Protecting Against the Secret Danger of a High Altitude Climb
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People seem to like the “my top five gear items for”… this year or this type of trip or that are new or whatever. I see it a lot in the backpacking communities: “Gear I’m switching out in 2025,” and the like.
I get it. Gear changes. We advance the technology. Heck, just the gear we have eventually wears out.
But I don’t normally do a lot of gear-specific videos. I am much more drawn to systems, and processes, and how-to tutorials. There are several reasons for it. First, I really think it is more the techniques and the knowledge that makes climbing safe. Heck, we can ascend a rope with two prusiks rather than on a Micro Traxion and Tibloc (although I believe the latter are better alternatives, and I did a whole video on why - it isn’t about the tools, it’s about the technique they allow.) As I say, “Knowledge is weightless.” So, I would rather have a new system in my mind than a new piece of gear on my rack. Second, I don’t tend to go through gear quickly. Once I find a system - using a combination of tools - that work for me, I tend to stick with it for awhile. I can go years, decades even, with the same piece of kit. Third, then, because I keep gear for so long, I don’t have a gear garage full of multiples of the same types of gear to do a lot of compare-and-contrast types of reviews. I can go deep on how a piece of gear works for me, but I can’t really say it’s the “best” or “worst” compared to other products in the same market.
That being said, I do still have a lot of gear. I have chosen to outfit a whole family along with outfit my own expeditions. When you are planning for four (family) to eight (expeditions) people, that can mean a lot of stuff. Now, I don’t have to have all the personal gear for everyone on an expedition, but I do often supply the tents and lend out other items, and I do need all that individual gear for the family.
But, I confess that over the next couple of months, I will have an unusual (for me) number of gear related videos. About 25% of them, or so. The reason is less strategic than you might think. About a year ago, I needed to replace some stuff that was getting warn out (like a harness); I added a convenience item as my family and I were training for a backpacking tip (a mattress-inflating pump); I got a larger volume pack in part for that same backpacking training but also with a few coming expeditions in mind; and the like. And it takes about a year of regular and repeated use for me to really develop a solid impression of the pros and cons of a piece of equipment. I need to experience the gear in different conditions and with different types of climbs placing demands on that equipment.
If a piece of gear crosses some mental threshold I have about it truly being “something I like and reach for when I pack,” then I think it might be worth sharing, as maybe it will help others. That’s when I decide to do a gear related video… typcially.
In this case, the case of this high altitude gear that I use to protect me from the sun, I was just flat-out asked. And I try to be responsive when I think the larger audience would be interested. Almost all of the gear in this video goes back at least a decade, to my Denali expedition. The only one that is new is the OuterU cheek protector. So, I have a lot of experience with this particular “system - using a combination of tools - that work for me.”
Of course, the video goes into a little bit of detail about each item, but if you want it at a glance, here is the list.
Seirus Hyperlite All Weather glove