No Subject

[Jim_Ostdick@firstclass1.csubak.edu (Jim Ostdick)]

	We're reporting on the performance of some equipment we used last weekend
just in case the information will help somebody else on the list. 

	Kelly and I snowshoed about 4 miles up the trail that leads to the lakes
above Big Pine (15 mi south of Bishop, CA) and spent the night at about
9,500 feet. This was my first snow camping experience, Kelly's second...
if you're bored already, scroll on. Otherwise, here's some stuff and how
it worked.

	MSR Denali snowshoes ($12/day rental from Wilson Eastside Sports in
Bishop). I liked 'em, Kelly didn't. We were both glad we had them. They're
lightweight and easy to get on and off, but Kelly's top bindings came
undone frequently. My boots have a wider toe box than hers and I didn't
experience that irritation. The "flotation" was decent in thigh-to-hip
deep drifts, but I'd compare before I'd buy. They also make a tail-like
attachment that extends the length of the shoe, which would probably help
in the deeper snow. I appreciated the instep crampons for this moderately
steep, sometimes rocky trail. 

	Stormkloth waterproof, insulated sox. Lightweight, warm, efficient,
comfortable, ~$25 at Sports Chalet in La Canada. This was the second time
we used these puppies while hiking in the snow. We love 'em. Kept our feet
dry and toasty except for the very ends of my skinniest toes. 

	Stephenson 2RS tent. Once again, this tent was the bomb. Woke up with
five inches of powder on top of the tent...tight and warm in 9 degree
temps. Mistake: we piled our wet clothing in a corner overnight. Like my
experience in heavy rains last summer near Ebbets Pass, the result of this
dumb choice was a good deal of condensation on the inner walls. I've never
had condensation in this tent except when I've stored wet clothes inside.
I've been told to solve this dilemma by "drying" the clothes inside my
sleeping bag...does this work, people?  

	Thermorest Light sleeping pad. We each used one of these and it was
plenty of pad, even in the cold. We love 'em.

	Mountain Hardware Torrent rain suit (waterproof, non-breathable nylon). I
wore this thing to sleep in as a "vapor barrier" experiment and I had to
unzip my bag several times to let some cold air in! I lugged my heavy duty
Slumberjack Everest Elite double bag up there and I was TOO warm after a
while. It was good to know, though, that if I ever get stuck in REALLY
cold temps, I can turn to my rain gear for warmth. Bring on the Yukon. 

	Speaking of warmth, we used a Trangia alcohol stove to melt some snow and
cook two Lipton dinners. It was great on fuel consumption (a couple of oz
burned for an hour), but man, melting the snow and boiling the water in
the 9 degree cold was like living through the geologic time scale...30
minutes for the first dinner and 25 for the second, using a windscreen
from an old Whisperlite and a 1.3 liter Evernew Titanium pot (no, we
haven't blackened the bottom yet). Now I realize that when a solid begins
to melt, heat must be added to keep it melting and that because the heat
goes to increase potential energy, not kinetic energy, the temperature
doesn't rise until the solid absorbs the heat and turns to liquid (they
just thought I was sleeping through the latent heat of fusion lecture),
but when you're butt-cold and you want hot food, Bill Nye the Science Guy
is the last thing on your mind. Better to use the last of your water for
cooking and melt snow to drink later. Of course, all you old snow pros
already knew that. 

	Rokk Flatiron backpack (3.16 lb). I had this little dude stuffed to the
gills with that monster sleeping bag and a So Cal beach person's worth of
warm things to layer all over my shivering bod and it was solid as, well,
you know, a Rokk... (Jeff Eckert, this pun's for you).  Some people have
knocked its suspension. I think it's a great, tough, simple, functional
pack ($89 at Big 5 in Bakersfield).  

	Hope this helps somebody. See you out there.   

	


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