Yakima SkyBox Gear Hauler
November 30, 2008
You know the feeling – you get some gear here, some gear there, some more gear, some gear that was on sale, some gear that you got from your buddy who switched to telemarking – and suddenly the gear situation is at critical mass. You want to go on an adventure but your car won’t carry all the gear for all the adventures you want to have. There is just not enough room. The doors won’t shut and there is no room for actual people in the car anyway. What is a Geargal to do?
And that is where the SkyBox comes in. If you are lucky enough to live in an outdoorsy type of town, you have probably seen eight million of these things, on all types of cars, from Subarus to Expeditions (seriously. If you own an Expedition and still need a cargo box, you have a problem). And for good reason – the SkyBox is seriously handy for hauling skis, shovels, snow saws, luggage, backpacks, tools – anything you might need for a trip or two or five. I love the SkyBox because I can throw all the sharp, dirty, poky things in it instead of having to stuff them into my nice new car. And my dog loves it too, because he gets to ride in comfort in the car while the gear is safely ensconced in the SkyBox. It really is much safer to have the gear in the box instead of in the car – high speed impacts (and even low speed impacts) can toss stuff around if it’s loose in the car. Better to have it safely stowed.
I admit that I enlisted the help of an experienced Yakima rack system putter-onner when installing the rack system and the SkyBox on my car. It was really pretty simple to install, but having another person was really helpful and eliminated about seven thousand trips to the other side of my car to make sure everything was even. And it really was quite nice to have him just show me how to install things like lock cores instead of having to read the directions, which my readers know I hate to do. So we got the base rack system and the SkyBox installed in about forty minutes, which is really pretty good for two people who are uptight enough to try to get everything exactly perfectly even down to the millimeter. The SkyBox itself just basically slides onto the crossbars and snaps tight, and when you lock the box, it keeps anyone from being able to just walk up and steal your precious gear hauler (assuming you’ve also put locks on your crossbars to keep someone from stealing THEM).
The Skybox is cool because it can open from either side, so you can put it on either side of your car (or in the middle, and access it from either side) and has a stiff lid for easy open and close. To open, twist the handle and pull up, and to close, just push down until the latch catches. Then lock and go. Simple. You can go with the low-pro look of the black matte SkyBox, or the bling of the SkyBox Pro – they are the same thing, only the Pro has a silver top. I went with the regular black, because I’m stealth like that. I also appreciate that the silver “SkyBox” sticker can be easily removed for ninjas like me.
Best of all, the SkyBox holds a really incredible amount of stuff. I tested the SkyBox 12 and and let me tell you, this thing can fit a lot of gear. It is enormous. I haven’t even really maxed it out yet; it is cavernous. I almost went with the SkyBox 16, which is even bigger, but I’m happy with the 12 since I like to have extra room on my crossbars. If all you need is a ski carry, the SkyBox 12 might prove a little big for your needs, but if you’re ever going to be carrying packs or luggage, you will love the extra room. People like me, who like a clean car, will go nuts over the SkyBox. Finally I have a means by which to keep people from throwing their crap all over my car – the rule in the Head Geargal’s car is if it doesn’t belong to me, it goes “In The Box”. Don’t even try to put your snowy boots on my back seat. That leather ain’t cheap and I don’t want to ride home in a stuffy car with your smelly boots. In the box!
I wasn’t able to use the spoiler with the SkyBox – it just wouldn’t fit on there all together and the spoiler was too close to the sunroof on my car. I was worried about wind noise without the spoiler, but either my car is super airtight or the wind noise isn’t that bad, because I’m not bothered. It’s noiser than it is without the box on there, but not disturbingly so. And finally I can carry my grain scoop shovel wherever I go! What – you think I’m kidding?
