Back in November I received a promotional email from Patagonia featuring their new line of SnowDrifter back-country ski packs. Already a fan of their clothing I had to get my hands on one of these packs and reached out to their marketing team. A couple weeks later both the pack and a very nice new shell, the Patagonia Men’s Reconnaissance Jacket, arrived at my door.
The Patagonia SnowDrifter 30L and Patagonia Reconnaissance Jacket
My excitement to test both of these was kept in check by Mother Nature’s refusal to acknowledge winter had arrived and it wasn’t until our first avalanche course on January 2nd that I finally got to test both. For this review we will focus on the pack. I’ll start with a short clip showing some of the features and then move into a more detailed review:
Size:
Available in 20L (1,220cu. in.) , 30L (1,830cu. in), and 40L (2,440cui. in) models I’m reviewing the 30L.
Patagonia refers to this size pack as “Built for a full back country day that might even stretch into an overnight”. While I agree it is the right size for day touring I’d be cautious about thinking I could pull off an overnight with a pack of this size. Similar in size to the discontinued EMS Wintergreen Pack I reviewed a few years ago with careful packing you should be able to get an ultralight bivy set up inside along with your day gear. My personal emergency bivy kit is an Eastern Mountain Sports Velocity 35 degree sleeping bag and AMK SOL Emergency Bivy (combined weight is 2lbs 5.2 ounces).
Dedicated Snow Safety Pocket:
This feature is the one that makes a backpack a “ski pack” in my opinion. Quick easy access to organized rescue tools is essential.
What I love: Easily fit my Black Diamond Deploy 3 Shovel, Ortovox 240 HD PFA probe, and Black Diamond Flicklock Snow Saw. The internal zippered pocket is the perfect size for my AIARE Field Book, thermometer, snow card & magnification loupe.
What could be improved: A bit to tight for my workhorse Ortovox Kodiak Shovel. More importantly however, is the lack of drain-holes. 1 or 2 drain holes on the bottom of this pocket would be a nice improvement.
Construction:
This pack is very well put together. Built with 420-denier 100% nylon Cordura® plain weave with a polyurethane coating and a rugged bottom built with 940-denier 100% nylon Cordura Ballistic with polyurethane coating.
The whole pack is treated with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish which can help keep contents a bit dry during wet snow conditions, which seems to be the norm for our season so far.
Access/Convenience:
While this is a traditional top loader there is super convenient full back panel zippered access. No digging through everything to find that little first aid kit for some moleskin or to get at your water bottle. A zippered fleece lined google pocket on top is another nice touch of practicality. Personally I could do without the hydration sleeve as I do not rely on hydration bladders in our arctic cold temps, but the hydration port is perfect for running the cord of my Backcountry Access BC Link Radios through to my shoulder strap (review coming).
Comfort:
With “Air Flow” mesh on the shoulder straps, back panel and waist belt, this winter pack breathes very well. Skinning up to HoJo’s I stayed very dry. Patagonia boosts that this mesh has “snow sluffing” capabilities. I’ll need to wait for the North East to get a proper dose of powder to verify this claim but the fineness of the mesh certainly looks like it won’t collect snow like large weave meshes can.
Fit:
This pack comes in a S/M and L/XL, but unfortunately torso size isn’t listed on their size chart:
Snow Drifter – 30L
1831 cu in
L/XL:27″ x 13″ x 10.5″
39oz
S/M: 25.5″ x 13″ x 10″
39oz
A Patagonia live chat representative was able to quickly confirm for me that the S/M is for torsos 16″-19″ and the L/XL is for 19″- 22″. The L/XL I have fits my 5’9″ 19 inch torso perfectly. For detailed instructions on measuring yourself for this pack checkout this PDF from Patagonia:
There are only a couple things I would like to see Patagonia adjust on this pack. First, a sternum strap buckle that doubles as a whistle. This is on almost every skiing and climbing pack I own and is used often to easily signal people in the back-country.
Drain holes on the snow safety gear pocket.
Waist belt pocket (or two). I really like being able to store some energy gel, compass, lip balm, etc. in my back-country ski pack’s waist belt pockets, of which this pack has none.
Summary:
There is a lot to love in this pack and very little to complain about. I’m really glad a company that is known for its environmental and social responsibility has entered the market of back-country ski packs. I’ll finish by linking the manufacturer produced video which recaps most of these features:
Coming Soon: Patagonia Reconnaissance Jacket! EDIT: Review now live here! Patagonia has a whole line of touring clothing! The Reconnaissance seems perfect for high output days. Stay tuned for an in-depth review of this jacket in the next week or two and in the meantime wet your appetite with this quick overview of their line in the below marketing video!
