Down or Synthetic

It wasn't that long ago when if you needed a lightweight warm jacket to take to the mountains you would go for (goose) down, But things have changed in the last few years with the advances in Synthetic's, Companies like Primaloft has changed the game and we now have 2 choices and there are good reasons for both, Most down are from Goose, The down is not the actual feather but rather the fluffy bit under the feathers,You can get a mix, Mother nature is hard to beat when it comes to insulation but here are drawbacks to using down, On the plus side its very light and compactable which is important if you have far to carry anything, The negatives with using down is that it doesn't stand up well when wet, The down clogs up and you loose heat i.e you will get cold, Synthetics on the other hand hold body heat well even when wet and the fibres that make it up stay in place,Not everybody can use down as they have allergies and this is another plus point for synthetics, So if you are trekking in cold dry conditions then got for Goose Down but if say you are heading to Macchu Picchu or the Smoky Mountains where it can be cold but damp/humid then a synthetic jacket would be the better choice, Synthetic jackets also dry much faster than a Down jacket.
 The high altitude summit style of jacket currently will be 800+ fill Goose and i am interested to see if over the next few years if that will change
Working for The North Face i get to see and try all the new gear, Their top of the range Mountain gear is called the 'Summit' series and goes L1 to L6 with the L being the layer, There are 2 styles of  L3 jackets, 1 in Goose and the other a synthetic named the Ventrix, In the same market as the Ventrix you have the Patagonia Nano air and the Arcteryx Atom of which i have both, All 3 jackets are super comfortable and have a 4 ways stretch to the material making them great climbing jackets, I think the Patagonia Nano air was the first in the market, the Northface Ventrix has a couple of tricks up its sleeve so to speak, You cannot see it but the material inside the jacket when made goes through a roller that puts small slits in the material under the arms and in the Summit series down the center of the back, When you are stretching like when climbing the slits will open letting excess heat dissipate and when you are back in a normal position the slots close keeping your body heat in, All very clever and something you cannot do with Down, So there you have it, Always nice to have choices but now you have different styles of jacket for different conditions

Dave

Time for an update, Holidays, Gore-tex and Work

Its been far too long since my last blog but  here things have been busy so lots of catching up to do, Firstly a trip to Ireland and the UK Which was great, I did manage a couple of treks, One in the hills above Clonmel, Not difficult and then i climbed the Holiest mountain in Ireland called Croagh Patrick, Its not super high but its a tough climb, 2 hours busting your lungs on the way up and about 1.5 hrs down, Glad i did it but really not the nicest climb in the world but a good training ground and would like to have something similar close to home, Here you can see me at the top wearing my $750 Arcteryx shell, It was cool and cloudy when i left as well as some mist in the air and although the clouds broke to give good views the nip in the air stayed however i was drenched when i got back to the car, Not outside but inside, So much for breathable Gortex of which i will go into later

Back at home i started working for The North Face which for a hiker is a dream job as you get to see and learn about the latest gear and have some discount so that you can afford to buy some, I do have a list of wants but not really needs as i have pretty much everything i need except Mountaineering boots, I did buy The North Face Himalayan jacket which is something i have wanted for years, Its impressive in its weight/warmth ratio but has a god awful zipper which really lets it down, In the description on line it states it has a 2 way zipper but it doesn't, The zipper is small and fiddly and i would not want to try and do it up at altitude in the cold, Its a shame but i can live with it, I recently tested it here as we have had a very cold spell and i dressed up to take some wildlife shots in my backyard at night where the temperature dropped to -6, 4 hours and i was still nice and warm, Here i am ready to go outside dressed in The North Face Himalayan Jacket and pants with Cabelas ice fishing boots and Outdoor research Alti Gloves

Gortex is Gortex right? Wrong
Goretex to me is like in the 80's when everything said turbo, Good marketing, I do have many Goretex products and i do believe it is a good product but not the be all and end all, There are 3 kinds of Goretex
1. Normal Goretex used in jackets and shoes/boots
2. Gortex Active, used in very light weight jackets for running etc
3, Goretex Pro, 3 layers use in high end jackets etc
I have goretex hiking boots and used Salomon GTX hiking boots when i walked the Camino, Goretex boots and shoes are great when the temperatures are low, Once the temperatures rise its blister time, Goretex is supposed to allow you boots/clothing to breathe but stop water getting in which it can do but if you build up more sweat than it can get rid of then you cook, Like my feet did on the Camino and when i used my Arcteryx jacket on Croagh Patrick, Once you know this then you can dress accordingly, In summer or warm conditions i will not use Goretex boots/shoes and will layer to keep cool,Goretex lining acn also break down, I have 4 pairs of Salomon boots and after a lot of hiking i.e 300-400 miles when it rains my feet get wet, I have not had that in my North Face boots so it could just be a Salomon problem

Here is a good article on Goretex taken from the Outdoor Research site

Ever wonder what the difference is between all the different types of GORE-TEX®?  After all, isn’t GORE-TEX® just GORE-TEX® – our beloved waterproof and breathable fabric that comprises the most rugged outdoor jackets?