Julbo Explorer Glacier Glasses
November 27, 2008
Holy bug eyes, Batman! I would love wearing these Cat 4 glacier glasses for the “beetle look” alone. The lenses are pretty round and shiny, no doubt about it. They’re not totally dorky, but they will definitely remind you either of insects (but cute ones) or World War I flying aces (with Cat 4 lenses in their goggles). But for this Geargal, whose eyes are so sensitive that she meets Alaska’s three months of winter darkness with a sense of relief, these are just the ticket. I’m one of those people who wears Cat 4 lenses even in the winter months, because I just can’t stand bright light. I even went through a bunch of trouble and expense to get a permit to tint all my car windows limo-dark. It was so worth it, I never get achy, dry eyes anymore, and I don’t get chafed by the sunglasses I was having to wear in all daylight hours. And no one can see in, so I can do WHATEVER I WANT in my car and no one can see me. This comes in handy when making rude gestures at people. But then when I’m in a normal car, I forget that people can see me, so I get busted all of the time making faces and staring at people. Anyway. Sunglasses. So it was getting hard to get me out of my car. I would lock all the doors and howl “but it’s BRIGHT out there!” Luckily for me the Explorers came along and I could join society again. Sorry, society.
The Cat 4 lenses mean they are dark, dark, dark, and the plastic guards on the sides block out almost all of the reflected light. This means I can spend a sunny day on the glacier without being incapacitated by glare by the end of the day. Regular sunglasses let in too much light from the sides and underneath, but the Explorers are designed to block most of that out while not interfering with your peripheral vision. Putting these on when it’s bright out is an amazing relief.
Julbo warned me that these aren’t really made for smaller faces, and that’s somewhat true – they fit my face just fine but the arms (is that what they’re called? You know, the things that go over your ears. Yeah, the arms go over your ears. You know what I mean) are too long and I have to tighten the lanyard to really get the glasses to sit correctly on my face. This just means that Julbo should make these in a smaller size as well, because women need glacier glasses too!
The Explorers do have a tendency to fog when I’m running or skiing, but maybe that’s because of my tendency to breathe with my lower lip jutted out when I’m running or skiing. Quite a mystery, that. If I’m not wearing a hat I don’t have the problem with the fogging, but my point is that while the Explorers sit pretty close into your face, they don’t seal to your face like goggles so you can still fog them up. But they are definitely usable as goggles, for the most part.
My one big beef with these is that my pair is black with neon green accents on the sides (the pair above has black where the neon green is on mine). Hello, what is this, 1991? It is not necessary to bring neon back. I really don’t understand the need for the neon. They’d be way cooler if they were just black. But since these save me an immense amount of eye irritation and allow me to go have fun in the outdoors without resorting to wearing ski goggles for everything, I can put up with a little neon.
Available at backcountry.com! Click here.
Eureka E!nergy 9 Tent
November 26, 2008
There are few things more attractive to this Geargal than having creature comforts while in camp. Long gone are the days when I could subsist for five days in the backcountry with a tarp, a hunk of cheese, and three pounds of chocolate. Now that I’m old, I like comfy camps with lots of gourmet food; snuggly, soft beds, and these crazy things called “utilities” by which hot water and light come easily. Unfortunately, all these things are also quite heavy (especially the utilities, ever try to transport a power plant?) and as I’ve gotten older I’ve also gotten increasingly reluctant to carry heavy things. It’s one of life’s little ironies. When you’re young, you can’t be bothered to arrange a nice camp and don’t care if you forget your stove, don’t have any water, or hadn’t bothered to bring enough food; so you end up going ultralight just out of sheer thoughtlessness. When you’re old, forgetting your stove is enough to send you scurrying back to the car. Fine, it’s enough to send ME scurrying back to the car. But anyway, when you’re old enough to really want all that stuff that makes camp bearable, you are too old and decrepit to carry it. So you need to start bringing young people so they can carry all your stuff – which is the only reasonable argument I’ve ever heard for having children. I don’t have any children, so I have students instead. They must learn how to carry heavy loads, I reason, and when they see how comfortable I am in camp with all of the heavy things they’ve carried in, they will be inspired to make their own nice, comfortable camps. See, I make them carry my stuff because I CARE.