Disclaimer: While this item was provided by Patagonia for the review the opinions I’ve formed over the last two months are indeed my own. This post contains affiliate links.
This past weekend I got to spend a couple fun days in the mountains. It started Saturday when I got to take Oklahoman’s Taylor & Stephanie and Vermonter Melissa out for our Mountaineering 201 Course. Expecting large crowds at classic Willey’s Slide and Mt. Willard I opted for an old favorite, Silver Cascade, Grade 2+, 800 feet (2 miles round-trip), pg. 211 in guidebook.
Only 2 parties of two were on the route when we arrived which gave us a little time to talk about some glacier roping strategies.
Silver Cascade
After giving the lead groups some space we started up.
Stephanie & Taylor enjoying the first pitch
A couple of pitches later we stopped to talk about ice anchors and practiced building V-thread anchors.
Learning about ice screw placement
We then finished off the last of the technical ice.
Melissa tops out of the last technical section
We explored a bit higher in the brook before making our way back down to the base.
Back at the base
That evening I attended a fundraiser at International Mountain Equipment for our local Mountain Rescue Service. It was great seeing the community support that came out for a showing of the Reel Rock 10 Tour. I especially liked the video of Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell documenting their traverse of the Fitz Roy range. Quite a few laughs and amazing cinematography, I’m hoping IME still has a few copies of this DVD so I can pick one up this week.
Rick Wilcox addresses the full house while most enjoyed free beer provided by event sponsor Tuckerman Brewery!
The next morning I met back up with Taylor & Stephanie and also met Portland based Mike & and Boston based Kevin. Out team of 5 would be heading up Mount Washington in some pretty full value conditions. The Higher Summits forecast called for Southeast winds around 80mph in the afternoon with heavy rain arriving in the afternoon. It would be… interesting…
Stephanie & Taylor are all smiles on the Summer Lionshead Route.
It was comical seeing some of the parties who had started early come down the trail. Most had 1-2 inches of clear water ice encasing ice axes, backpacks, even hair braids! The freezing rain they must have encountered above tree-line had lessened, but pellet snow hitting us at about 30 mph required goggles & face mask to stay comfortable.
We pushed on to Lionshead where we met up with the other EMS team on the mountain who had made it to the Alpine Garden trail before retreating. Conditions were dismal up high where we later learned the summit got a 100 mph gust (much higher than forecasted) at about the same time we started our descent.
The purple shaded area shows how incredibly “gusty” our winds were, going from 50mph to over 90mph from noon on.
Lionshead summit photo- from left to right: Taylor, Stephanie, Mike, Kevin
We made our way back down quite content with what we had just accomplished, but the day was far from over. We took a brief stop on a steeper section of the Lionshead Summer Route to practice an “arm-wrap rappel”, then cruised down to the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. From here progress slowed as the 1.3 inches of rain the mountain was receiving had completely saturated the thin snow pack that had started to smooth out the trail and footing was pretty tricky with 8+ inches of slush on top of the notoriously uneven path. We still reached Pinkham just before 3pm and hopped in the car, 5 very saturated, but content climbers.
A fun weekend to be sure and while it took a full 12 hours of wood stove heat to begin to dry my gear out I am anxious to see how great the ice will be forming with all this free water and dropping temps. Probably get out somewhere tomorrow!
I’m pretty sure since my first ice season in 2001 I have always climbed ice in December, and often in November. In fact my earliest season ice climb was before Halloween, 2003 I think, “The Open Book” in Tuckerman Ravine. This year was a late start, a combination of terrible early season conditions and a newborn will put a slight damper on your early season adventures. But winter is finally here and today was one of the best “first” days I can remember.
My good friend Tom was driving up from Nashua and met me at EMS NoCo. We car-pooled up to Crawford Notch and left the car at about 10:20am, right behind a party of 3. We caught and passed the party who had a similar plan, Left Hand Monkey Wrench to The Cleft. At the bottom of Hitchcock Gully we harnessed up as 2 climbers where negotiating the water ice section at the beginning of the climb. A few minutes later I caught up to the lead climber, my friend David G., who was also heading for The Cleft. We chatted a bit then forged ahead getting to the start of The Cleft just before the party of 3 arrived (having opted for the direct bushwhack approach). Since we were geared up and ready we cruised LHMW in 15 minutes or so.