The answer is a simple no.

Not all GORE-TEX® is created equal. But knowing what the different types are, how they are different and when to use which one sometimes feels mysterious.

There are three types of GORE-TEX® – GORE-TEX®, GORE-TEX® Active and GORE-TEX® Pro – and each are geared towards different activities. Since not all of these fabrics are intended for the same use, to know which type of jacket you need to get you must first know what activities you will be doing and what attributes you want. Will you be cross country skiing? Taking short afternoon hikes? Do you want something lightweight? Super breathable? Mega durable?

Just as a refresher to jog your weather-protection memory, GORE-TEX® is a material made by laminating, or sandwiching together, an ePTFE (expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene) membrane to other face fabrics to create a waterproof yet also breathable fabric. The membrane is an incredibly thin and microscopically porous material (the pours are 20,000 times smaller than a water drop) and allows moisture to pass out of the material but not let water in.

In addition, there are multiple fabric constructions: three-layer constructions (the membrane is bonded to face fabrics on both sides), two-layer (the membrane is bonded to a face fabric on one side and can have a liner on the other allowing the option for insulation), insulated and non-insulated. In addition, GORE-TEX® can be paired with a variety of face fabrics, have DWR treatments and be seam sealed to increase its protection level.

The type of GORE-TEX® will often dictate the construction, as does the end use of the product.

So, you ask, what are the different types?

The Three Types of GORE-TEX®

GORE-TEX® is a versatile fabric that can be used for anything from mountaineering to everyday, around-town wear. Durably windproof, waterproof and able to breathe, GORE-TEX® can come in anything from two- to three-layer constructions depending on the end use.

In addition, there is an offshoot of this product technology, called GORE-TEX® PacLite®, a 2-layer GORE-TEX® that is constructed to be lightweight, breathable and incredibly minimalistic. GORE-TEX® PacLite® are some of the lightest, most packable fabrics, ideal for activities that require saving space and weight – like running, hiking or cycling.

GORE-TEX® Active – as the name merits – is meant for highly aerobic activities that you will likely do in a day (like cross-country skiing, alpine climbing or other stop-and-go activities). You want a jacket to breathe, and breathe well, when you are, for example, skinning up the backside of a mountain. But it also needs to be simultaneously protective in less-than-ideal conditions.

GORE-TEX® Active is lightweight, capitalizes on a minimalistic design and is incredibly breathable, which is ideal for these stop-and-go activities. Typically, GORE-TEX® Active (as well as GORE-TEX® Pro) are made with a three-layer construction.

Last, GORE-TEX® Pro is engineered to be rugged, durable and ideal for extended use in extreme conditions – like a multi-day mountaineering, guiding or freeriding. Extended use activities that subject you to miserably conditions require a beefy, three-layer construction with maximum protection.

While jackets get the most attention, pants, gloves, hats and even gaiters can utilize the waterproof, breathable technology of GORE-TEX®.  

Now that its 2018 the count down to Mera is on, Trekking and gym time is now increasing, Better to start slow and train over a long period of time

Dave

Clothing update

Just a quick update on the clothing front, Its been a couple of months since my last blog where i hit the stores hard and bought some lovely (and expensive gear), I have been wearing a lot of the gear and can now make some comments

1.Eddie Bauer Pro guide pants, I absolutely love them and when another 40% sale came by i grabbed another pair, So comfortable i wear them almost daily, Now 1 thing with Eddie Bauer gear is that i have had button come off on most of the hiking pants that i have bought and once again this has proved to be the case, When i did the Camino De Santiago i took 2 pairs of Eddie Bauer convertible pants and both had buttons fall off on the trail which is a P.I.T.A and i walked a lot of the Camino using pins to hold my pants up, I have had EB shirts that have also lost buttons so a common failure, If you can get the Pro guide pants for 30-40% off they are a bargain and EB has a lot of sales, I think that they are worth the full amount especially compared to other brands, just make sure the first thing you do is resew the buttons on, I did mention this to the manager at the EB store in Raleigh but i am afraid that store has now been closed and is a great loss to me personally,

