual briefly, I believe you can only pair the unit with one watch at a time, so if you were planning one running together with one unit giving both watches data simultaneously, it sounds like that won't work. Of course if you are using it separately, you can simply re-pair it to the other watch and whichever of you needs the GPS is good to go.

Good luck, and if you end up buying this and discover that you can in fact pair it with two watches at once, please come back and let us all know.

Unfortunately the answer is No, this whole press is plastic. For a few dollars more, this Primus product can be used with direct heat: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Primus-LiTech-Coffee-Press-Kit/PMS0047M.html

also, this GSI Percolator might fit the bill for you: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/GSI-Outdoors-Glacier-Stainless-Percolator/GSI0130M.html

I believe you can remove them for travel purposes.

Medium is likely the right choice, especially once you get the thing pass your butt/hips. The nice part about buying it from backcountry is they will exchange if it is too small.

I concur. The beauty of Titanium is that it is intrinsically non-stick as far as foods are concerned, and you are using Titanium on Titanium, so no worries.

Dine on.

Hey Jeff, I too was only able to get a meager amount of information on the dongle that this unit supports, however... if you check out the picture I attached from the Brunton product page (http://brunton.com/product.php?id=636) you can make an educated guess.

To me, it looks like you can remove the cable Brunton sends along with the unit. The especially good news is that the main USB port on the Freedom is a good old standard USB-A plug, or what I suppose Brunton have chosen to call "Computer USB." This is almost guaranteed to be what is on the end that isn't connected to your phone/gps/ipod.

That said, as Phil said, check out the reviews over at REI. I don't especially like cross linking on competing sites, but this device costs a pretty penny and the reviews there are mostly negative and warrant reading.

Good luck finding the right device for you.

Since we are talking about a piece of (relative) safety equipment, the question you pose a difficult to answer. There is the absolute "will it work?" (ie: assume Wild Country was conservative in its rope tolerances and the 8.3 is a go), and there is the "it kind of works" (ie: it will take a bite of rope but there is little to no camming action taking place).

The bottom line is this, 0.2 mm is very small, and this great hidden gen of hardware could likely be a great addition to your kit. So, I wouldn't be afraid to buy one here on BackCountry, and check it out at home or at the gym where you can safely test it out. Heads up though, DO NOT load it with any substantial weight before checking out the next paragraph

The FIRST thing you want to make DAMN sure of is that there is that the cam is sufficiently displaced so that when you place a load on the rope man that the cam is in place because of the pinching force on the rope and not because the cam lobe has hit the stops. This is critical because you don't want to be climbing your rope with just the little teeth. That would be, one, horribly unsafe and, two, probably destroy the rope.

When used properly, in my experience with it, this device does not shred the rope at all, and is safe.

I hope that answers your question enough. I can only testify for as low as 9.8mm with this device, but if you look for the things I mentioned, and everything checks out, you could be the proud owner of a Ropeman MkII. If you find that this device does work for you, I almost guarantee you will buy two.

Climb On.

Garrett, I totally agree with Andrea. You are probably ready to move on from calling yourself a beginner, and move into the next level. If that sounds like what you're into, then I think these shoes can certainly help you do that. As has been stated countless times below, yes, these are fairly aggressive shoes and can take some getting used to, but you can get them in a more comfortable size. This sacrifices performance, which some would argue negates the point of buying these shoes.

On the topic of sizing, I'll say this. I was climbing in 42's (LaSportiva Barracudas), tried on a 41 in the Miura VS, which was a good fit and would have likely broken in and turned into a good multi-pitch shoe. However, I was buying agressive and went down to a 40. They hurt like hell for a few weeks and then after the broke in and are now great for sport and gym climbing.

Climb On

US.

Cheers

Check out the video below Will, you can see there the handle is the top of the unit where the ridges are.

Yup, all leather shoes will stretch out a bit, so buy them tight and push through the initial pain.

Product Name: Cocoon Egyptian Cotton *Mummy* Liner

Mike, the short answer is no, I would just use a knife and be done with it.

The reason is Polyethelene, as used here is a foamed thermoplastic, with a melting point around 220-260˚F, so if you try and take a lighter to the edge you will just make it hard and crunchy. You could try to use a lower temp heat device, like a curling iron or a heat gun, but I don't see much point in trying. I don't think the pad will absorb any extra moisture through the cut edge.

Can you post a picture of the weld on the ring? I'm an engineer and I'll let you know what I think about it. That said, keep in mind, it isn't specified that this is a man-rated piece of gear. So, I don't know that I would use it for an aid step, but I'm sure it does it's intended job well. If you are really sketched out by the ring, then just get a bolt cutter and replace it with a nice safe crab.

And I would assume the hole in the buckle is likely weight savings.

Bluegill, check this link out, from Marmot on their temperature rating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTSDzVs_asE

Check out the Petzl Elios, that seemed to sit pretty well on my head without looking too dorky. I have a Petzl Ecrin Roc, and that looks silly, but its easy to adjust so I keep it for anyone I climb with that needs one.