Tom gets us started on Left Hand Monkey Wrench
On the upper tier East Face Slabs Right looked great, but we decided to have a look at Upper Hitchcock. 2 climbers appeared to be rapping from the birch at the top of the first pitch so we continued over to East Face Slabs. This is one of my favorite settings in the White Mountains. Great belay ledge/view and super fun easy climbing with blue skies… I always have fun here…
East Face Slabs, Mt. Willard- photo by Tom C.
I led the fat plastic main line and lowered off a fixed carabiner on some slings at about 95 feet, then Tom cleaned and lowered.
Tom takes a quick TR run to clean the route
We decided to move back over to Hitchcock which was empty and finish up that. I always like checking out the parasol effected ice above this feature. Tom made quick work of the first pitch.
Upper Hitchcock GullyFat & Plastic
I finished up the short last pitch and we made for the summit.
Mount Willard with Mount Webster in the background- photo by Tom C.
First impressions are extremely positive and I’ll be working on a detailed review for later this month.
We cruised down the Willard Trail without to much difficulty but micro-spikes would have definitely been nice in a few spots. We got back to the car in just over 3 hours.
ViewRanger App
It felt great to be moving through steep frozen terrain again. Luckily I don’t have to wait long to get out again. Tomorrow I’m leading a Mountaineering 201 Course then Sunday it’s a Mount Washington Ascent.
Maybe I’ll see you out there,
-NEAlpineStart
Mount Willard with Mount Webster in the background- photo by Tom C.
Yesterday wrapped up our first AIARE Avalanche Course of the season. Despite winter arriving late in the North East we had enough snow to make it happen. Our new conference room at EMS North Conway worked well as a convenient & comfortable classroom location. While I’ll miss the scenic classroom of the AMC Highland Center this new centralized location has allowed us to increase the amount of time we spend in the field on the 2nd & 3rd day of the course, which went over well for both students & instructors.
New Conference Room at EMS Schools North ConwayPreviewing avalanche terrain in Crawford NotchMt. Webster SlidesHermit Lake Snow Study Plot… I’ve never seen the brush here in January!New porch at HoJo’sSome clearing as we enter Tuckerman RavineMike’s group making some snow pack observationsMostly pencil hard wind slab with one interesting layer of buried graupelLooking up at the choke point in The Chute- Theodolite AppWeather clears out as cold front comes inField notes
While we had to cancel our mid-December avalanche course I’m content that this “first of the season” was quite productive. The changes in our course agenda seemed to work well and I’m looking forward to our next Avy course starting on 1/15. I also finally got to test out the Patagonia SnowDrifter Pack and will be posting a detailed review of that pack next week.
Patagonia 30L SnowDrifter Pack- photo from Patagonia.com
Yesterday Torontonians Julia & Adam came down from Canada to attempt Mount Washington. They graciously brought with them our first real winter weather.
MWOBS Higher Summits Forecast
With a strong desire to become well outfitted and self-reliant winter climbers we spent about an hour in the morning focused on gear concerns. From face masks to ice axes we went over everything before hopping in our vehicles and heading to the trail-head.
Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Pinkham Notch, White Mountains of New Hampshire
During our climb up to the Summer Lion’s Head Trail we talked about everything from proper nutrition and layering strategies to frostbite treatment and high altitude medical issues. Adam is definitely on track to take a Wilderness First Responder course in his future.
Just below tree-line on the Summer Lions Head Trail
Conditions above treeline were relatively pleasant with manageable wind chill & visibility. We pushed on to Lions Head.
Summiting Lion’s Head
Our later than average start had us reach Lion’s Head at 1:30pm. We knew we couldn’t summit and get back down the steeps before dark, so we decided to push on to the Alpine Garden Trail to get a little more time above tree-line before heading down.
Alpine Garden Trail with Summit Cone in the backgroundLater when I saw this selfie I took all I could think was “Luke, I am your climbing guide”. Guess Star Wars is on everyone’s mind.
We made our way back down and stopped on one of the steeper sections of the trail to learn & practice the “arm-wrap rappel”, a great way to descend 3rd & some 4th class terrain.
Our route- ViewRanger App
Julie & Adam are definitely an adventurous mother & son duo. I look forward to the next time I get to climb with them!
This weekend kicks off the start of my winter guiding season. Yesterday I had the pleasure of leading a motivated father & son team from Connecticut up Mount Washington in some of the thinnest conditions I have ever seen this late in December. Despite the absence of snow we had a pretty enjoyable climb with comfortable weather and some great views.