2. Kuhl Renegade hiking pants, Now i have only worn these twice since purchase and yesterday they were returned as the sewing across the thigh had started to come undone, I had not worn these hiking, just to the shops so hope that they were just a dodgy pair and returned them to REI and replaced with the same, Super comfortable and have high hopes for them

I get e mails almost daily from the main hiking stores on line and Backcountry being my favorite i always have a look at whats on sale, I noticed the Berghaus Nunat Reflect down jacket which is part of their Extrem range (700 fill) at a fantastic price and quickly ordered one, Nearly 50% off retail, Very light but extremely warm, Probably the nicest fitting jacket i have, In NC its normally too hot to wear this type of gear unless its winter but i have worn it a couple of cold nights in Virginia-Love it and love a bargain, It will make the perfect match for my Arcteryx rain jacket on cold wet days or under my Rab expedition jacket on freezing days and nights,

Wearing glasses and being a photographer is a real pain as when its sunny you either squint or use sunglasses and then change them over when taking a shot, I decided that this year would be different and treated myself to some prescription sunglasses, I like Oakley sunglasses and had a good look at their entire range, I wanted something cool looking with wide arms to keep the sun from poking around the corners, Something that would also be good a higher (not high) altitude and the Turbines seemed to fit the bill, I got the red iridium lenses and although only having them 1 day so far can see that they will make my life must easier in the field, Having genuine Oakley lenses means that they are extremely clear and they have quite a dark grey/blue tint when you look through them, I decided against polarized lenses as you cannot see the back of the camera screen properly with polarized lenses

I have started back at the gym 3 times a week and have done a few days trekking to try and drop a few of the pounds gained, The weather in North Carolina has been very hot and humid so not the nicest for hiking trails and look forward to cooler times to get some miles under my feet

Dave

Time for some retail therapy

It doesnt happen much but we had a small windfall with tax refunds and shares vesting coming together so we gave each other a chunk of money to do with as we want, It would not have been very long ago that i would have spent every penny on the latest camera or added one to the collection, At this moment in time Nikon seems to have its knickers in a twist and what is currently available does not suit my needs, So i have decided to spend most of it on Hiking gear in the way of clothing and new poles, Whenever i need or want something you will find me in front of the computer looking at whats available and reading all the reviews, The best like everything else does not come cheap, Infact my rain jacket will probably be THE most expensive piece of clothing i will ever buy-EVER, When out in the wilds or half way up a mountain warmth and comfort are extremely important and can be life saving, So i dress in layers so add when cool/cold and take off when warm/hot

Lets start with base layers, When i went to Everest base camp i took merino wool base layers made by Icebreaker and Smartwool, They come in different weights, My Icebreakers were 160 and my Smartwool 250 weight, I have to say i fell in love with the Smartwool, Both were great and i would highly recommend both but you can see me in the Smartwool in many images, Even using it as the only layer or with a light puffer vest, So i purchased 2 more Smartwool 250 weight tops and 1 pair of Smartwool bottoms, Look away now if you are easily nauseous,

Mid Layers
When you read articles on mountaineering or altitude hiking certain products keep popping up, One such item is the Patagonia Nano Air Hoody, Its very light but warm and super stretchy, The hood does not have any adjustment as it doesnt need any as its soo stretchy, Very comfortable, Can be used as a mid layer when the temperatures drop or as a top layer when the weather is just cool, I have used this around the camp fire and its perfect

 Yes i look a dork but you get the idea

 When looking at companies that were having their yearly sale i noticed that REI had the Arcteryx Proton AR hoody on sale, its very similar to the Patagonia above, It is very light in weight and has 2 chest pockets, the hood is bigger but has an adjuster, You probably could get a helmet on with it, A very nice jacket, I paid just over $200 for it so had a great saving, The cuffs are the first thing you notice when you put the jacket on as they are nice and stretchy and feel great

 The hood has an adjuster so you can tighten it as needed (here its fully open)

