Topographic maps are used by hikers and backpackers to plan routes, estimate travel times, find water, good campsites, and track their progress on hikes. They’re designed to depict the three dimensional shape of the world (mountains, valleys, plains, etc.) in two dimensions using flat squiggly lines that represent different elevations above or below sea level. When contour lines are close together on a map, they depict a steeper slope than if the lines are father apart. Called contour lines, every point along a single continuous line has the same elevation, which is labelled somewhere along the line. The elevation difference between two contour lines is called the contour interval. You can often find the value of the contour interval in the map’s scale or figure it out by finding two contour lines with printed elevations, subtracting the smaller from the larger and dividing the total by the number of contour lines between the two elevations. Let’s look at two different ways to use a topographic map, called “orienting a map”, and for estimating travel times. Orienting a MapWith a little practice, you can learn to match landscape features you see in front of you to ones on maps that depict the area you’re hiking in. This is useful for orienting a map to determine your current location on it and make it match the land features you’re looking at. Using a compass or a GPS makes can make it easier to orient your map, but you can also learn how to do it simply by matching the terrain features you can see with the contour lines shown on a topographic map. For example, take the top photo shown above, which shows the Appalachian Trail running north to Mt Lafayette on Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire. That same trail is shown in the topographic map in Map 1, above, and marked in pink. Note how the contour line elevations to the left and right of the pink line increase until they meet at the middle at the trail. This is what the contours lines for a ridge line look like on a topographic map, two steep slopes that meet at the top. Here’s a shaded rendering of the same area that helps emphasize the elevations and gullies represented by the contour lines and the ridge line in between them. With practice you can take the contours lines shown in Map 1 and visualize them in your head like they’re shown in Map 2. Most topographic maps are printed or displayed like Map 1, so you can’t rely on having ones like Map 2, which are easier to visualize. If you could see the ridge line from where you’re standing, you could turn your map so that the ridge was pointed in the same direction (parallel) with your map if you were holding it flat in your hands on flat on the ground. This is called orienting your map. How do you know it’s the right ridge line if you can see many? You’ll need to identify other features in the landscape, such as mountain peaks or hills, and match them to the topographic map. Once you’ve oriented a map, you can usually tell where you are on it, and plan your next destination by following trails to where you want to go. Estimating Travel TimesThere are lots of reasons to estimate travel times on hikes:
You can estimate the time it will take you to hike a known distance on a topographic map by adding up the trail distance you need to cover and the elevation gain along your route. On average, most hikers can walk at a 2 mph on level ground, but take an additional 30 minutes to climb 1000 feet of elevation gain. For example, it would take you 1.5 hours to hike a distance of 2 miles with 1000 feet of elevation gain. You can determine the distance you need to hike by using the map scale printed (or displayed) on your map. To calculate elevation gain, you’d add up the number of uphill contour lines and multiply that number by the contour interval. Make sure you just count the contour lines along your route that are climbing up hill and ignore the ones that represent descents. Use estimating formula described above and you’ll come up with a surprisingly accurate estimate of the time it will take for you to cover the required distance and elevation gain, not including any long breaks you take along them way. See also:
The post Why are Topographic Maps Important for Hiking and Backpacking? appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/topographic-maps-hiking-backpacking/
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South Carter Mountain (4430′) is a White Mountain 4000 footer located in the Carter Moriah Range, almost due east from Mount Washington. It’s one of the more moderate 4000 footers to climb and a good peak to start the winter hiking season with. I was joined on this hike by Keith and Hilde, who’s trying to finish her Winter 4000 footers this year. She’d hiked up Mt Tom the day prior but still enough energy for the hike up South Carter. This was our first time hiking with Keith, who is a very strong hiker and proved to be an excellent companion. We had a major wind and rain event in the White Mountains last October, that caused major flooding and downed many trees. While I’d seen a trip report on New England Trail