HARDCORE OUTDOOR-GEAR REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HUNTING, HIKING, SEARCH AND RESCUE, MILITARY: Raw Notes From The Field
Raw Notes From The Field
flagstaff, arizona in may. the snowbowl ski lifts are closed but it is still cold and snowing on arizonas highest point (mt humphreys is 12,643 feet). a great time and place to get up on the mountain and test some gear. i woke up saturday morning in the bed of my truck. 9315 feet above sea level, 20 plus mph winds and 12 degrees but i was buck naked and toasty comfy in my sleeping bag slash bedroll from the outdoorsmans.
lowa silberhorn gtx, lowa tibet pro gtx, bridgedale summit socks, under armour boxer briefs, rei power stretch zip t-neck top, sitka gear ascent pants, sitka gear stormfront jacket, hardcore outdoor cap, maui jim sunglasses, yates uniform rappel belt, hanz gloves, outdoor research crocodile gaiters, outdoorsmans sleeping bag, ortovox pro alu II shovel, black diamond trekking pole, gnat canister stove, jetboil flash stove, spot 2.1, iridium sat phone, globalstar sat phone.
the outdoorsmans sleeping bag is a nicer, bigger, better camp/truck bedroll. it is insulated with wiggys lamilite, rectangular roomy and the layers make it super flexible with regard to temp. naked is the only way to go in this one so you don't get tangled up in the flannel whilst tossing and turning. makes using the pee bottle easier anyway. needs some kind of collar though to keep the cold off your shoulders. i like the internal pad sleeve
lowa silberhorn gtx boots are awesome. great with or without crampons for mountaineering in the lower 48
lowa tibet pro gtx boots are every bit as good and better then the previous version. a great all around heavy duty boot. lowa continues to impress
bridgedale summit knee high socks were warm and didn't even hint at slipping or sagging down. best cold weather sock i have
rei power polartec stretch zip t-neck top is a perfect cold weather base layer to wear under a shell when you are huffing and puffing and working hard up high
sitka ascent pants prove over and over again to be a comfortable, versatile pant that holds up and performs well
sitka gear stormfront jacket is really nice. works beautifully in all weather. order one size up for thick insulation layers
hanz gloves. perfect. period. nuff said
love the yates rappel belt. not as beefy and stiff as my wilderness instructor/duty belts but thinner and lighter and good to go for emergency tie ins and hook ups
maui jims hookipa sunglasses are still outstanding for all around but they were a little underpowered for the cold wind and bright snow this trip
liked the new ortovox pro alu II shovel very much. hoe feature allows you to scrape and pull snow as well as standard digging. bullet proof materials/construction. nice piece
iridium vs. globalstar sat phones. globalstar is lighter, smaller, slicker and when you can get and hold a signal it has better voice quality but the iridium works every time without having to wait. winner iridium. no contest if you carry a sat phone to actually use it
i bought this pair of outdoor research crocodile gaiters in 1993 for a rainier trip and have used them hundreds of times since. 17 years of heavy duty, hardcore use. i even used them as toilet paper once. yea, they looked pretty rough but they never let me down until now. finally blew out the stitching that held the velcro in place. i 'spose i could repair them but i think i will just retire and replace them with...another pair of outdoor research crocodiles of course
surprise. the new super lightweight gnat canister stove boiled water at the inyati tailgate cafe faster than my current bestest canister stove from snow peak. it is also the lightest on the market at 1.6 ozs. hmmmmm. like the german soldier on laugh in says...very interesting
here's a tip for you tourists, never a good idea to poke the old guy sleeping in the back of his truck to ask him a stupid question. if he is snoring then he is alive and well. leave him alone
a trip to flag wouldn't be the same without stoping at alpine pizza. worth 4 hours of driving? well, yea but then again i've done 12 hour round trips for crunchy california rolls and saki bombers at yummy sushi in 'nado
how could the busch family sell budweiser to a bunch of commis. that was the quintisential american brand. taboo. sack relig i tell you. what's next? disney to the red chinese, mcdonalds to india, playboy to the saudis. madness
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