…and all the verbal pro blogzillas were at the show, checking out the new gear, while us linguistically challenged blogapers stay home and read their prose. A few new gadgets and doohickeys to enhance your mountain douchebaggery are below.
The Ortovox 3+ transceiver
Yes, I’m not kidding, someone in the blogosphere wrote about something that’s NOT the Apple tablet this week. At first glance you’re going to think Pieps Freeride. While your hips may not lie your eyes do.
Ortovox 3+, love child of the Freeride and an iPod?
A few things that stood out to me:
-Single AA battery (this sucker is small, think iPhone-ish size)
-Upgradeable firmware (coming soon open source beacons with their own app store?)
-The beacon senses when you are buried (based on period of rest/inactivity and built in inclinometer) and turns off/on it’s internal antennae as it sees fit to maximize it’s signal acquisition range. Cool stuff, wonder if the sensors only work if you wear it in it’s harness, and hope the software works when you need it…
-Under $350
Enough blog-am commentary. To get the full pro-blogger rundown of the Ortovox 3+ check out Lou Dawson or Steve Romeo’s previews.
Petzl Core rechargable battery
This falls under the category of ‘things I’d probably never drop $40 on but I think it’s cool regardless’. Petzl has released a recharable battery that works with their current products and replaces up to 900 regular ol’ batteries (greenwash marketing? Do the chemicals used in a rechargeable + the power used to charge override the footprint of traditional batteries? *head explodes*) in it’s lifetime and comes with a host of charging options (USB, cigarette lighter, household plug and solar). If you’ve ever arrived at a trailhead and discovered that the batteries in your BD Moonlight are a bit dim and you don’t have enough replacements you’ll appreciate the variety of recharging options.
Petzl Core rechargeable battery
Skiers, there was all sorts of cool new touring boots, skis, etc. for you. Seriously check out the Wildsnow and TetonAT and check out all the goodness. If you’ve ever had the desire to drop half a paycheck on boots Garmont, Black Diamond et. al. are there for you in your time of need.
Splitboarders….well, once again you’ll be left checking the splitboard.com forums for DIY options to enhance your experience (yes, I realize people were climbing mountains in wool and whatnot 100+ years ago. Suck it and let me bitch). Thankfully there are guys like the enginerds at Spark, and I’m hopeful that Jeremy Jones’ street cred will translate into something new as well, but both of those operations lack the funding of the big guys that appear to only support homely gingers and those are firing up insanely hard/technical tricks that ultimately all look the same yet lack any style (c’mon, give me a Jamie Lynn method or an old school Brushie tweak any day) with names that sound like a Starbucks drink.
I’ve been refining and updating my gear lately (which is a bit odd given the lack of income), and recently acquired both the ever popular Patagonia Down Sweater and the Mountain Hardwear Nitrous down sweater. Let’s get these two into the ring and see who is left standing!
Quick overview:
Current champ: Patagonia Down Sweater:
Probably the most popular thing in Patagonia’s product line, odds are you or one of your friends owns this jacket. The Patagonia uses a DWR coated, windproof and 100% recycled polyester ripstop shell with 800 fill power down. The Patagucci also sports two zippered external fleece lined pockets and a zippered internal mesh stretchy pocket that doubles as a stuff sack that you can never lose. Elastic cuffs and a drawcord waist complete the Patagonia’s features.
Challenger: Mountain Hardwear Nitrous
The Mountain Hardwear Nitrous down sweater doesn’t have the storied history and popularity of the Patagonia, but is a fine jacket nonetheless. The Nitrous uses Mountain Hardwear’s ‘Ecosensor Ripstop’ for it’s shell, and 800 fill down. Ecosensor is a DWR coated ripstop polyester consisting of 13% (not 12%…not 14%, but 13) recycled polyester. Like the ‘gucci the Nitrous sports two external handwarmer pockets, however they are non-zippered. The Nitrous also has an external zippered chest pocket and chamois lined collar to eliminate zipper rub on your windburned face. Elastic cuffs, waist drawcord and easy to lose (not permanently attached) stuff sack round out the Mountain Hardwear’s features.
Weigh in:
Patagonia claims a 12.4 oz average weight and gives no fill weight. However, they do mention their fabric is 1.4 oz./yard, so we’ll assume it’s an average fill weight of 11 oz. Mountain Hardwear claims an average weight of 12 oz. for the Nitrous, and the EcoSensor weighs in at 1 oz./yard, so we’ll assume 11 oz. of fill as well. I don’t have a scale, but I can say they both feel damn light. Anecdotally I’d say the Patagonia outer fabric FEELS more substantial and up to abuse, but as I haven’t had an issue with either that’s just me talking about my ass. Both shells leak about the same amount of feathers, so no advantage to either.