I got 3 different types of trouser, I have been a Eddie Bauer fan for a long time, Their clothing is well made, Great value for money and somewhat stylish, I always go for their First Accent range but also have some of their Travex range, I have always liked the look of their Pro Guide Pants but at $80 and never in the sale i have never purchased any, Then i had a e mail saying EVERYTHING was on sale and there they were at $48, I got 2 pairs and at that price they are a bargain, Comfortable and stretchy materials make them a good hiking/climbing/everyday trouser-love them, I also had a good look at the Kuhl range and purchased a pair of the Renegade hiking pants, Lots of pockets, Nice material and well designed and finally the expensive ones for when the weather closes in, Patagonia have a great range at the moment and i could have spent a fortune just on their gear, I purchased a pair of Patagonia Dual Point Alpine Pants, These come with braces to make sure they stay where they should be if climbing, Again very stretchy material, Medium weight, Zippered pockets to hips and leg and zips at the bottom of the legs to help get on and off whilst wearing boots, At $200 not cheap but ooze quality, Very comfortable and look great

Kuhl Renegade pants

Eddie Bauer Pro Guide pants

Patagonia Dual Point Alpine Pants

Now all this lovely gear would be pointless if it was protected when it rains and here where i struggled the most, Being a bit of a fashionista i am finding it frustraiting that companies are moving away from the Reds and Oranges that we are used to seeing on the mountains, Take The Northface for instance, Check out their top of the range summit series, Its drab green, Now if i am stuck at 20000 feet and need a helicopter to find me the last thing i want to look like is a rock, I fancied the Berghaus Extrem series jacket but could either have dark blue or black, All the you tube videos and reviews kept taking me back to Arcteyx but they are bloody expensive, In the end i bit the bullet and a large part of my budget went on a Alpha SV and with a list price of $750 it had better be better than good, its lighter than i expected and has a fit so layers can fit without it getting tight, I am currently about 15-20lb heavier than i expect to be when i go to Mera so they will be plenty of room for all kinds of layers

Arcteryx Alpha SV (Severe Weather)

So thats it with the clothing, On top of that i purchased another pair of Black Diamond poles, My current ones are super light single length carbon Z, I have walked the Camino De Santiago and to Everest Base Camp with them and love them except in very hot weather where the neoprene handgrips make your hands sweat, i decided to get a pair of Alpine Carbon Cork that you can adjust in length for more mountain use and these have cork handles with a neoprene section below the cork, They are only a tad heavier than my Carbon Z's, You can also use Ski Baskets (supplied) with these which you cannot with the Carbon Z's

Sun glasses are extremely important at altitude and i learned the hard way that you should carry a spare pair when i lost mine after only an hour or so of use, I have a pair of Julbo Montebianco spectron 4 which are very nice and will be my main glasses, I noticed some Julbo Tensing's on sale at Amazon and at under $50 grabbed a pair as my spares, The color may not be to everybody's liking but i think they are ok and if they save me from going snow blind then who cares

I mentioned that i purchased some gear from REI and Amazon, I purchased my Arcteryx Alpha SV jacket from Moosejaw as they had a 20% off sale, I purchased most of the gear from Backcountry and for very good reason, Not only did they give me exceptional service but gave great prices on every item i wanted, Shipping was free and 2 day, Although shipping was free with Moosejaw it was sent USPS and took a week, When i received my Patagonia Nano Air Hoody although ordered in Large it was way to big for me (i am a large in everything else) and Backcountry not only gave free return shipping the replacement was with me 24hrs later-exceptional, A big shout out to Ethan there.

I am looking forward to putting everything through its paces, I have already worn the Eddie Bauer trousers and the Patagonia Hoody and love them

Dave

Nepalese Porters

One of the first things to strike you when walking on the Everest Base Camp trail is the porters or guys carrying large packs on their backs, These can be anything from food to drink to anything that will be needed further up the trail, The trail does not allow for any motorized vehicles so its either yak, horse or human, We watched a young guy carrying bottles of water and tried to estimate the amount of bottle and then estimate the weight, We calculated that the weight on his back was more than himself, How can they do this day after day, Mile after mile and at altitude as well, Here is an article on that very fact

Nepalese porters

You will never moan about the increase in cost of a bottle of water as you get higher after watching these guys carrying it up