The reason climbing helmets sit so high is mostly that our main concern isn't bashing our head against the wall on a fall, but rather that pesky flake that your climber just broke off, or the head-sized rock the occasional homicidal mountain goat just kicked off at you, coming from above you. Especially when on belay, with a rock screaming towards your head at a billion miles an hour... Ker-chunk its embedded in your head, at best you're just bleeding, worst, dead on contact... Very comforting for your climber, hah :D So, wear a helmet kiddies!

No, but they are all shiny and awesome :D So, don't stress about it too much.

2.5 US cups = 20 US fluid ounces, and do you mean like a pop-can stove burning denatured alcohol?

Andre, I have a pair of muira vs's, which are very similar in sizing to the solutions. From what I the folks that i climb with, I have heard that the muira and muira vs are pretty darn similar. So, following the logic train there, I would say its safe to say that you are safe picking up a 42 solution. Keep in mind that the safe size isn't always the agressive size. If you are getting a pair of solutions, you might as well go down another half size or so. And my best advice, is if possible go try on the shoes. Hope that helps. Cheers

Already in stock:

http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/CAM0212/CamelBak-Zoid-Hydration-Pack.html

I would look at a pair of TC Pro's.

I'm not sure how well the pulley here would hold up, but your bigger problem is going to come from using your dynamic climbing rope to lift weights, most of your range of motion will be expelled into streching the rope. Also, you are putting alot of cycles into your rope.

I would suggest using a dedicated pulley: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Black-Diamond-Pulley/BLD0112M.html

and a length of static rope. I don't know how practical that is for you, but I think you will save yourself a lot of headache in the long run if you don't use your climbing rope for this.

Jump on the Backcountry.com live chat. The link is in the upper right corner of every page.

Unless you have a local cobbler that would take a look at them for you, that is not worth sending to a cobbler to fix, at least not yet. I know many people just put a little dab of superglue on flaps like that. If you have had these a while, I would go the glue-at-home method, but if they are relatively new, you might just live with it unless it gets bad enough to send to a cobbler.

22 kN along the main axis.

Yep, I can try these on locally. Thanks for the input.

You may also want to check out their stove FAQ:

http://cascadedesigns.com/MSR/FAQ/Stoves

Graham,

This is more of an issue for MSR directly, since you have had yours for years. I doubt it is under warranty, but you can check with MSR/Cascade directly here:

http://cascadedesigns.com/Service/Warranty-and-Repair

I have never heard of a Tracker failing. Definitely a call BCA thing.

Customer Service:
email: info@backcountryaccess.com
Phone: 303.417.1345

As I understand it, they are Swiss Designed.

I would try Arc'teryx Warranties: 1-888-326-9900, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM PST
Monday - Friday

That is great information Costa Czar. +1

It does not, and its 21 pounds to boot. So good luck carrying that under your arm for a half mile with all your tackle and rod... But you could easily rig up a couple straps to this thing to make it backpack-like. I am always a fan of modification's and add-ons.

If you are going to be on the water, i would suggest going with polarized lenses. They are a little more expensive, but it will cut down on glare and therefore eye strain.

Kathy, this should have you covered: http://www.backcountryaccess.com/english/research/documents/StashSquallOwnMan0809.pdf

Making coffee with a percolator is a bit of a craft. It is totally dependent on the coffee, the amount you use, and how strong you like your coffee. Once it starts boiling, you just have to experiment to find the perfect combination.

Jeanette, I just checked out the user manual over on Bruton's website. This neither puts out 240V, nor does it accept it. I suppose you could get a 240V inverter to charge it, but I don't know that that would do you much good.

The 6 Cup is back in stock, for now at least

I think we may need a bit more information before we can help you. Are you planning on re-threading the hex nuts with cord (ie: replace the wire with cord) or are you looking to use this as a sling to carry a rack of protection?

Hop on the live chat and they will be able to answer that question for you. The live chat link is in the upper right corner of the page.

You'll be "that guy" but it should fit in an overhead bin. I got a moderately packed Osprey Atmos 65 in an overhead bin.

They will likely sell you twice the amount you are looking to buy.

For loose soils, it will work. For hard packed stuff, this will be terrible.

Its unlikely that you will be able to fix these,
Interchangeable Lens: No

How does your warranty look?

Here is a link to the screen house you seek: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Eureka-Hex-Screen-House/ERK0025M.html

I'm pretty sure its nylon or polyester. Either way, the sack would absolutely NOT suffice for a pot grabber, it would just melt.

I just held a lighter flame up to mine and it started melting like any low density plastic. So... empirical data backs up my statement. That said, this is a great little pot and I love the spork.

I have sent mine to The Rubber Room in Bishop, CA. If its not climbing season, they should get back pretty quick. Excellent quality on the repair.

Yes it does.

Well, they might stick with the gear included, but your best bet is to use masonry screws and/or cement anchors. They are designed for bricks and cement and will work better in the long run. You can find masonry hardware at your local hardware store Ace/Lowe's/Home Depot...

Dave, I guess that depends on your definition of waterproof. I would yield that it is water resistant for rain and my summary was hasty. However, when I think of "waterproof" I think of a dry bag--which this is not.

Yes, this is a great anchor. I have one attached to my harness at all times.