Round 1: Place of manufacture
Both garments are made in China. Let’s take a minute to celebrate the irony that is the American consumer’s desire for low priced products, thus driving manufacturing offshore, while simultaneously complaining about jobs lost to foreign countries.
10-10 round (yeah, when’s the last time you saw a 10:10 round?)
Round 2: Features
The Patagonia uses a 100% recycled shell AND is windproof. Because I’m fond of Earth I say advantage Patagonia by way of 100% being greater than 13%.
Both use 800 fill power down. Even.
Both have elastic cuffs, drawcord hem and lined pockets. Even.
The Patagonia has zippered external pockets, the Mountain Hardwear does not. Since one of the pocket zips on my Patagonia Down Sweater vest blew out within a week of owning I’m giving this one to Mountain Hardwear
The Nitrous has a chamois lined chin, Patagonia does not. Advantage MH.
Stuff sack – can’t lose the ‘gucci, the MH’s you can. Advantage ‘gucci, though I’m gonna say it doesn’t count for much because the MH basically nets me a stuff sack I can use for other purposes.
This was a close round, but I’m going to give it to MH by way of not being a fan of the ‘gucci zips and the fleece lined collar. 10-9 round.
Final round: Fit
Fit is where the Nitrous KILLS it over the Patagonia for me. I’m about 6′4, 200 lbs, and the Patagonia just fits boxy, like plastic bag, whereas the Mountain Hardwear has a nice athletic cut. However, if you were built more like a fireplug and less like a swimmer the Patagonia may be more up your alley. 10-8 round and pure domination by Mountain Hardwear for my body type, YMMV.
Final score:
While the Patagonia Down Sweater put up a good fight with it’s 100% recycled and windproof shell, the Mountain Hardwear ultimately took a close fight with it’s total domination in fit. 30-27, final. Honestly though, you can’t go wrong with either jacket. Both have lifetime warranties and are well made, it really comes down to fit (and possibly color options).
As everyone has seen both of these items I’ll just throw a couple quick unscientific pics up highlighting the sizing (sorry can’t try ‘em on and shoot a photo for fit comparisons as I broke my tripod) differences. Note that both are size large.
Extra body width on Patagonia v. Mountain Hardwear
A little extra length in the sleeves on the Nitrous
A little extra body length is nice when you're built like an orangutan
UPDATE:
Both are on sale for 15% off thru the below links and typing in ‘AVANT15′ at checkout. That code works on any non-sale item actually (for sale items put in code AVANT10)
Patagonia down sweater on sale
Mountain Hardwear Nitrous on sale
Been doing some serious gear whoring the past week or so as biz locally was going good for a bit. Was. Ahh well, at least I’ve got some new gear to show for it.
First up, the Stoic Bombshell jacket. Stoic is the new name for the house brand gear from backcountry.com, and from what I can tell thus far this stuff is a serious bargain. As I just received my jacket a few days ago I can’t give it a full review, but as of right now my impressions are that even at full price this stuff is worth it (and this coming from a guy that can’t recall the last time he bought ANYTHING full price).
The marketing department had this to say:
The undaunted Stoic Bombshell Jacket signs on for summit pushes, hut-to-hut tours, and anything between. Slightly stretchy, 3-layer Bombshell material offers shelter from ridgeline gales and whipping spin drift, while thumb-holed hand gaiters and a fully-adjustable hood ensure a complete seal from the elements. Fully-welded seams increase the Bombshell’s breathability over standard taped-seam shells and mesh-backed underarm vents banish excess body heat during long boot packs. The Stoic Bombshell’s internal pocket with headphone port begs for some musical accompaniment. Stoic’s 3-D ergonomic fit offers un-inhibited mobility without drowning you in excess fabric—if you tend to like a roomier fit, size up.</p></blockquote> <p>A few quick pics to get the party started. Once I’ve had a chance to use it to do more than walk from Deschutes to Rogue to Bridgeport and back I’ll give my full review.
This jacket is the bomb…shell
Waterproof zipper close up, with wide angle lens shadow thrown in for ambiance
Wings spread
Gaping pit zips
Mesh lined pocket and headphone port
Left internal pocket detail
Removable powder skirt with attachment zipper and snaps
You can call me dirty and then zip off your skirt
Seriously well thought out jacket. Wrist cuffs with small stretch panels.