Conditions that mentioned blow-downs (trees) on the Carter Moriah Trail between Zeta Pass and South Carter Mountain, I was surprised by what we found. Many trees still blocked the trail, though some had obviously been cleared. Given the snow depth and rugged terrain along the Carter Ridge, we couldn’t walk around these obstructions and had to tunnel under them instead on our bellies. It was exhausting work, weighed down by snowshoes and full winter gear. Type II fun. Most definitely. We got an early start at 7:30 am. A light snow was forecast that afternoon with a winter storm forecast for the evening. The temperature at the trailhead was 6 degrees, but was forecast to go up to 16 later in the day. The wind was blowing about 20 mph, but we’d be protected by trees for the majority of our route. There was about 1 foot of snow on the ground and the 19 Mile Brook Trail was packed down well enough that we could hike up it in microspikes. After 1.9 miles, we turned up the Carter Dome Trail and continued in micrsopikes. There was a few inches of unconsolidated powder on top of a packed down layer, but it became increasingly soft as we climbed. I switched to snowshoes at 2800′ and my friends soon followed my example. It’d been a long time since, at least 3 years, since I’d hiked any of these trails. I’d burned out on them when I finished hiking my Winter 4000 footers in 2014 and stayed away, hiking other trails I’d never been on before. So this hike was a reunion of sorts and a chance to discover the changes to the trails that have been wrought in the interim. The trails in the White Mountains are surprisingly dynamic and subject to change by maintainers, erosion, and the wind. Local maps seldom reflect the changes, which is why you can’t put all of your faith in your GPS if you download trail routes and plan to follow them literally on hikes. We encountered the first set of the blowdowns on the Carter Dome Trail as we approached Zeta Pass. The trail in this section is a series of switchbacks that zigzag up the mountain. Being on a slope, there was no way around these blowdowns except to crawl under them. Luckily the snow was very powdery and dry, so we didn’t get wet in the process. We took a short break when we got to Zeta Pass which is more of a trail junction than a pass. You can hike up it, but once you get to the top there’s no way down except to hike back the way you came (real passes have trails down both sides of a saddle.) We planned to head north from the junction to South Carter, while heading south leads toward Mt Hight and Carter Dome. That’s when the fun started. The route from Zeta Pass to South Carter is 0.8 miles, but it took us an hour to hike it because so many blowdowns blocked the trail. This required more belly crawling. Quite a lot of it. I’d thought about bringing a big saw on this hike, but the trees blocking the trail were to large for it to do much good. I’m afraid this is a job for axes and chainsaws. We finally made it to South Carter at 12:30 pm. It was snowing in earnest by then and the wind was picking up. Rather than attempt a second peak, Middle Carter, we opted to turn around and hike out. The trail to it wasn’t broken out and we had no idea what we’d encounter in terms of trail conditions beyond that point. Better to hike out the route you came in on then to chance going forward into the unknown with such a small group. There was a winter storm warning forecast for that evening and it was just prudent to turn around at the point and hike out, or crawl out again, which we did. We made it back down to the trailhead, another 4.6 miles (9.2 total), at a brisk pace, but then gravity is your friend in winter. For all the obstacles, we’d all been challenged and enjoyed the beautiful winter scenery. The winter hiking season is off to a great start with all this snow and I hope to get out to do more winter 4000 footers after the holidays, in January. Recommended Guidebooks and Maps:
The post Climbing South Carter in December appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/climbing-south-carter-in-december/ Crescent Moon’s EVA All Foam Snowshoes are high flotation snowshoes that are made of foam without any metal crampons or heel lifts. Highly rockered, (curved like a banana), they’re good for walking and running on well packed trails and groomed cross-country tracks. They have a very simple velcro binding that’s compatible with all types of shoes, including running shoes. Heavily hyped, they’ve been hailed as a minimalist breakthrough in snowshoe design. But like all gear, they have their strengths and weaknesses in different conditions. Manufacturer Specs at a Glance
Crescent Moon’s EVA All Foam Snowshoes differ from other popular snowshoes MSR, Tubbs, Atlas, and Northern Lites because:
Instead, the EVA All Foam Snowshoe (quite a mouthful, that) is made with three pieces of foam bonded together into a banana-shaped platform with a simple velcro binding. The curved shape, called rocker, makes them easy to walk on hard surfaces and even run with because they don’t brake your forward momentum like a snowshoe with a flatter frame.