However, keep in mind that it is a static piece of equipment, and if you put a shock load on it, you can damage the anchor you are attached to. These are not meant for taking any kind of fall without something else to absorb the energy generated. That is what your rope is for.

Use this to make yourself safe at the top, then the best thing to do while bringing your second up is to stay tied into your rope and hitch yourself to the anchor via your climbing rope, that way if you fall, the dynamic rope absorbs the energy. Of course keep this attached as a back up. Just a suggestion though.

This is still a must by for me.

No, not even close to water proof. The shell may bead water, but I wouldn't even call that water resistant.

Frank, backcountry.com has a fantastic return policy, especially useful for sizing. If you think this is the bag for you, I wouldn't hesitate in buying it and trying it on.

If you need additional sizing help for packs, jump on the live chat. They are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful.

I personally like Osprey packs, but Gregory has been around virtually since backpacking was invented.. so your choice is understanable. Secondly, you would have to jump on the live chat to answer the price matching question.

You should be able to at lease supplement the battery with the panel to get additional time. Whether or not it will charge depends on the amount of power the trolling motor draws while operating. Say, if you get the 15W panel and the motor uses 10W, you will be able to charge and operate at the same time.

Yes, this should fit the Heli Pro.

Go with the La Sportiva sizing, it will be the most relevant.

These will barely charge a laptop, go bigger.

You want a shoe a little smaller than your street shoe. Sometimes half a size to a size and a half down. Depends on your foot really.

Tyson, sorry man, I read your question late yesterday and pad turned into bag in my brain. The two little webbing loops on the bottom would be great if you tie a loop of cording around your sleeping pad. That my suggestion at least. Sorry for the earlier confusion.

Harold, that sounds about how I wear this jacket. Say between 10F to 40F, I might get away with a T-shirt, sometimes with a henley or thin sweater like your dad. 10F and lower though a sweatshirt is pretty standard for me underneath it. You'll be surprised how windproof this jacket is, I know I was. So windchill isn't too big of a deal.

I would say if your dad is just looking for a jacket to bomb around town in doing errands and whatnot, its perfect. I really like this jacket. Its quite versital.

I got all the accessories from BC.com. Ordered winter 2010.

The zipper on the bottom is the sleeping bag compartment. Thats where most people stash their bag, sometimes I'll stash a jacket there too for easy access if the top is loaded.

There is no official brightness rating, but take my word for it. The spotlight if really really bright.

Here ya go: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Sigg-Traveler-Water-Bottle-06L/SIG0053M.html

The Men's version of this "Hydration Jersey" has a picture of the back side, I assume they are very similar. So that might help answer your question.

Here is the link: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/CamelBak-Racebak-Hydration-Jersey-Mens/CAM0280M.html

http://www.ospreypacks.com/Packs/KodeSeries/

They have a really handy flash application for checking out the pack.

Wow "Petzl Head Office", that is no way to treat anyone. Especially not on a gear website.

George, this is the second largest bag here on Backcountry.com, the largest being the Osprey Packs Argon 110 being slightly larger, and has a few more pockets and whatnot.

I rarely send people away from Backcountry.com, but since you are looking for such a specific application, you should look at Mystery Ranch Packs. These are the go to packs for the military. Here is a link to their largest packs. If you have the money to spend these are phenomenal packs and will likely be your best option. They are made right here in Bozeman, Montana.

http://www.mysteryranch.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.54/.f

I would pick right in the middle and go with 7.5, which is in stock. As long as you have good socks on you shouldn't get blisters or the like, and you will want these tighter than a street shoe, since approach can include some tricky scrables or short free climbs and the like.

That sounds like an accurate description of what the picture you described describes. I would agree with your assessment, based on my experience of blowing moist air/water through a crack, seriously.

Epic MS Paint! Haha. The technical manual for the pack lists those simply as "Four accessory tie-in points." So, like Geoffery said, get come shock-cord or just some static cord if you are so inclined, and tie some stuff to your pack :D

There is the link to the manual. Check Page three, balloon 7.
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/uploads/black-diamond/files/MM6098_A%20Launch_packsWEB.pdf

Yes, physically it has room for all that.

Though my paranoia about my laptop and $150 texts being in with the bladder would keep me from doing so.

From what I've heard, they are quite similarly sized, but your best bet is to go to your local shop and try them out.

This helmet comes with a 1 year warranty from BlackDiamond.

Here is the link to the BD site:
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/customer-service/warranty-repair

That is a downgrade in their status then :( a couple of weeks again the rep said sometime in January to look for more. Bummer.

I would agree with Jeff that you could use this on an open fire, but there are better options as far as pots go that would be more practical for open flame cooking.

This is nylon, and is going to make the noise you are looking to avoid.

I would recommend getting the pack you want and making sure it is hydration compatible if that is the key feature you are looking for. Water bladders are available separately.

The case backing looks to be a simple pry-off. If you have a small enough screw driver to lever it open, you can change the battery for just the price of the battery. Not sure what you need, but watch batteries aren't too expensive. Alternatively, you could try to take it to a jeweler to open and replace the battery.