Let me know if you have any questions on the jacket, want to see some additional angles/close ups, or if there’s anything in particular you want me to pay attention to while I test it out.
UPDATE:
Saw this code for 30% off on the Stoic stuff. 4KZ-1-G3JU6
First up in the ‘Boards I want to ride 09/10 edition’ is the 2010 Ride Slackcountry. I want to try this board for a few reasons.
1. The Schmidt beer can graphic. No, it’s not the first reason, but nothing harkens you back to those days of being a little kid and fetching your dad a can o’suds while he watched the pro bowling tour on Saturday afternoon like a Schmidt topsheet. By just looking at the topsheet I can close my eyes and smell the smell of warm, stale beer as we hit the recycling center scale to weigh our cans, cash in, and head to the baseball card shop for a couple packs of cards.
2. One of my first ‘ah-ha’ moments on a snowboard was on a Ride. Can’t recall the model now (KX? KDX?), but I do remember it had the motocross inspired graphic jobs. Oddly enough it had K2 Clickers on it as well, go figure. Was a pow day at the pass (like real pow, not mashed potatoes untracked that you called pow at the pass in 8th grade while doing tree runs at night) and I remember being stoked on being able to easily click in on the lift and go. Too bad it was a pow day at the pass instead of Baker/Crystal/etc., but at least it wasn’t raining.
3. It’s got a touch of rocker, but not retarded park rat amounts that sucks when trying to rail hardpack with speed
4. The name makes me think of long traverses to ‘hidden’ pow stashes that exist a week after the last storm
5. Looks like a good candidate for a DIY split project
Marketing speak:
Designed to dominate the deep stuff, the Slackcountry features our new HighRize rocker with HighRize specific sidecut for a loose feel that retains response. Also built with Membrain®, Silencer 7™ & REAL UL Glass to provide ultra light powder performance. Switch or regular, float in the pow like you’ve always dreamt, but don’t bother pinching yourself ‘cause this Ride’s for real.
Available in three nifty ‘old school man’ topsheets (think: the time before ‘men’ got manicures, pedicures, drank fruity drinks and wore tight jeans – these are hunting/fishing/beer/whiskey drinking topsheets dammit!)
161
Ride Slackcountry 161. Bass fishing and ducks, you can almost smell the Old Spice
164
Ride Slackcountry 164 and ice fishing, for when regular fishing isn't man enough
168
Ride Slackcountry 168 and biodiesel powered snowmobile topsheet
Your local shop should carry Ride, but if for some reason the buyers dropped the ball and didn’t order the Slackcountry this year you can grab it online at the usual suspects – Snowboard Connection, evoGear, REI and backcountry.com.
Came across this video on the Backcountry Access Float 30 avalanche airbag being inflated. While BCA isn’t the first company to market an airbag pack for the backcountry they are definitely the most affordable option (by about 50%), with the Float 30 set to MSRP for a buck under $500 when it releases later this fall. Hopefully the trickle down effect will see their airbag tech in more packs at cheaper price points (people will pay $1k for skis and $400 for bindings, but scoff at a $500 pack that may save their life…) in their line so that there are more people equipped with this tech in the BC. More importantly, hopefully this pack doesn’t become a perceived ‘invincibility shield’ leading to bad decision making in the backcountry!
Obviously I’m just going on product shots and one video and have yet to taste/feel/smell the pack, but I like what I’m seeing thus far. I really like how the bag DOESN’T wrap around your head fully like some of the competing products, seems like with the BCA pack inflated you’d still be able to (relatively) comfortably try and get out of the situation. Good stuff thus far though.
Posted on the Charlie Slasher earlier today, figured I’d finish up the page I started a few months back discussing the whole line of boards Capita is releasing in 2010. I have to admit they’d never been on my radar before as I’d always written them off as the ‘bubble gum pop’ of snowboards (yes, my mid-90s/snowboard scene explosion/new companies every 10 seconds/skepticism is still there…), just appealing to the ‘under 150 lb soaking wet’ park crowd. After watching the videos on each of the boards and seeing their price points (seriously, a good chunk of their line retails under $400) I have to say I like what they are doing and am intrigued to try one on a resort day this year.
