Recently Purchased!

Valandre Shocking Blue Lightweight Expedition Sleeping Bag

I recently acquire the Valandre Shocking Blue sub 13 degree bag in preparation for my Peru trip in July.  I've heard nothing but stellar reviews for this bag, and it had to be stellar considering the retail on this specialty item is $600.  It is probably the lightest bag of it's class. 

A particular handy feature of the bag is it's Marie Antoinette neck collar, which effectively compartmentalizes the bag into a head section and a body section.  We'll see how that holds up as I am typically a restless sleeper.

Specs:

Comfort rating - sub 13 degrees

Avg Weight - 3 lbs 1 oz

Fill - 800-fill goose down

Shell - Nylon polyamide ripstop

Lining - Polyester

Shoulder girth - 65 in

Hip girth - 56 in

Fits up to - 6 ft

Stay tuned for the field review in August!

Gear Notes

Petzl Ecrin Roc Climbing Helmet

Note:  A solid all-around helmet.  The neckstrap can be a nuisance, especially when having to look up to belay a climber.

La Sportiva Trango S Evo GTX Mountaineering Boots

Note:  For their weight they have kept my feet warm through everything i've done, including Rainier.  The gray weave on the side of the shoe has a tendency to tear up after a while.  The shoe is overall comfortable with Superfeet inserts.  These worked well on semi-steep ice, even when I could only get my toetips into the slope.

Grivel G-12 NewMatic Crampons with Anti-Bott device

Note:  The G-12's fit like a glove into my Trangos, and the cinches can be pulled tight.  The points bite securely into all the ice and snow i've encountered in the past year.  You have to retighten straps after a good few hours of glacier movement, but that's standard for any pair of cramps.

Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness

Note:  It's the common choice for glacier travel.  It packs well and takes up very little space.  You don't have a belay loop, which is the only drawback.  But you don't really need the loop anyhow.  A good choice for a streamlined, no-frills harness.

REI Men's Mistral Pants

Note:  These are performance pants.  They hold up well in all but heavy rain.  You can even sit on snow for a short time and expect to keep dry.  Made with the standard, Schoeller material.  Just don't glissade on them more than a handful of times or you're guaranteed a rip.  Pockets are roomy with pullstraps that are handy to use when gloved.

REI Men's Mistral Lightweight Jacket

Mountain Hardware Powerstretch Gloves

Note:  The most comfortable gloves I own and they fit tightly against your hands, so you can do most anything you'd do without gloves on.  If your expecting to climb and do alot of grabbing onto a rock or snow slope, then they can tear apart.  Overall though, these feel great on the hands and they are cheap enough to buy another pair whenever you need to replace them.

Chris's Recommendation

Helios Ultralight Down

So you get to the top of an icy peak, you are cold, and the wind chill is bringing the temperature past zero. There's only one top you'll want to keep you warm on the summit. It's the Helios Ultralight 800 Down Jacket! It's handmade locally in Seattle by Feather Friends, a great company with experience in making down products for some of the great mountaineer expeditions.

It cost me $208, which is pricey, but they are good about repairs and these jackets last a long time. It offers a full range of motion, is the lightest down jacket around, AND is toasty-warm!  What I like more than anything about this jacket though is it's compactness and it fits really well on my body.

It DOES NOT come with a hood, so if that's a consideration you might look at some of FF's expedition class down.