So, the next time you head to the backcountry with ten teenagers, give them this tent – and its accompanying car-battery-size power pack – to carry. They might moan and complain but it will all be worth it as you zip the door shut on their whining and kick back in your fully-powered backcountry paradise. The E!nergy 9 has three regular, normal outlets and pretty blue LED lights so that you can find the outlets even in the (shudder) dark. You can charge up your iPod to ensure that you’ll always have tunes to block out the sound of your children, students, or hapless camping partners grumbling about how you won’t let them use the blow dryer you brought along.
But seriously, I don’t know whether the power pack can handle powering a blow dryer. But it can handle some lamps, charge a camera battery, and provide power for an assortment of lower-wattage type items. I wish I had more examples of what you could use the outlets for but lamps and camera batteries are the only things I can think of that I’d want to plug into my tent. Oh, wait, I forgot! The 9′ X 9′ floor space means there is plenty of room for your inflatable mattress as well, and you can plug the air pump into the tent to avoid distasteful physical labor. There you have it, the perfect camping tent.
Be warned, it’s really heavy, even without the power pack. It’s bulky, too. So you might have to reserve this one for car camping, or for when you really do have lots of people to help carry things and you’ll be out there for long enough that electric lights and recharged camera batteries seem like manna from heaven. If you have a child or significant other who feels nervous about roughing it, break them in gently by taking them camping in the E!nergy tent. If they think that’s what camping is like, you’ll be able to convince them to try longer trips. Just don’t tell them that you won’t be able to bring along the E!nergy tent because you are not Superwoman, unless of course you are, in which case please bring me camping and carry this tent when we go.
Note: Family pictured not included with tent. I will leave it up to you to decide whether this is good news or bad news.
Mountain Hardwear Hooded Compressor Jacket
November 18, 2008
I already told you how much I liked the Compressor, so I felt a little guilty asking for a Hooded Compressor to test. I thought it would be pretty much the same only with a hood. Once I tried it, though, I no longer felt guilty because I was too busy giddily gloating over how awesome the jacket is and how totally cute I look in it. Hmm, perhaps I don’t need to pour out my entire personality into these reviews….I’m very nice, sweet, and humble, honest! I just have to tell you the jacket is cute because I pledge to post honest reviews. See, I wouldn’t gloat if I didn’t have to in order to maintain my integrity as a reviewer.
I like it EVEN BETTER than the regular Compressor (even though I still love the regular Compressor, I really do!) and wear it more. Which is almost kind of strange because I’m not a big hood user. This jacket just works. It’s warm, not bulky, perfectly sized for me, and comes in colors that are different from the norm but still attractive. It’s just long enough to hit slightly below my hipbones, which is just perfect as far as I’m concerned.
The Hooded Compressor, like most other things Mountain Hardwear, works really well with, well, other things Mountain Hardwear. They really have their system down. This jacket with a MHW hard shell over it is pretty darn warm, and without the hard shell it’s nice for moderately cold days or really cold days combined with exertion. The minimalist styling wins points from the Geargals, and the one added bit of flair is a bicep pocket which I find very convenient for storing my cell phone – I mean, my GPS and packet of Gu, brah. Well, there is one more wee bit of flair in the form of an embroidered flower on the inside, which is unobtrusive but still kind of funny. I’m glad it’s not visible on the outside of the jacket, but it’s kind of whimsical to have it on the inside. I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that board meeting – the battle for whether the flower stays or goes, culminating in the groundbreaking compromise “it’s a go on the flower, but we’ll put it on the inside.” Now THAT is the way to keep peace in the workplace, and, it turns out, in the marketplace too.
$170.96 at Backcountry.com. Click here!
Patagonia Stretch Element Bib Pant
November 18, 2008
$400.00 at patagonia.com. Click here!