BindingThe EVA All Foam snowshoe binding is incredibly easy to use and compatible with any style boot or running shoe. It has three velcro straps that wrap over the top and rear of your foot, locking your shoe into a shaped toe rest. The lay flat binding makes them easy to attach to the rear or sides of a backpack when they need to be carried. But the hook and loop velcro closure mechanism can get gummed up with ice and become hard to close without re-warming, which can be hard to come by on long backcountry trips. The binding is fairly flexible, no matter how tightly you secure it. This is fine when walking or running on a packed trail, because your heel will land in the middle of the snowshoes, which will be level on the ground. If you step off a packed trail into unbroken snow or powder, your heel has a tendency slide to the inside of the snowshoe so you’re on an unbalanced tilt. While the EVA All Foam snowshoes provide quite a lot of flotation on powder since they are 8″ x 24″, the tendency to pronate when not walking on packed snow is awkward. Running with them is considerably better, because the full force of your body weight packs the snow underneath the snowshoes more firmly and your momentum carries you forward. Still, the binding performs best when walking on jogging on packed and fairly level terrain. TractionThe EVA All Foam Snowshoes have a green hardened plate with sharpened plastic points to provide traction, but they’re not aggressive enough to provide purchase on anything except packed snow and the points are quickly flattened if you walk on hard surfaces with them. The plastic points are ideal however for walking or running on groomed XC trails and provide plenty of grip on packed or granular snow surfaces to help reduce slippage and maintain your momentum. Climbing uphill is also more challenging because the binding is not hinged, so you can’t dig your toes into a slope below the plane of the snowshoe decking. There’s also no heel lift to relief the calf strain that results when the tail sinks into the snow and the wide front of the snowshoe floats above it. This makes it feel like your walking on your heels when climbing hills, although it’s less of an issue if you’re snowshoeing on broken out trails because your heels won’t sink into unconsolidated powder. RecommendationCrescent Moon has a niche snowshoe manufacturer that has a long history of providing ultralight and carbon fiber snowshoes for runners and racers who want to extend their workouts into the winter months. Their new EVA All Foam Snowshoes are a less expensive, entry-level winter running and walking snowshoe compatible with all types of footwear from running shoes to winter boots. Best used on packed hiking trails, they lack most of the features that you find on mountaineering-style snowshoes designed for winter peakbagging or climbing more technical terrain over mixed rock, ice, and snow. But their highly rockered shape and easy to use binding is well-suited for use on packed trails by winter runners and casual users. Disclosure: The manufacturer loaned the author with a pair of snowshoes for this review. See also:
The post Crescent Moon EVA All-Foam Snowshoes Review appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/crescent-moon-eva-all-foam-snowshoes-review/ Every year, I like to recognize the piece of backpacking gear that has the biggest impact on my wilderness hiking experience by giving it the Section Hiker Gear of the Year Award. This year’s winner is the Warbonnet Blackbird Hammock (Single Layer), which is by far the most comfortable and convenient shelter I own for backpacking in the forests of New Hampshire and Maine. I don’t camp in a hammock exclusively (unlike many rabidly fanatical hammock hangers) and the shelters I bring on my trips depend on the climate, terrain, my goals, mood, and whether I’m hiking solo or with companions. But my use of the Blackbird has increased year after year over the past three years that I’ve owned one because:
But those are benefits common to most backpacking hammocks. What sets the Blackbird apart from every other hammock made is its patented side pocket, which lets you store clothing and other personal items under the mosquito netting but in an adjacent pocket, out-of-the-way, where they’re easy to reach. When I set up my hammock, I drop the stuff sacks I need for the night – my personal effects, smartphone, power pack, maps, sleeping cap, and a buff into that pocket so I don’t have to fumble around at night looking for them or store them outside on the ground in my backpack. It’s a little convenience that makes a huge difference in terms of comfort and staying organized. Weighing 14.5 ounces, including whoopie slings, a bishop bag, permanently attached mosquito netting, the Blackbird isn’t the lightest weight hammock you can buy these days, but I’m willing to carry a few more ounces in the name of comfort since I can save weight in other areas of my gear list. And while it’s true that the comfort of my Blackbird depends on the use of an assortment of underquilts, top quilts, and a hammock sock in cold weather, none of the other hammocks I’ve owned or tried using those accessories, comes close to the comfort and convenience of the Warbonnet Blackbird. It’s a keeper. Previous SectionHiker.com Gear of the Year Winners Include:
