Raw Notes From The Field - Good Snow
out in the middle of nowhere, all by itself. a random place for a forest service bathroom but as you can see it was snowing hard so the shelter was a welcome surprise. that is my trusty black diamond trekking pole holding the door open and the kuiu chugach jacket hanging from it.
my vhf radios have the noaa weather radio frequencies programmed into them and on friday i listened regularly to hear how good this storm was going to be. i also watched the area radar on my motorola droid via the weatherbug app (it is the best weather app i have seen for smart phones). everything pointed to heavy snow, low temperatures and strong wind which is exactly the kind of conditions i was hoping for so i hit the road and headed north for the mogollon rim. i wasn't disappointed.
i spent the day hiking in the storm which is the best way in my opinion to really test gear. envrionmental test chambers and computer programs are fine for some things but you really don't get a sense of how something really works until you get it out in the field in real world situations use it hour after hour. besides, i love being out in this kind of weather anyway but having a genuine purpose while i am out there makes me feel like i can't turn back even if i wanted to. sort of like being on a sar mission again.
north central arizona. 7450 foot elevation. 24 degrees. 6 to 8 inches of new snow
todays gear;
lowa creek II gtx boots-warm, waterproof, easy to walk in forever on flats and moderate terrain. these are outstanding light and medium duty lace up insulated snow boots
smart wool light walking crew socks-still the best socks i own
underarmour 9 inch boxer briefs-my skivvies of choice for several years now. i wonder if they make them in full length
arborwear tech stretch pants-treated with nikwax dwr to shed precipitation. by far my favorite pants and they even do well in foul weather although they can't replace my shell bibs and pants
yates uniform rappel belt-a staple
rei power dry zip t-neck base top-heavy weight model, while i love polartec power dry material it is not nearly as comfortable to wear for long periods as the old rei poly pro (thankfully i have a bunch of these). effective at keeping me dry and warm but not as soft or flexible as the poly pro which is kind of a bummer
rei activestretch half zip top-an absofreakinglutely fantastic piece of gear that i have had but not used very much. i forgot just how good it was and how much i liked it. i like it best on top of a lightweight poly pro zip t-neck top but it could be worn on its own. it is soft, easy to move in and provides a ton of insualtion for its weight. and it is available in both sport and stealthy colors. that is my new bestest base top combo
hanz gloves-still the best light slash medium all purpose gloves ever made. period
kuiu chugach jacket-performed beautifully no matter how hard i worked or how heavy it snowed. the hood works particularly well with my hardcore outdoor baseball caps. still needs some elastic in the cuffs so you can keep them properly adjusted while donning and doffing the jacket. the chugach is properly cut for wearing layers and using active ventialtion techniques. great jacket so far and the stretch feature is growing on me
jubo mountaineering glasses-very good
black diamond trekking pole-perfect
spot satellite messenger gen 2-outstanding. performance was unaffected by the snow storm or being buried under 6 inches of snow. i talk to regular people all the time that are big hikers and backpackers who don't own a spot and it absolutely amazes me. i am telling you, every one of you should be carrying one of these every time you leave the ruck. period. end of story.
blackhawk tsunami hydration pack-carries 100 ounces of water and has two compartments just big enough for me to accomidate the contents of my hill people gear kit bag. water, comms, navigation, fire, medical, signaling and light all in one compact easy carrying little pack. pretty slick
i have a question, how do tactical guys cover there tracks in snow situations?
action packers by rubbermaid are a good way to store and transport your gear but they are not dustproof, waterproof or shockproof and that is a problem for me
i have been looking for an alternative to my 24 gallon actionpackers because they offer only minimal protection from the elements and they are not suitable for air transport but i can't find anything close to the same size made by anyone like pelican or skb. i have to believe that i am not alone in my search for good truck boxes.
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