Wahoo, these bibs are awesome! Like I was saying in a previous post, I get to try a LOT of pants, so when there’s a standout pair I get really excited. These bibs from Patagonia are just the ticket. Bib pants for women tend to be ill-fitting since the Great Female Mannequin Shortage left so many manufacturers without the means by which to build clothing for the female form (Haven’t heard of the the Great Female Mannequin Shortage? Well, you tell ME why it’s so hard to make good gear for the ladies then) but Patagonia must have had one clothes dummy hidden away in a back room, because these bibs are spot on. The form fitting upper gives you warmth without the bulk, and, with the help of their trusty mannequin, Patagonia has realized that women’s upper bodies have shape considerations that make the cut of bib pants very important. These bibs have just the right rise (read: they stop before your boobs begin) and have nicely placed suspenders that won’t chafe your tender areas. Because they don’t rise as high as men’s bib pants for obvious reasons, they don’t have a big front pocket, but they do have two cute wee pockets in the front to hold your Blistex and other small items. There is one hip pocket as well, but I am much too vain to mess up the look of a nice pair of pants by stuffing something in a hip pocket and creating a weird looking bulge. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of the velcro closures on the sides primarily because I have this thing against velcro in general, but also because I’m usually trying to get dressed in a hurry and the velcro invariably ends up stuck to my base layer, turning it fuzzy, but they do allow for a little extra size adjustment so I guess they have to stay.
I love the full length zippers for convenience’s sake and the inner cuff lined with pseudo-sticky stuff to keep the snow out. And the legs are blessedly long enough! This is such an issue with pants that I’m kind of starting to wonder if it’s not my body that’s weird. A nice long pair of pants sends me into transports of delight. Few things are dorkier than bulky winter pants that are too short. They make me look as if I’m big as a barn and waiting for a flood. The Stretch Element Bib with its streamlined styling, flattering cut, and nice long leg length makes me look….normal! Cute, even, dare I say? (Yes, I do dare.)
The legs are cut fairly straight but can accommodate ski boots or climbing boots. The inner gaiter-thingy can be adjusted to size down to almost any boot or leg size. There is no bagginess to these pants and they fit fairly close, but I didn’t have any issues with them being overly restrictive because of the surprisingly stretchy H2NO (hee!) fabric. I also might have to eat my words from other reviews, because these bibs seem reasonably light AND tough. Now that I said that, I will probably tear them on a marshmallow next time I wear them, because I have that kind of luck. But for normal-lucked ladies, these bibs will last and last. Which is good, because these pants are so great, they are definitely going to see a lot of skiing and climbing action this year.
Deuter 30+ Guide Pack
November 17, 2008
What exactly makes a pack a “guide” pack? I really don’t know, all I know is that I have an immense attraction to things marketed as “guide” gear. As we know, most “guide” gear is made for guys, so a women’s guide pack is simply BEGGING to get on Geargals. So here it is – one of the few women’s specific “guide” packs out there.
First, I’ll be straightforward about what I think a “guide” pack should have – pockets. Compartments. Lots and lots of pockets and compartments. Lots of ways to store things and lots of ways to get into where things are stored – so access is the name of the game. This Deuter pack delivers on the access with one 2/3 length zipper, but is pretty minimal on the pockets and compartments. One main compartment and one top compartment, that’s all you get. Streamlined, for sure, but you better have a serious mind for organization if you need to know exactly where your stuff is and where to find it in your pack.
Second, I’ll be straightforward about what I think women’s packs don’t need – little plastic flowers attached to them. The plastic flower that came with this pack hit the trash on day one, and its surgical removal didn’t affect the function of the pack at all. REALLY? Amazing. Seriously, the pack is fine without the flower. Ditch the flower.
Flower safely ditched, I was really pleased with how this pack carried. Even stuffed to the gills, it was stable, fit well to my back, was easy to adjust, and had a perfectly sized harness. I chose to wear this pack on a long search exercise just because I knew it was comfortable to carry, and it definitely delivered. I was wishing for a little more size, but since it’s designed for a smaller frame, I guess there’s only so much stuff that it can carry and still stay comfortable. Still, if you’re going to use this as a real “guide” or search pack, you’re going to have to pack carefully because there is very little extra room. There is, however, a great carry system for ice tools and skis. The loops for ice tools are just awesome. Why other packs don’t have similar loops is kind of beyond me – does Deuter have the patent or are they just ahead of the game?