Disclosure: The author purchased this product with his own funds. See Also:
The post Warbonnet Blackbird Hammock Wins SectionHiker.com Gear of the Year Award appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/warbonnet-blackbird-hammock-gear-of-the-year/ The Light My Fire FireSteel (Army Model) is the most reliable way to light a backpacking or camping stove, fuel, or tinder that I’ve come across. I’ve been carrying one for the past 10 years, since I section hiked Vermont’s Long Trail and had a disposable lighter jam so I couldn’t light my stove. It was a cold night and that event left a lasting impression on me. Never again. While carrying a firesteel may strike you as antiquated, it really is the most reliable way to light a stove, stove fuel, or tinder that I’ve come across. It never (effectively speaking) runs out of sparks and never needs to resupplied, it will work when wet, in the freezing cold, and at any altitude. I’ve used mine to light every type of stove fuel you can imagine and carry it on every hike I take. The Light My Fire FireSteel has two main components, a metal striker and the firesteel itself, which is a metal rod with a highly visible red plastic end to make it easy to hold. They’re connected by a cord that keeps them together and helps make them hard to misplace. If you carry a knife, you can also use that instead of the striker, but I keep them together out of convenience. To use a firesteel, you simply scrape the metal striker (or knife) along the rod. This will generate a shower of sparks which you direct onto some kind of fuel or tinder. For example, if you want to light an MSR Pocket Rocket canister stove (which doesn’t have a built-in igniter), you’d turn on the gas and stroke the firesteel, directing the sparks into the gas. That will ignite the stove. It’s basically the same process with white gas and alcohol, although you aim the sparks for the fuel itself. In order to light a solid fuel like Esbit or wood, I like to use cotton balls smeared with Vaseline as a tinder. I actually smear the Vaseline on when I use them, rather than beforehand because it makes them easier to resupply and less messy. I carry the Vaseline in a tiny tub so I can also use it as a skin lubricant to prevent or relieve chafing. It’s important to get real cotton cotton balls instead of polyester ones, which are far more difficult to ignite. The same holds for drying lint: it has to be cotton lint and not polyester lint. Before using the cotton balls, it’s important to pull them apart into a few fine wisps. This makes them easier to light. The FireSteel rod is made with an proprietary magnesium alloy created by Light My Fire, but it’s probably not that different from the ferrocerium rods that are widely available in survival kits or bundled with Mora bushcraft knives. Light My Fire makes two models of FireSteels, the heavier Army Model (50 g; 12,000 strikes) which I use, and a lighter weight Scout Model (27 g; 3,000 strikes) I prefer the heavier model because it’s more robust when used with a bushcraft knife, which I carry occasionally. I’ve found that a knife wears down the Scout Model rather quickly, although it’s fine if you just use the striker key that it comes with. I think the difference is wear patterns is related to the sharpness of the blade and the pressure exerted by the knife, which is much more aggressive than the bundled strikers. Firesteels work every time and I think they’re a great piece of kit to use. Support SectionHiker.com, where we actually field test the products we review. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links above, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you. See Also:The post Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel 2.0 Army Review appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/light-fire-swedish-firesteel-2-0-army-review/ Don’t worry, I haven’t given up hiking and backpacking. But I have gotten into cycling this year because it’s a fun way to exercise when I can’t get up into the mountains or don’t have time for a hike. One thing led to another and I’ve started to maintain and rebuild my own bikes. It’s surprisingly easy, what with the help of some enthusiast YouTube videos, and a few friends who are happy to give “advice.” While you don’t need a bike repair stand to perform simple maintenance tasks, they’re a necessity if you want to do anything more complex or you want to stand up straight while you work. When I work on my bikes, I use a steel Park Tool PCS-10 bike repair stand which has a professional grade clamp capable of rotating 360 degrees and is sturdy enough to hold a 40 pound fat bike without collapsing. Before I got the PCS-10, I used an aluminum Bikehand repair stand, but it’s not sturdy enough to hold the weight of a heavy bike and the clamp was much harder to use. The PCS-10 is sturdier because its legs lock into reinforced slots (with a push-button pin) at the base of the stand instead of the hinged collapsible legs you find on a lot of lighter