Dave

Rab Andes Jacket

A few days ago i was surfing the web as i have done for the last couple of months looking at gear that i need/want to go on my trip to Mera Peak next year, Its still a long way off but i do love a bargain, I had decided on a couple of makes of jacket i would like, The jacket would need to be 'down' and minimum 800 fill, Both companies being British, One was Rab and the other PHD, Rab have had a great reputation although in the last couple of years i have heard that they may not be quite as good as on years past, PHD make excellent clothing for extreme weather adventures but the cost once you take off the UK tax but add 30% import duty makes them very expensive, Obviously you cannot put a price on your life or even a couple of toes/fingers but everybody has a budget, I contacted Rab and had a very nice conversation with a sales guy, I explained my plans and he pointed me to 2 jackets, The Positron which on their website states that it is rated to around 6000m and the Batura which is for real extremes and could be taken to the summit of Everest or across the Poles, Most companies bring out updates and if you look around, last years best becomes affordable in the sales and so it was when i came across the Rab Andes, its probably closer to the Butura than the Positron and has more 'fill' than the Positron so should be warmer, Originally the Andes sold for $599 but i found it on Moosejaw's website for $338.99, Using the 'Honey' app dropped the price to $322.04 with free delivery, They had one in stock and it was my size so i quickly put it in the cart, I had a quick scout around the internet and could not find out cheaper and all the other places were $100+ so i hit the purchase button and soon the receipt popped up in my email box, The shipping was free but said 6-10 business days unless you wanted to pay more, I hate to wait but decided to get the free shipping, That was late on Saturday evening and today (Wednesday) it arrived, That was about an hour ago so a quick first impressions

1. Its quite big but very light, No bigger than my 600 fill mountain Hardwear that i have had for years
2. It looks exactly the same as it does on the web, No nasty surprises with colors (i am fussy)
3, The Zip is British so is on the other side, i knew this so no problems and the Zip is very smooth and so far has not been one of those that catches as you zip it up
4, I ordered the Large size and there is room for layering, When i go i expect to be 15-20LB lighter so even more room
5, It was instantly comfortable, No seems poking or rubbing
6. Its very warm, Today in NC it is cold and in the minus in the wind and no problems as there should not be, On Mera it could be freezing
7. It has plenty of pockets, 2 at the waist and 2 on the chest as well as 2 inside (handy for camera batteries etc)
8, The hood is well insulated and has room for a climbing helmet

Now being a bit of a tart i do like the new styles with the contrasting color zips, the Andes does not have this but for the amount i paid for it it seems a bargain

So first impressions are good, A very good jacket at a great price, A big shout out to Moosejaw for their service

Here is a quick snap of me in it and i will post a few more in the next couple of days

Two large elasticated pockets on the inside

 Now if it only had Orange Zippers

 I could not resist on going for a 2 miles walk last night as the temps dropped and the wind chill was in the minuses, Nice,warm and very comfortable, You can move your arms freely, The chest pockets are so deep you can put your hands under your armpits, The pockets on your waist are plain nylon inside, I would have prefered a softer material like on my Eddie Bauer jacket, No problem as the pockets are warm but just would be a nice feature


Dave

Diamox

Altitude sickness is the biggest killer in the mountains and there are ways of helping to either not get it or keep it manageable, Firstly walk very slowly, Follow your guides pace and if he says to slow or stop then do exactly that, Hydration, You need to keep hydrated as you can get severe headaches which lead to tummy troubles and will get worse as you go higher, I was told to drink a minimum of 5 ltrs a day when going to Everest Base camp, I did that and with the help of Propel electrolytes i had no problems, The other thing to take is Diamox, You get these from your Doctor by way of prescription, I started taking these when i got to Phadking, A few others started at Namche Bazaar, If like me you live at sea level then take them as soon as you get above the norm, I met a few people who were feeling the effects in Namche so dont delay, Like all meds there are and can be side effects, With Diamox most people will Pee a lot more than normal and with me the need to pee came on very quickly, Sometimes i just had to stop and do it then and there, No need to be proud in the mountains, The very first time i went to the bathroom after taking Diamox i had the most painful pee i have ever had but luckily it was just the once, The other side effect which a lot of us had was very tingly finger tips especially in the morning and sometime my cheeks were also very tingly, You are always concerned that you are in the first effects of getting altitude sickness but as others got the same symptoms it made me feel better, If you have a feeling you are unsure of talk to others or talk to your guide, Even with the side effects it is worth the discomfort in taking Diamox and getting to Altitude safely, As soon as you have descended you can come off of them, I stopped taking mine when i got back into Namche Bazaar, Always talk to your doctor before taking meds ,Here is a good article on taking Diamox

https://www.tusker.com/Geografica/should-you-take-diamox-at-high-altitude/



Dave