I feel like the ski loops are a bit tragic. They carry skis really, really well. The pack is one of the most stable packs in my arsenal, making it perfect for skiing. But there is no dedicated pocket for avalanche gear such as shovel and probe. Smart Geargals will not be carrying skis if they’re not also carrying an avalanche shovel and transceiver. Putting a shovel blade into the main compartment of this pack is not ideal. It will take up all the room and be hard to get out. So, I don’t use this as a ski pack. I wish I could, because I bet it would be great to ski with since it carries so well.
One other strange thing about this pack is that it doesn’t have a compression strap at the top. Kind of odd. I feel like there is some sort of pack design magic going on that I just haven’t figured out, because I really wish it had a compression strap. Advances in pack technology really have to be spelled out for me – how does this “no compression strap” thing work and what is with the random strap at the top where a compression strap should be? That strap doesn’t connect to anything, so what is it for? (Aaaand this section wins the prize for most times the word “strap” appears in a paragraph.) I guess it’s for carrying maybe a sleeping pad or something, but I’d prefer a normal compression strap.
So, another patented mixed review. I really, really like the way this pack carries. I think Deuter must have spent most of their time on engineering a well-sized harness and ensuring that the pack fits a woman’s frame properly. But did they forget to design any pockets? How about a water bottle pocket. Avalanche gear pocket? Car key pocket? Work with me here, give me just a few little pockets and I’ll be happier. Well, I’d be happiest with more pockets than that, but to have almost no pockets? Strange. Deuter should forget about designing a little plastic flower and start working on some pockets to go with that amazing carry system, wonderfully balanced pack, and well-fitting harness. And they should make a women’s guide pack that has a bit more capacity. But above all, they should keep making “guide” packs for women because someone has to do it, and if they can make a pack that carries this well, I know they can dial in that situation with the pockets. If this pack had a few more compartments and lots of access to them, as well as about another 10 liters in capacity, I would use it as my search pack, no question. I’ll be watching the Deuter line to see if they add such a Geargals-specific pack to their lineup – I’ll snatch it up right away for sure!
On SUPER MEGA SALE at REI.com! Click here!
Crumpler Sinking Barge Photo Bag
November 17, 2008
OK, confession time. I am not a photographer. The complexities of creating the beautiful images that grace web pages and walls everywhere are lost on me. At best I’m a picture-taker, so I would never call myself a photographer. I am, however, the esteemed picture-taker who has captured the images displayed on the Geargals site header, so I’ll just go with that as my qualifications for reviewing this photo bag from Crumpler. And an arduous task this is, too, because it’s going to be tough to convey how cool this bag is. In the picture above it just looks like a backpack, eh? Well, it’s a backpack all right, but it has every single photography-oriented feature that a picture-taker could think of. It has a special, shaped, padded pocket for your 35mm or your SLR (which I do have, by the way, so I know), little places for something called “film” (which I understand they used to use in the seventies, or something), and even a laptop sleeve and various other stashing-places for other stuff.
Like I said, I’m not a photographer, so I tried like hell to find another use for this bag. It fits a smaller frame well, is impossibly sturdy, and since I like bags with lots of compartments, I was determined to be able to use it for something other than lugging cameras, which I don’t do, well, ever. Alas, it’s pretty specialized and really is best as a photo bag. I can contend that it is a darn good photo bag, though, and Crumpler uses material that is practically bulletproof. Any field photographer would adore this bag and I don’t think it will ever wear out. It’s not light, but we’ve had that discussion, folks – it can be tough and not light, or light and not tough. If I were interested in protecting delicate photo equipment, I’d go with “tough”, but that’s just me. And I don’t think you’ll find much tougher than Crumpler (despite the name, “crumple” is something this bag absolutely won’t do). Crumpler makes a lot of messenger bags, photo bags, and various other types of stuff for haulin’ other stuff, and all of it is made with tough fabrics, sturdy construction, an eye for detail, and a weird name. Seriously. I’m not sure why they named this the “Sinking Barge” as that’s not really the image that I want to evoke in a bag that’s got all my cameras in it, but hey. I’m a reviewer, not a marketer….