weight aluminum bike repair stands. Since it’s made of steel, it’s quite a rigid and heavier-duty stand good for use in a home shop, although a little less portable because it’s so heavy (25 lbs.) That’s less of a concern for me since I have a fixed space set aside to work on my bikes. It’d be different if I lived in an apartment or had to put my bike tools away every time I worked on a bike. The PCS-10 also comes with an excellent clamp that’s easy to engage one-handed when you hoist a bike onto it, The clamp has a top and bottom channel built into the grip that lets cables brake and shifter pass through, and rotates a full 36 degrees so you can work on the bike from any angle. I find that I can really put some torque on a bike clamped to the stand, like when I’m taking off pedals: it’s that solid. It’s pretty impressive, especially when I’m working on a heavy fat bike. The PCS-10 is about as close as you can get to a pro bike repair stand but in a model designed for a home mechanic. Highly recommended! Disclosure: Park tool provided the author with a bike repair stand for this review. Written 2017. Support SectionHiker.com, where we actually field test the products we review. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links above, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you.The post Park Tool PCS-10 Bike Repair Stand Review appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/park-pcs-10-bike-repair-stand-review/ The Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus is a frameless 58L backpack that weighs 16 ounces. With a max recommended load of 20-25 pounds, it’s well sized for three-season thru-hiking and ultralight backpacking, when you need a higher volume pack to carry a bear canister or bulky hammock insulation. But the thing that sets the Exodus apart from other frameless backpacks is its flexibility and the quality of its design. Numerous attachment points and optional add-ons make the Exodus easy to configure for a wide range of trips. Specs at a Glance
Organization and StorageThe Exodus is a roll top backpack that configured like most ultralight backpacks with a large main compartment, rear mesh pocket, and side water bottle pockets. The top of the pack closes with a pair of snaps (nice) that hold it closed and make it easier to roll up. When closed, a Y strap loops over the roll top, providing additional top compression. The stock pack does not have hip belt pockets, but they can be ordered as an add-on option. They loop over the hip belt with elastic straps and clip into elastic loops with tri-glide buckles so they don’t move around. I’ve used these same pockets with many non-MLD backpacks and they’re quite a convenient way to add extra storage to a backpack. The side water bottle pockets have a panel of mesh so they can drain and you can see what’s inside them. They’re also positioned about 2 inches above the base of the pack to help protect the mesh sides and have a piece of elastic cord running through the top which can be cinched down with a cordlock to prevent bottles and other items from popping out. While the side pockets are tall enough to securely hold a SmartWater bottle, they’re surprisingly small with space for just one Nalgene bottle. I can’t reach back and pull them out while wearing the pack, something that surprised me because I can do that with most cottage manufacturer backpacks. The side pockets are large enough to hold a 2L reservoir however, good for carrying extra water or for running an externally stored hydration system. Alternatively, the inside of Exodus has two hang loops that you can hang a hydration reservoir from, including two hydration ports located above the shoulder straps. The rear mesh pocket is covered with moderately durable mesh, but I’d still caution against taking the Exodus off-trail to prevent ripping it up. The pocket also has an elastic cord running through the top which you can tighten to prevent items from falling out. You can also run the top Y strap through a loop on the pocket is you want to further secure the top. If you don’t need to use all 58L liters of the pack’s capacity, you can reduce the total volume to 30L. There are clips and loops along the front and rear seams at the bottom of pack that let you narrow the depth of the backpack so it has less volume. The resulting 30L is a much more reasonable size for day hiking or ultralight thru-hiking without a bear canister. GoLite used to offer this same option on their backpacks and it is a value-add for a high-capacity frameless pack like the Exodus, essentially giving you two backpacks for the price of one. External Attachments and CompressionThe Exodus comes with a single tier of side compression webbing and a pair of ice axe loops. The side compression is routed through another pair of plastic rings and serves a second function, to clip down the sides of the roll top. In addition, the shoulder straps have daisy chains sewn to the front which are handy for attaching accessory pockets and electronics/navigation gear. I have a hard time using packs that don’t have these. The Exodus also has a large number of eternal attachment points distributed around the pack so you can lash additional gear to the outside of your pack. These are small plastic rings sewn into the pack seams for strength. They number twelve in total, three along each of the four corner seams of the pack. The list of possibilities for securing Tenkara fishing rods, snowshoes, accordion sleeping pads, wet clothing, skis, or packraft paddles, etc. to the sides of the pack is really endless. If you wanted you could use these plastic rings to set up:
