Osprey Packs Aether 85 Backpack - 5000-5400 cu in

April 27, 2010

First time I went traveling I had a huge backpack crammed full of everything I thought I'd need. A buddy who had done it years before said I should go with nothing, buying what I needed along the way. At the time I thought he was crazy, after my first trip I think he was right. 2 months into your trip you'll be sending half your stuff back or on to another destination.

Buy things you need in cheap countries. Clothing in Thailand is a buck an item for the same thing that'll cost $20 here. I got a fleece jacket in the chilly Thai mountians for $3. I passed it on to another traveler at the bus stop when I got back to the beach.

After a while I ditched the big backpack altogether. I traveled in India for months with only a day pack (15L North Face bought in Bangkok for a few bucks, and still going strong years later). I had one extra set of lightweight long sleeved clothes for the evening and I hand washed my stuff every day in the shower. I traveled with a bunch of camera gear including a tripod and digital SLR, which made up half my pack.

If you're heading to a more expensive country, look to the second hand/thrift stores as stuff can be bought for a bargain often with tags still on it. Online classifieds sites will provide all you need too! Don't forget couchsurfing.com too.

Big packs need to go on the roof of buses, into the luggage sections of trains and into the belly of planes. Day packs sit on your lap. You never need to worry you wont have your stuff when you get to your destination.

Travel ultra light, leave gadgets at home, and you'll enjoy the experience a lot more. Have a great time, and don't plan too much ;)

Nailed It? 4 Yes

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Why discontinue this?

Mammut Barryvox Opto 3000  Beacon

Mammut Barryvox Opto 3000 Beacon

Rating for this product: 1 October 28, 2009

A popular well reviewed beacon at an affordable price and it's withdrawn and replaced with a new model that's $100 more. Money grabbing practices like this will cost lives.

It's a DTS Tracker for me.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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GLad I got this!

Metolius PAS w/out Carabiner

Metolius PAS w/out Carabiner

Rating for this product: 5 November 7, 2008

A few days after buying this (and reviewing it) the guy leading the second pitch stepped off route to easier ground, skipped past 2 bolts slipped and took a huge whipper (resulting in just cuts and bruises thankfully). Slamming me up on the anchor and into the wall. The PAS took a huge load and I felt very happy to have ditched the daisy chain!

Two lessons to take away from this review are don't lead above your ability and multi pitch climbers, get one of these things.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Feeling safe again!!

Metolius PAS w/out Carabiner

Metolius PAS w/out Carabiner

Rating for this product: 4 May 19, 2008

After using a daisy chain at anchors and hanging belays for years I recently saw the video of it's failure when improperly used. While any anchor needs back up, I could use one less thing to worry about. $30 isn't a bad price to pay for extra peace of mind.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Lovin em!

Black Diamond QuickWire Quickpack Quickdraws

Black Diamond QuickWire Quickpack Quickdraws

Rating for this product: 5 May 8, 2008

Another happy customer. I've wanted wires for so long but it's hard to replace gear when the stuff you have isn't worn out. So after my lead rack was stolen replacing with new shiny stuff is just about the only silver lining I can find!

If you don't know why wire gates are superior get your hands on one and a normal gated quickdraw. Hold the nylon part of the quickdraw and bang the back of your gate on your hand. With the non wired gate you can hear a clicking sound, that's the gate opening and snaping shut!! Imagine the draw slapping the rock as you take a whipper, that's not the best time for the gate to pop open. Wired draws have much less inertia in the gate so there's no clicking sound and so, no open gate as you fall.

The added bonus is the gate's wire loop presents a flat surface so your rope is that tiny bit more stable as you clip. Sometimes that tiny bit of stability can feel a whole lot more useful, when things are getting sketchy and you're way up above your last piece.

My lust for shiny things has been fully ignited again :)

Nailed It? 3 Yes

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Nice rope

Beal Edlinger II 10.2mm Rope DO NOT USE

Beal Edlinger II 10.2mm Rope DO NOT USE

Rating for this product: 4 May 6, 2008

I got the 70M which is just right for some of the climbs round Colorado Springs. It's a purple rope and not as blue as the one in the picture. I'm used to 11mm but 10.2mm feels sturdy enough and is easy to control in an ATC even for my novice friends. I'm very happy with it and the price I paid too!

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Get these not wired

Wild Country Rockcentric Hexes

Wild Country Rockcentric Hexes

Rating for this product: 4 April 21, 2008

Big wired hexes rock way too much, these hexes on Dyneema stay put and are the only type to buy in the big sizes. Big wires help with deep placements but you can achieve that in other ways.

Lighter than cams and way cheaper learn to use them and you'll learn to love them. Correct placement is critical, just like cams.

Nailed It? 2 Yes

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free advice

Black Diamond Quicksilver Quickpack Quickdraws

Black Diamond Quicksilver Quickpack Quickdraws

Rating for this product: 4 April 2, 2008

milli, using your rock climbing gear for anything but rock climbing is a really bad idea!!

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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