Connor and his father, ThomasCrossing the Cutler River for the second timeClimbing through the clouds Boot Spur Ridge appears behind usSummer Lion’s Head TrailJust Below Lion’s HeadA group ahead of us climbing up to Lion’s HeadReaching Lion’s HeadTuckerman Ravine looking pretty bony for mid-DecemberNearing Split Rock with Lion’s Head below in the fog
We made it all the way to the lower summit parking lot before needing to don our micro-spikes for the final 100 yards (that parking lot is an ice skating rink).
Clear skis as we reach the lower parking lot and for the first time need tractionObligatory summit shotOur route
Today I had 3 guests for a Winter Climbing 101 Course. It’s no secret Mother Nature has dealt us a sub-par hand in terms of “winter” conditions, but John, Mitzy, and Tom were still enthusastic about what we could accomplish and with a little thinking “outside the box” we put together a pretty productive day. We started the morning off in our new conference room where I shared some of the online resources for trip planning in the White Mountains. Namely, HikeSafe, the Mount Washington Observatory Higher Summits Forecast and Regional Mesonet, and CalTopo.
We then had a gear shakedown looking at differences in ice axes & crampons before packing up and heading north to Crawford Notch. I knew Willey’s Slide & other usual early season standby’s would still be questionable but we had a backup plan in place. Our drive through the Notch confirmed my suspicions regarding “climb-able” ice and we parked at the Mt. Willard Trail parking lot. After shaving the technical gear from our packs we hit the 1.6 mile trail up to Mt. Willard. While non-technical in nature we were able to go into detailed conversations regarding mountaineering concerns. Heat loss, cold weather injuries, altitude illness, navigation, avalanche awareness, mountain weather, layering strategies, were all discussed in detail. About an hour later we arrived at a socked in summit, just in time for a clearing while we enjoyed our lunch.
John & Mitzy on the summit of Mt. WillardTom on Mt. Willard with Mt. Webster behindLove that view
We opted to wear micro-spikes for the descent and headed back down to the car. With a couple hours to spare, and wanting a bit more “technical” end to our day, we made our way over to Elephant’s Head. This .3 mile trail brought us up to the top of this 120 foot bluff where we all rappelled during intermittent snow squalls.
Tom rappelling the Elephant HeadOur route
While we seem to be off to a rough start this year I want to put a little perspective on the situation. It’s true we had a great start last year with freak powder skiing on Halloween and a personal 11/20 ascent of Pinnacle in great conditions. But then we had a big December thaw with 3 days of rain towards the end of December which essential pushed the reset button on our winter. We then went on to have one of the best winter & ski seasons I have experienced since moving here in 2001. El Nino or not, I’m holding out hope that just like last winter our season is simply going to begin a bit later, but still be quite epic. The two new pairs of skis sitting in my closet sure do hope so!
Let’s preference this discussion with the acknowledgement that this is a very opinionated and multi-faceted topic. My own opinions in the last 10 years have swung the pendulum from “Absolutely not” to “Well… maybe”. In this post I attempt to debunk some of the outdated info that still permeates many experienced wilderness travelers opinions and offer a balanced modern look at the Smartphone/Dedicated GPS argument.
First we need to get some very serious disclaimers out of the way.
No technology, whether it be the greatest new iPhone or the most rugged time tested handheld GPS, should replace a solid understanding of navigating with map & compass. This, and supplemental “Improvised/Survival Navigation” skills, is sadly a dying art, and one of the main reasons I created an 8 hour Wilderness Navigation course to help people re-discover or hone these base-line skills. If plotting a bearing on a map and correcting for magnetic declination scares you, you should start by taking a quality Wilderness Navigation course.
If you are like me though, and never head into the mountains without a paper map & compass but like to supplement your options by creating track logs, routes, and way-points, then you should read on and discover the advantages and disadvantages smartphone navigation.
Let’s start with one of the biggest arguments against smartphone navigation.
Battery life
When I first tried using a smartphone as a primary navigation tool it was with the iPhone 4. I had downloaded a $5 GPS app that seemed to magically turn my phone into a $200 handheld GPS. It only took about 2 hours on the trail to realize that battery life was a big concern with smartphone GPS use. I went from 100% to 23% in only a few hours.
Fast forward to today. It’s all about “power management”. Updates to the iPhone iOS now allow the GPS chip to function even when the phone is in airplane mode!
I used to shut off WiFi and blue-tooth to conserve juice but going into airplane mode is the best way to save battery power. The biggest power draw on the phone’s battery when is attempting to locate cell towers to provide 3G, 4G, LTE style service. This constant “searching for a signal” kills batteries very quickly.