Saw this post over at Spectre of the Brocken. Sales guy from Capita gives a rundown on the 2010 Capita Charlie Slasher Pow FK (would love to hear the story behind that name). Yeah, it’s summertime, but right now it’s raining outside my window and powder days are always in style. You can also check out some pics of a few more boards in the 2010 Capita line here
Let’s face it – skiing and snowboarding aren’t cheap, and backcountry snowsports even less so. Summertime is the best time to buy your backcountry kit as typically stores are trying to blow out of whatever inventory they have left from the prior year to make room for the upcoming gear in the fall. If you shop around a bit, and don’t mind the occasional used/demo gear. This is my first take on building out a budget kit for someone getting into the sport or looking to upgrade their gear.
Splitboard – Found these Voile Mojo demos over at Mammothgear.com. Cool little shop staffed by cool people in the eastern Sierra, and the demos come with skins and the universal binding interface – something you don’t get if you buy a Burton or most other splitboards.
Shovel – The Backcountry Outlet has got this aluminum blade Camp on sale for under $20. For just over the price of a pitcher of beer you can get yourself a metal shovel.
Probe – Again going to Mammothgear, they’ve got the Ortovox 340 for $50. Not the cheapest probe, and certainly not the lightest, but I’d rather save ounces on non-lifesaving equipment.
For under $800 and a few minutes of interwebbing you’ve got yourself the essentials (reminder: take an avalanche safety class and read up) to get you out of the resort and into the backcountry. It should be noted that I’m not endorsing any of the gear or retailers here, just showing what kind of kit you can put together on the cheap (cheap is relative) in the offseason.
So it’s been awhile since I’ve written anything as I’ve been playing catch-up with Mobspot (btw, if anybody out there is familiar with creating on device versions of websites ping me) related stuff that got neglected during my move so figured I’d throw something out there. I was putting this together earlier this year, just trying to rally together all the scatted post-ASI info into one place.
First up, a look at the 2010 Burton Snowboards. A few warnings:
-There’s probably a ton of new photos out there now so this may be outdated already
-Some of the links may not work
-I don’t recall where I found all the pictures at online as it’s been months since I started the little project, so be sure to visit shayboarder, southofthenorth, splitboard.com and any other sites on my blogroll/favorites
I still haven’t had a chance to do anything other than dayhikes since hitting Portland, but hopefully will get my review of the Mountain Hardwear Koa 55 up before the winter. Just got my MH Phantom 32, will post a first look soon…
UPDATE: Looks like the 2010 Burton product is hitting online retailers. You can check it out at Snowboard Connection (the OGs of the Seattle snowboard scene, plus John used to support the Surfrider Foundation, good peeps), Backcountry.com, evoGear (Seattle represent again!) and REI.
In an odd stroke of timing I was talking about wanting to try the Mountain Hardwear Koa 55 early last week. It really seems like a good mix of light (though not ultralight by any stretch) and feature filled. Fast forward to Friday and I discovered MH was doing their semi-annual warehouse sale, which also allows mere mortals such as myself to shop their employee store. As I’m a dedicated blogger I decided I should sacrifice some of my hard earned money to buy some new gear to review (read as: it was blowing 35+ at the coast so surfing/kayaking didn’t sound like much fun) for everyone.
So, as I’m in the process of packing/moving and won’t be able to take the pack out for at least two weeks I wanted to post some pics up for anyone else considering the pack. Seems like there was a bit of hype surrounding this pack in all the buyer’s guides this year, but I haven’t been able to find much in the way of real-world images or reviews.
Mountain Hardwear Koa 55
Main pocket on Koa 55, with rolltop (think: drybag) closure
Small external pocket with key loop
Side access (on both sides) to main pocket
Stowaway mesh helmet carrier
Bottom access to pack. Yes, there are a lot of zippers on the pack.
Mesh backpanel. Most stoked for this as my old Gregory is WARM
A friendly little LNT reminder
That’s all for now. As always, if there’s a question about the product, or an angle you want photographed, lemme know. I apologize for the pics being a bit blown out, don’t have the time to edit the levels/curves on ‘em.
The Mountain Hardwear Koa 55 is available online at Altrec.com, REI.com and WeGotYourPack.com, but as always I recommend you try and shop at your local outdoor equipment retailer. If you don’t support them first you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself if there comes a time where you can’t go look/feel equipment locally before buying.
Reviews and first looks coming ’soon’:
Mountain Hardwear Koa 55 pack (duh) Mountain Hardwear Phantom 32 bag – complete, click to read
Perception Search 15 (sit-on-top kayak)
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