For example, here’s one of two trekking pole shaft/ice axe shaft holders, that I rigged up using a piece of reflective cord and a cordlock. It’s not rocket science, but attachment points like this really add to a pack’s utility and are worth looking for if you hope to use a pack for many activities, seasons, or locales. Backpack Frame and SuspensionThe Exodus is a frameless backpack, so it lacks a framesheet, frame stays, and load lifters which require a frame to have any effect. This limits its max comfortable load to about 20-25 pounds. You can still carry more than that of course, but it’s going to rest primarily on your shoulders which is a lot more tiring than if the load rests on your hips. That’s essentially what a max recommended load means. Being frameless, it helps to densely packing your load so that it fills the pack bag and helps stiffen it up, in essence becoming a virtual frame. When I pack the Exodus, I place a cut-down 8 panel Therm-a-Rest Zlite pad inside the main bag behind the shoulder straps and then pack my gear behind it as I normally would, with my sleeping insulation at the bottom of the pack. You can also roll up a foam pad like a tube, insert it into the pack bag and then pack your gear into the middle. Both of these are standard techniques for packing a frameless backpack and they help keep the pack from collapsing in on itself, so more of the load rests on your hips and not your shoulders. Unlike many frameless packs, the Exodus has a fairly beefy hip belt, with 4″ wide wings that taper down to 2″ in width near the buckle.The hip belt wings are padded with foam and lined with spacer mesh that provides a good wrap around your hip bones. They are sewn into the corner seams of the pack bag, thereby providing good control over pack’s lateral momentum. Since they are sewn on and not replaceable, I’d recommend measuring the distance from the inside edge of your hip bones and around your back and sending that in with your order to ensure that you get a hip belt that’s your correct size. RecommendationThe Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus is a great backpack that’s ideal for thru-hiking and multi-day backpacking trips. Although it’s frameless, it still has many of the amenities you find on heavier high volume backpacks, like a hip belt, optional hip belt pockets, and a plethora of external attachment points. If you’re out shopping for a frameless backpack, it’d be worth your while to compare the Exodus to other smaller volume packs since you can shrink the Exodus down to a 30L backpack using its volume reduction clips if you need less volume. There’s something to be said for using the same backpack for lower volume loads and higher ones, like when you need to carry a bear canister or cold weather insulation. Personally, I like the open-ended extensibility of the Exodus’ external attachment system (missing from many frameless packs) because I like tailoring my backpack for trips which vary widely in their objectives and side activities. My only reservation with the Exodus is the fact that I can’t reach behind and grab a water bottle when hiking. I think a diagonal pocket opening would quickly remedy that problem and might well be worth asking for (as a customization). Since the shoulder straps do have daisy chains, you can also attach bottles to it as a different way to carry your water or use a reservoir/hose system routed from the side pocket. Disclosure: Mountain Laurel Designs loaned an Exodus Backpack to the author for this review. See Also
The post Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus Ultralight Backpack Review appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/mountain-laurel-designs-exodus-ultralight-backpack/ The CAMP-USA Corsa Ice Axe is quite possibly the lightest weight ice axe in the world, weighing just 8.8 oz (250 grams) in a size 60 cm length, Despite its light weight, it is a fully functional UIAA-certified B ice axe capable of being used for self rescue, glissading, and strong enough to be used as a belay anchor. But the light weight of the Corsa is not without compromises and it is best used for hiking across moderately sloped snow-covered terrain, when low gear weight is deemed an essential. Specs at a Glance
