Modern Poncho

Climb high and dry in Patagonia's Post Foamback
Cagoule. Plus it's got that cool William-of-Baskerville
look in The Name of the Rose. 

AT, CDT and PCT thru-hikers, check it out! Barbour people, this compares favorably:

Patagonia has sent their limited edition, retro classic Cagoule (a long, pullover rain shell) to the Dillon outlet store. Prices have been slashed by a third, and soon there won't be any more left. Who knows if they will ever make this amazing piece again?

GoreTex Packlite provides waterproof/breathability over a wide temperature range with a soft, quiet hand. Perfect for walking in the rain all day with very little else worn beneath. The jacket folds into its own pocket (you can clip it to your harness). In driving rain, for grace under pressure, pull the long skirt down over your knees and sit out the storm.

I started coveting this elusive garment as a student learning to navigate icefall on the Roosevelt Glacier on Mt. Baker, years ago. I awoke on Day 2 to rain pissing down at 36 degrees Fahrenheit, and it never stopped for the rest of the week.

My instructor, on the star-spangled team at the American Alpine Institute (the best climbing school there is, in my view, which puts me in agreement with Jon Krakauer for once!), spent the week shouting encouragement at the base of various seracs, totally dry under an umbrella in a Scottish cagoule from the 1960s or something, and I've never been so jealous. He just rolled it up and cinched the drawcord waist when he needed to tie in. Today's Patagonia version even has side zips for kangaroo access.

Expensive, but worth every penny.

If there's only one gift you ever give the long distance hiker in your life, this is it.  But hurry, because they'll soon be only just a dream once again.

Sideways: check. Climbing? Not. This is an ass-kicking
17th century downpour from
Brotherhood of the Wolf.
The Patagonia Cagoule protects from these, too.

How Many Packs?

Springtime in Virginia: almost time for my annual service project in memory of my childhood friend, Lolly Winans, who was murdered in Shendandoah National Park on Memorial Day weekend back in in 1996, four years after I spent my year on the trail. Time to pack the overnight gear, shoulder the burden and head up to the Appalachian Trail to commune with this year's crop of thru hikers on their way north from Springer Mountain, Georgia. They'll be hungry; it has been a very cold spring.

Photo: Chad, trailname "Stick,"
courtesy sticksblog.com.

Like most outdoorsy types, I've got a few rucksacks. People ask how many. Here's what I carry on my back and what they're for.

Just remember that, as with clothes and shoes, packs are designed with model users in mind, and not all packs fit everyone well. Torso length, back breadth and the cut of the shoulder straps are the three main fit issues in backpacks.

Sometimes you have to rule out an entire manufacturer. Doesn't mean they don't produce tricked-out, high quality soft goods. Cold Cold World make some terrific alpine rucksacks, for instance, but they don't fit my body. Same with the super rugged crag packs by Mountain HardWear and Marmot. Obsessed with ultralight, I carried big heavy winter loads with an ultralight MontBell pack for a few years until I simply got fed up with the poor fit. I remember the day I had to give away my expensive, off-the-rack McHale Dyneema pack because it had been hell to carry on a couple trips in the Sierras. (Custom is the only way to go with acclaimed McHale, who are superb craftsmen, just like Feathered Friends who have the happy hand with custom down bags and apparel, and so I look forward to trying out a McHale rucksack again someday.)

Other times, certain lines just don't' feel right, while others fit like a glove. I've had this issue with both Patagonia and Black Diamond. So there's no substitute for trying on a fully weighted pack (loaded with your own gear) before you buy. And since this is such a hassle, just accept that you'll make a few mistakes before you settle on the perfect rucksack.

Packs and their uses are best laid out by size. Back when I trekked the Appalachian Trail, the standard volume measurement was cubic inches. The world has switched to liters now:

9 L Black Diamond Flash

The Patagonia Ascenionist
ready for Chamonix.
I bought the light grey
version because I like to
see what's inside.
Choose bright colors for
alpine routes. 

