[pct-l] RE: Ice axes, Making multiple use gear

[bjensen4@juno.com (Birgitte Jensen)]

 > I am wondering  if anybody out there knows of other manufactures that
carry an >aluminum ice ax,about 31 inches, 

   Lots of SPS-ers use REI axes - they're approved, for one thing, which
surely sways some people. Ultralites like the Grivel Air Tech/Racing
(12-14oz?) or Nepal Light (9.5oz?) are snow-only (maybe easy ice) of
course,  and tend to come with shorter shafts, but I'm sure you can get
the ever-popular Cassin Dragonfly (12oz?) in up to 80cm. It's how much
$$$ you have to spend, bottom line; they're all fine (don't sue me!) for
general Sierra mountaineering, and certainly for the Trail hike. Wouldn't
worry about needing to have an axe-in-hand constantly for most of the
PCT, even quite early-season, or in the rest of the Sierra, for that
matter. It'll (safely) spend most of the time in/on your pack, which
makes lengths like 65 cm appealing weightwise as well as
convenience-wise. You're talking self-arrest, mainly, right? Not lengthy
downhill step-cutting or anything (most people just use crampons,
anyway).

>For you other nuts out there, who like me, like to make their own
equipment
>whenever possible

     Nuts?! Har-ump!! Like "whining" <g>,  tinkering  with gear sorta
goes with the backpacking-territory! Probably none of us isn't working on
a Better Mousetrap most of the time. I myself (along with a few hundred
others, undoubtedly) invented the hiking-sandal, and not a day goes by
when we don't kick ourselves in our sorry behinds for not following-thru,
patentwise, groan Now that the internet can make us all Rich!!!!, alot of
those projects are for hopeful sale on websites. I recently met a guy who
was working the bugs out of his 16lb Ultralite hiking tent - 13.5 lbs of
bugs, to be precise...<VBG>                            bj

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