Core Concepts Cadence Hoodie
November 17, 2008
New in the lineup this year is the Core Concepts Cadence Hoodie, which leaped its way into my heart with cute styling, flattering fit, and superwarm performance. Once again I have to defend the shirt against the rather bleah picture I have of it. Sorry about the headless mannequin. Really, it’s much cuter than this (the shirt, not the mannequin). I love the design of this shirt, with its curved side seams that are responsible for the body-conscious styling, and the simple but distinctive screened flower pattern on the front and back. Most importantly, though, it is WARM whether it’s being used as an outer layer or a base layer. As my readers know, I get my hands on a lot of gear, and I get a little jaded sometimes, you know, “how different can it be?” So if I find myself really liking a particular piece of gear, well that gear is probably pretty darn different. Usually I spend some time trying to figure out what it is that is making the item “different,” but this time I’ve just been having too much fun wearing it. I can’t be bothered to do my research when there are fun places to go and a cute, warm hoodie to wear! So I don’t really know that is different about the Core Concepts fabric that makes it extra warm, but it really is one of the best base layers I’ve tried this season. It makes a noticeable difference in chilly weather and if I’m going to be out for extended periods and want the warmth without the bulk, this is the one I reach for. I think the fact that it’s a pullover with no zippers makes it retain more heat, and that sounds techy, so I’ll go with that explanation.
One different thing about this hoodie that wasn’t immediately apparent is the ponytail hole in the back of the hood. I will guiltily admit that I never used the hood, so I really don’t know how the ponytail hole performs, but if you have always wanted a hood with a ponytail hole, well here it is. Now that I’m thinking about it, though, this might be pretty handy. No more static-y hair sticking to the back of my neck inside my hood! Good idea from Core Concepts.
The first thing I noticed about the shirt, though, was the styling. I really liked the curving, stretchy seams on each side that form a gather of sorts. They just made the shirt stand out a little bit and gave it a little bit of that vitally important extra-flattering power. There really are just so many shirt designs that are possible to apply to the human form, so it’s kind of nice to find a new one. I fear that the trend towards off-center and askew patterns will look dated in a few years, but until that happens you can look up-to-the-minute in the Cadence hoodie.
Now for today’s tangent. Hoodies. We love them, right? I sure do. Hoodies are all over the place. Hooded jackets, hooded coats, hooded shirts, hooded base layers…ok, that is a lot of hoods. And the other Geargals will browbeat me until I mention that hoods really are great for keeping the ol’noggin warm. When it’s really chilly out, I have been known to rely on hoods to keep me cozy. But all these hoods make it important to plan out your outfit. If you have a hood on your base layer, your mid layer, your insulating layer, and your outer layer, you are going to look like Quasimodo. So it’s becoming necessary to purchase two of every item, one in hooded version, one in non-hooded version, for infinite outfit-assembling possibilities. For cuteness factor alone, though, you can’t beat a hoodie and the Cadence is cuter than most. And warmer than many! And with a ponytail hole to set it apart. How can you lose?
Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero Hooded Jacket
November 11, 2008
I really do have the greatest job in the world. I get boxes of new outdoor stuff and I get to go outside and play with it all day. It’s pretty sweet. Except when it’s so cold outside that even new gear is not enough to tempt me out to play – then it kind of sucks, because it seems more like, well, a job. But, as one of the Geargals always says, “there is no bad weather, just bad clothes.” And with the Sub Zero jacket, there are no more “bad clothes” excuses. This jacket will keep you warm in all but the most inconceivably cold weather (and I don’t want to get a bunch of comments with Princess Bride quotes, now, people). It really fits well, too, which can’t have been easy to design when dealing with the big puffy insulation. I am telling you, whoever is doing the Mountain Hardwear jacket designing lately is really hitting the mark. The length is perfect and the proportions exact. Well, they are exactly like my own proportions, at least. Three cheers for “true to size” designs!