How to Use an Ice AxeThe CAMP Corsa is not an ice climbing axe but a walking axe, one whose primary function is to halt an uncontrolled slide down a slope (self-rescue). The stopping and braking action is performed with the pick end of the axe head and requires that you be able to span the pick and shaft with your hand using a special grip designed for that purpose (see short video about how to grip an ice axe). Glissading, which is when you slide down a slope sitting up with feet first (never wearing crampons), is another common function of a walking axe. It also requires holding the axe is the ready position, but you brake with the axe’s spike at the base of the shaft. This is done by dragging the spike along your hip like a canoe rudder, digging it hard into the snow when you want to slow down. There are other uses of an ice axe, but those are the two principal ones of interest by hikers and backpackers. CAMP Corsa DimensionsMade from aluminum, the Corsa is plenty strong, but the pick and adze of considerably shorter than heavier axes like the popular Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe. There’s also very little room for your hand to wrap around the pick and adze in a self-rescue readiness position, making it awkward to get a good grip when you’re wearing an insulated glove. Here’s a side by side photo of the Black Diamond Raven pick and adze (top) and the CAMP Corsa (bottom) to put the dimension difference into perspective. Both axes are rated ‘B’ rated by the UIAA (International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) and their shafts are made with aluminum to keep their weights low. However, the Raven has a steel head, while the Corsa has an aluminum one. A 60cm CAMP Corsa weighs 250 grams while a 60cm Black Diamond Raven weighs 452 grams, and the nearly identical 60cm Black Diamond Raven Pro (not shown) weighs 392 grams. As you can see here, the Corsa has a noticeably shorter pick and smaller adze than the Raven. Despite the difference, I’ve found the Corsa perfectly satisfactory for self-arrests, provided you use good form and really dig in with the pick. Less obvious, is the difference in grip comfort that results from having a shorter pick and adze. The Corsa is difficult to carry in the ready position while wearing thick insulated gloves because there isn’t space for them to wrap around the shaft which is flush against the pick and adze. The Raven, in contrast, is easy to carry in a ready self-arrest position, with the adze facing forward. The small grip size is less of an issue in warmer weather when you need less glove insulation against the cold aluminum. It’s an important nuance if you intend the use the Corsa for hiking in early spring weather or at an elevation where snow remains into the summer months and wearing heavy gloves isn’t necessary. The Corsa also lacks a hole at the top of the shaft for securing an ice axe leash. That’s not necessarily a problem is you’re willing to use the CAMP Touring Leash which can slide up and down the shaft, but is prevented from falling off by a tight-fitting rubber O-ring. The adze, which can used to chop steps or dig into snow to make a tent platform, is also quite small and you’ll have to swing it more times to get the same result as the larger Raven adze. Not a show stopper, but far less convenient. The Corsa also doesn’t have a traditional spike at the end of its shaft like the Raven, Instead, the aluminum shaft is open in the bottom, though plugged with a piece of foam to keep snow and ice from accumulating inside. Despite the difference, it is as easy to penetrate crusty snow with the end. RecommendationThe CAMP Corsa is an ultralight mountaineering axe that trades weight for range of use and comfort. That’s a perfectly valid tradeoff, provided you backstop the difference with skills and prudent decision-making about where you’d be willing to travel with it. While mountaineering ice axes are designed for self-rescue, it’s a good day when you can keep one lashed to the back of your pack and not need to use it. If you’re on an adventure where you believe reducing your gear weight is of paramount concern, then the CAMP Corsa is a good option to consider. But the Corsa can be more difficult to use in than a heavier mountaineering axe that has a longer pick and is easier to grip while wearing insulated gloves. However, if your trip is in warmer weather when a heavy insulated glove is not required to hold a metal axe and you plan to hike in predominantly low angle terrain, the Corsa is a good choice. For steeper and more challenging routes, I think carrying a heavier axe would be preferable in terms of safety and range. Written 2017. Disclosure: CAMP provided the author with a Corsa Ice Axe for this review. See Also:
The post CAMP Corsa Ultralight Ice Axe Review appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/camp-corsa-ultralight-ice-axe-review/ The MSR Revo Ascent (MSRP $239) is a mountaineering-style snowshoe that has lightweight plastic decking, a saw-toothed crampon-style frame, televators, and MSR’s ski-strap style lay-flat binding. It shares many of the same features as the pricier MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoe (MSRP $299), but has one less rear crampon, making it somewhat less aggressive for steep terrain and better suited for more recreational snowshoeing. Specs at a Glance
Snowshoe BindingThe Revo Ascents use MSR’s ski-strap style lay-flat binding which has three top straps and one rear strap to hold your foot in place. Common across MSR’s “Ascent Series” snowshoes, there are advantages and disadvantages and to this style of binding.