Basically an adventure racing or trail running pack. Barely enough room for water, snacks, essentials and a windbreaker or safety blanket. Light as a feather and disappears into your travel luggage. Great for running up the Sky Meadow blue blaze to the AT, cycling around the Mall, half days along the Hudson or rollerblading in Santa Monica.

20 L Black Diamond Bullet 
The breed standard climber's pack, this goes inside my crag pack or approach pack on rock and ice climbs. It has two haul loops, a whistle on the sternum strap, works with a water bladder and carries everything you need for a long day. Rugged, reliable, intuitive enough to give to your partner, stripped down. A bottomless pit. Can never work out why trad leaders need the bigger size.

32 L Black Diamond Sphinx 
My crag pack. Carries a full rack, rock & ice gear, helmet and a rope to the bottom of your route in addition to all your personal gear (stuffed inside the 20 L lead pack). The stiff lower back pad anchors the heavy 45 lb loads you'll carry in winter. 

35 L Patagonia Ascensionist 
The new kid on the block. Perfect for fast approaches, warm weather overnights or winter day trips where you keep moving. Ice tools attach easily but there are no haul loops, no floating lid and not even a place to secure your keys: this is a seriously minimalist design aesthetic. Flexible fabric suspension, tensioned by a light aircraft aluminum grade rod, moves with you and the shoulder straps/hip pads are comfortable. Don't overload it, and this will be an ultralight joy to carry.

The Osprey Variant 52 and a paddle
gets you to your route in Norway.

52 L Osprey Variant
Short winter alpine trips are no problem for this lightweight, full-featured workhorse. I can pull a sled from the gear loops on the waist belt (no harness needed), carry skis, haul the pack, and lug all the climbing and camping gear I need for a couple days in the backcountry. Side pockets accommodate pickets and wands. Has a similar suspension system to the Ascensionist's, only this one is burlier, extending through the lumbar  pad. Also features my favorite detail: a whistle on the sternum strap. (Dude, no not separate from your pack when you are cold, injured and lost!) Easy and secure ice tool attachment system. I love the dedicated med kit pocket in front of the shovel pocket. Everyone on your trip can get to it in an emergency. Plus this pack fits me like a glove and carries great even without back stays. (BTW, I've noticed Ospreys dominate on the Appalachian Trail. Great mix of quality, value and intelligent design.)

The Astra 62 by Canadian
quality masters, ArcTeryx.
Hi tech with thoughtful details
like helmet compatibility
and a jointed hip belt.
The color is tasteful enough
for trekking.

62 L ArcTeryx Astra
People say it's over designed and maybe it is. I take this on trips of 3-5 days, on shoulder season trips when I need a warm bulky sleeping bag, and on all deluxe backpacking trips where extras like big tents, chairs, lanterns, wine, whiskey, camp shoes, cooked breakfast and French Press coffee are non-negotiables. Friends tell me it's the best trekking pack they've ever owned, with a horseshoe zipper that makes it easier to play Town & Country. It's not the lightest, at just over 4 pounds, but it organizes and carries 50 lb. loads like nothing else. If you've ever had to play superhero, camp with kids or haul somebody else's gear off the mountain, you know what those bulky, unexpected loads can feel like. The hip belt is jointed at the lumbar attachment point--a bit high tech (requiring silicon lubrication)--but the pack moves with you, and you feel very agile under the weight. Beautifully designed down to the last detail, although the side water bladder pocket is a bit skimpy; only big enough for a 2 liter platypus bladder.

115 L Dana Designs Astralplane
Old faithful. Highly customized fit. Most reparable in the field. Very useful for field medicine and search and rescue: side zips allow you to carry out a sick or injured person in this pack. Alaskans and military types swear by this thing. Carried one in winter on my 1991 AT hike after my trusty old Mountainsmith blew out. For hunters and white gas stove people fearing leaks, the separate fuel pockets are worth the weight. NOLS people: this is the kinda thing you want for those trips. Big enough to pack the kitchen sink. Heavy at like 8 pounds but carries 60-100 lb. loads like a porter. (Some smartass on the internet writes, "if you have to ask how heavy that is, you won't be able to pick it up." Not true. There's a trick to it.) Dana Designs are now manufactured by Mystery Ranch in Bozeman, Montana.