The two front pockets are cavernous and lined with soft fuzzy hand-soothing microfleece. The Sub Zero has a hood for those who like hoods, but the hood zips off for those who don’t. Yay! Something for everyone. The jacket also packs into one of its own pockets. It’s got one inside pouch-type pocket and one interior zip pocket as well. A chest pocket would be a good addition, and I think some of the other jackets from the Sub Zero line do have the chest pocket, but this particular jacket doesn’t have one. It’s fairly light for such a warm piece, but it seems reasonably tough as well. I wouldn’t want to poke it with sharp objects, but it’s not so delicate that I constantly worry that it will implode if touched. The elbows are lined with an extra abrasion guard fabric, just in case.
Now, it’s important to note the specifics of this particular jacket. This is the Sub Zero Hooded Jacket, as opposed to the Sub Zero Parka or the Sub Zero SL Hooded Jacket. The features of each are slightly different, but the warmth factor is the same, and the technique of non-sewed-through baffles eliminates cold spots and insulation compression. This is the version without the extra waterproofing of the fabric (SL), and WITH the zip-off hood, as opposed to the other Sub Zero Hooded Jacket which has a hood that doesn’t zip off. Confused yet? Me too. I’m not even sure if the picture above is exactly the jacket I’m testing, but it looks mostly like it and you can’t tell in the picture if the hood zips off. So, pretend that the hood in the picture zips off, and there you have this jacket.
So I’m back to happily playing outside with my gear all day, because I know that my good clothes are no match for the bad weather. If you think the mercury is too low to go outside, get yourself a MHW Sub Zero Jacket (or MHW Sub Zero SL Hooded Jacket, or a MHW Sub Zero Parka, take your pick) and go laugh at the cold.
$224.96 at backcountry.com! Click here!
La Sportiva Nepal EVO GTX
November 7, 2008
I looooove to go ice climbing. Something about wielding dozens of very sharp things on all of my appendages makes me feel empowered. I mean, if people give you a wide berth because you might accidentally skewer them, imagine how much room they’ll give you if they think you WANT to stab them? So I guess it’s not really ice climbing I love, it’s intimidating other people. From now on, I will refer to intimidating other people as “ice climbing”.
My love of “ice climbing” had of late been tempered by struggles with uncomfortable boots. A day in ice climbing boots meant a day of blisters and numb feet – and usually not numb with cold. Pressure points and strangely shaped boots meant to accommodate men’s strangely shaped feet would lead to nerve irritation, giving me that weird tingly sensation that seems innocuous but really is my feet crying out for mercy.
My feet ceased their whining once I got my hands (and feet) on (and in) these La Sportiva women’s specific mountaineering boots. Many people don’t truly understand the importance of making footwear women’s specific, and think that “unisex” boots should be just fine as long as they are the right size. I think most of these people are not women, because unisex boots are the bane of my existence. The Nepal EVO GTX from La Sportiva are made for women’s feet, which means they don’t shift and rub like those roomy unisex types. The ankle is slender to account for women’s smaller bone structure, eliminating the hot spot that usually develops on the back of my heel. Beefy and substantial, these boots are stiff and serious – meant for big mountain climbing and technical ice. But they’re versatile: for lack of a better boot option, I wore these boots on a 4 day shoulder-season backpacking trip. I did end up with blisters after four days, but only minor ones, and since my feet stayed warm and dry the entire time, I was seriously impressed.
For technical ice, I had a little trouble finding crampons to fit these boots. The toe bail of my regular crampons is too wide for these delicate ladies’ boots (hint: that is sarcasm) and I ended up with my boot slopping around in the crampons. Not conducive for “ice climbing” success – tripping and falling while menacingly approaching your opponent is more likely to make them point and laugh than quake in fear and run away. So make sure to find crampons that are compatible with the boots before you try your hand at my special “ice climbing” techniques.
But in all seriousness, these boots really do climb well. They are super stiff and precise, and the fit is perfect – very unusual in a big-mountain boot for women. Sportiva put some thought into this design and fit, and for that my feet thank them.