For example, the Ascent binding is easy to secure while wearing gloves and is compatible with any type or sized footwear. It can’t freeze up when it gets wet and it’s very easy to replace the straps if you even manage to snap one. But they do occasionally come undone when you’re snowshoeing and you have to stop and re-secure them. While annoying, the multi-strap system has enough redundancy that you won’t lose a snowshoe when this happens. If the Ascent binding does not appeal to you, check out the MSR’s Explore Series snowshoes (Lightning Explore, Revo Explore) which have a ratchet style binding that’s easier to use. TractionThere are three points of traction on the Revo Ascents: a red hinged crampon under the ball of the foot, a horizontal crampon located behind it, and the steel frame, which is serrated to dig into frozen snow or ice. Having a hinged crampon means you can dig your toes into icy sloped to get purchase. The horizontal crampon prevents backsliding, and the serrated frame is very good when side hilling on a slope because it will retard lateral slippage. All three traction components complement one another and provide excellent traction on most surfaces. How does the Revo Ascent Traction differ from that on the Lightning Ascent snowshoe? There’s a second horizontal crampon located under the heel of the Lightning Ascent and the frame wraps around the front and rear of the snowshoe, not just the sides. That can make a difference in more challenging terrain, especially since the televator is located above the Lightning’s rear horizontal crampon. TelevatorsThe Revo Ascents have televators which you can easily flip-up with your trekking pole handle. Televators are used when you hike uphill and position your foot so that your heel stays level with your toes when hiking up an incline. This significantly reduces calf fatigue. Snowshoes with televators are a must-have in any kind of hilly or mountainous terrain and you’ll be glad you have them. Snowshoe DeckingThe decking on the Revo Ascent is a lightweight plastic that’s provides good flotation is all snow conditions. The decking has large cutouts around the forefoot that prevent snow from piling up on top of the snowshoes, which can hide your feet in deep powder or weigh you down in warmer conditions. While durable, the plastic is easy to scratch up if you snowshoe over rock. This won’t affect the performance of the snowshoe and is really just cosmetic. RecommendationThe MSR Revo Ascent Snowshoe is a high flotation recreational snowshoe that’s ideal for snowshoeing on packed trails or fresh powder in moderately hilly terrain. The lay-flat ski-strap style binding is easy to pack and easy to put on or take off while wearing gloves. It’s also compatible with any size or type of footwear. Traction is very good on steeps with the use of the televator feature while the sawtooth serrated frame helps prevent side slipping on slopes. But the lack of a rear crampon makes downhill braking on steep slopes more challenging, relegating the Revo Ascent Snowshoe to more moderate terrain. See Also:
Disclosure: MSR provided the author with a sample pair of snowshoes for this review. The post MSR Revo Ascent Snowshoes Review appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/msr-revo-ascent-snowshoes-review/ The Yaktrax Summit is a burly winter traction system that’s in the same league as Kahtoola’s Microspikes and Hillsound’s Trail Crampons. Compatible with soft-soled winter boots and hiking shoes, the Summits have 12 triangular spikes that attach to the underside of your footwear using a rubber harness, coupled with a Boa closure system to ensure that they don’t pop off your feet when your shoe soles flex. Specs at a Glance:
Each of the Summit’s spikes are 3/8″ inches long and provide plenty of extra traction to keep you from falling on ice or slipping and sliding when hiking on broken out trails covered with packed snow. They’re attached to a natural rubber harness which wraps around the sole of your shoe or boot, as well as a toe cup and heel counter that lock the crampon to your footwear. Blue plastic plates between the spikes, called “anti-balling plates”, prevent wet snow from clumping to the spikes under your feet which can make hiking very awkward when it occurs. You also find these plates on full mountaineering crampons, for the same reason. The Boa closure system is used to keep the Summit from coming off during use. A steel lace is threaded through the front toe cup and the sides to the Boa closure (a twist knob) located on the back of the heel counter. To tighten the steel lace, you push the knob in and turn it clockwise. To release, you pull the knob back which will loosen the lace. It’s pretty straightforward. The Summit works exactly like you’d expect it to, providing good traction on packed snow and ice. You can’t climb anything vertical with it because it doesn’t have front spikes, but it’s usually sufficient for hiking up low angle rock ledges covered with intermittent patches of ice and wind slab. For steeper and icier surfaces, an ice axe and full crampons are still advised. AssessmentYour mileage may very, but I’ve found it very difficult to put the Yaktrax Summits on when hiking, especially when I’m wearing gloves. I can’t do it while standing on one leg (I have to sit down) and it takes two hands to do it. The problem isn’t the Boa closure system, but the grey rubber strap, which is hard to position at the right height around my boot soles. It sits much lower down on the soles themselves, unlike the elastic strap on the Kahtoolas or Hillsounds, which wrap around the top of your footwear. This is a showstopper for me because there is usually no place to sit down on my hikes and I don’t like to expose my hands to bone chilling cold because I’ve had cold injuries in the past. While the features on the Summit, particularly the anti-balling plates, are very nice to have, I am more comfortable using my Hillsounds or Kahtoolas, which I can reliably put on while wearing gloves and by standing on one leg. My full mountaineering crampons are also easier to put on than the Summits, which would fine except for this one difficulty. Disclosure: Yaktrax provided the author with a sample product for this review Written 2017 See Also
The post Yaktrax Summit Winter Traction System Review appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog. from https://sectionhiker.com/yaktrax-summit-winter-traction-system-review/ |
ABOUT MEHello my pleaseure to introduce myself, I am Jose Johnson. I am 26 years old from Monroe, LA. I love to got for hikings with my friends on holidays. Archives
April 2019
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