These packs keep their place in my gear loft because they all add to the pleasures of self-sufficiency off the grid. So experiment with rucksacks of different styles and volumes and get out there!

How It's Done: Getting in and out of skis on firm steeps

I ski on the Diamir Eagle bindings, and as I was browsing YouTube to learn more about the Dynafit setup (hint: half the weight at 1,000 grams), I came across one of the best little instructional videos I've seen in a long time.

How it's really done. Mike Hattrup.

Here's veteran Mike Hattrup for K2 playing ski mountaineering guide, offering tips on how to get in and out of skis on a firm, steep slope. And he's damn good at both explaining and demonstrating it.

So today's blog is about raising a glass to all the guides in your life, and in mine, who have showed us the way in the backcountry. Few of us got out there and back safely in our early days without care and feeding from folks with the patience to pass on the tips and tricks of life's great outdoor experiences.

In my life, these people are too numerous to name here. Thank you all.

There was thunder and lightning to go with the downpour today at my daughter's Mini Ski Olympics, which motivated everyone with Sochi conditions. But I'm bracing for one, last big snow dump this year, and I plan to spend a good hour or two on some of the backcountry tips I just learned on YouTube from people like Hattrup and my daughter's favorite, Andrew McLean, demonstrating here how to change over smoothly from climbing to skiing when there's no time for a brew-up.

Get out there, support great guide services, tip handsomely, and practice, practice, practice.

 

SPOT

PLB? This is the one you need. The SPOT tracker.

Alert 911, call for help or let people know you’re okay or delayed. On the road where cell service is unreliable. In the backcountry or on the water. Even fits in your teenage daughter’s handbag.

SPOT is the 7-oz. safety net for responsible adventurers. It’s a subscription-based PLB (personal locator beacon) service with a solid international land-based network.

I never ride or trek without mine turned on. It’s the ONLY reason my family lets me off the leash. Seriously.

Backcountry travelers: avoid the SPOT Connect, which saps the charge on your mobile phone, rendering the system useless in short order.

Now let's talk ethics.

Critics are right when they bemoan widespread abuse of this device. As a certified Wilderness First Responder, I've heard all the stories. Idiots regularly misuse the 911 alert feature, putting rescuers at risk. I’m all for SPOT, and so I’m all for adventurers paying for their own needless “rescues.”

Get SPOT, get out there, have fun and always bring fresh lithium batteries. Be responsible for your own health and safety. SPOT is there to back you up. It’s peace of mind, not a concierge service.

Naps

Naps. I never go anywhere without them.

Never needed a scientific study to tell me that naps work for whatever ails you.

Need a creative solution? Take a nap.

They can’t be beat for sheer strategic reboot value. They civilize all travel, not just adventure travel. 

What’s glamping without napping? 

When you wake up from a nap in the backcountry, something magical happens to the landscape. It looks different, it feels different, it smells different. Naps shift your perspective. 

Which is what makes them critical portable equipment.  

But as with love and epics, you have to equip yourself with the skill to nap well.

Develop your eye for a first class napping opportunity

I think I first aspired to world class achievement on the Appalachian Trail. My traveling companion was a Flat-Coated retriever. After seven months on the trail, sleeping together in my tent every night, I had become more like a dog while Ben had become more like a person. I taught him not to slurp his soup. He taught me to nap. What a pro.

The number of people who tell me, “I can’t take naps,” only proves that napping, like most things, takes diligence and practice. I’m still working towards my 10,000 hours.

Everyone has a different nap rhythm. Time of day, duration of nap, depth of sleep, ideal or even necessary environmental conditions. You’ll have to find your own sweet spot. 

Thru-hiker nap

In my twenties I learned from my best friend, a former cavalry officer, the time-honored rule taught at Sandhurst: “Sleep is a Phase of War.” Adventure napping is the peacenik version, where you exercise control over your mind and body to demand rest, healing and a change of tempo when you know you need it most. 

So get out there and keep improving your skills and honing your technique. You’ll soon find that, like most Epicurean delights, naps get even better when you do them with another person.

Well deserved nap