If you switch to airplane mode that search doesn’t happen. Your battery life is extended ten-fold. I’ve GPS’d 8 hour treks in cell free zones and arrived back at the car with more than 80% of my juice left. Switching airplane mode on and off can be done on the iPhone with a swipe up and one button press:
This strategy has eliminated my own need to carry extra battery power on day-trips. That being said, it’s never a bad idea to have a little extra “ammunition”. For that there are countless options on the marked for portable re-charging devices. I recently picked up a re-charger on Amazon for $20 that seems to pack a huge punch in a size smaller than a pack of cigarettes. Since I haven’t fully tested it yet I won’t mention the details of it here yet, but I will mention the one re-charger I have used with great success. The Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus.
Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus- photo from EMS.com
This little device has 4 rechargeable AA batteries inside. It’s functionality is incredibly simple. It charges at home by plugging into any USB port. I can use it to re-charge my iPhone from dead, “1-3 times”. In my personal testing I would say it probably will charge a dead iPhone in normal temperatures 1.5 times. But it also has a usu-able LED flashlight (consider it a backup to your headlamp you won’t forget at home), and for extended trips, can be recharged with solar power when used with one of their solar panels.
The AA batteries are removable so you could use this for headlamps, radios, avalanche beacons, anything that requires AA batteries to operate (can be outfitted to charge AAA too).
So to recap the “battery dies too quick” argument in the Smartphone vrs. Handheld debate: Use airplane mode and if heading out for more than a day carry a recharger.
Problem addressed.
EDIT 12/9/15: Comments related to battery life have brought up to issues I’d like to add here.
Screen Use. It’s true if you leave your screen on battery life will be greatly reduced. Since I only occasionally refer to the device on an “as needed” basis, this has little effect on my battery drain. If you are needing to constantly stare at the phone to try to orientate yourself you have missed some opportunities during your trip planning session.
Cold Weather. It was pointed out that sub-arctic temperatures can make a phone go from 100% to zero in minutes when exposed to harsh low digits. This is a very valid point. I combat this by carrying my phone in an inner zippered chest pocket or on more moderate days a zippered hip pocket. It will get very humid in these inner layers so the water-resistent (or proof) case is very important here. When I need to get a quick location update I do it keeping the phone very close to my body, pretty much within inches of my face. When it is that cold out I’ll have a large insulated jacket on with a big hood, and I can shelter the phone from massive heat loss for a minute while I orientate myself.
EDIT 1/13/2016: After multiple excursions in sub 20F temps with moderate wind chills I must concur a dedicated handheld GPS is needed for reliability in these temps. The phone battery simply can’t withstand these temps long enough to even get a quick location fix. For real winter navigation stick with a dedicated hand-held with AA Lithium batteries. For the other three seasons read on!
Next /up:
Durability
Photo from cnet.com
Anyone who has ever experienced the sickening feeling of picking up there multi-hundred dollar device off the ground to see the screen look like this knows what I am about to address. Durability. A “naked” iPhone is a very vulnerable target. It took me two cracked iPhone screens to realize I needed protection. The first one happened when I leaned against a boulder after climbing a long multi-pitch rock climb and heard the crack in my right hip pocket. The second time happened when I removed my protective case then fumbled the phone for a short 3 foot drop to a hardwood floor.
There is no arguing that a “naked” iPhone is heart ache waiting to happen. Luckily the industry has responded with more than half a dozen solutions. I am currently testing two, and finding they are both quite bomber protection for my investment.
Both cases have high scores in drop protection but the Thule option also boasts a “IP68” waterproof rating. Extra insurance during that drippy ice climb or that bathroom fumble. I’ll review both cases in more detail later this winter when I have had adequate field time.
So to recap “Smartphones are not durable enough”… you’re right, but after market cases can make them contenders.
Accuracy
Image from gocomics.com
There’s a lot of reading out there regarding this issue, one of which is a kinda-cool plotting study done by a Canadian Search & Rescue member. While I won’t argue that an external antennae will squeak you out a couple more meters of accuracy for all intensive purposes the newest GPS chips, like the one in the iPhone 5 or higher, are more than enough accurate for navigational purposes. Just check out this cool gif from this post:
From singletracks.com
No matter what device is used in the above test, you are going to find your tent in a whiteout.
So to recap “Smartphone GPS is not accurate enough”- current iOS & iPhone 5 or later definitely are.
Well we are running out of negatives to using a newer smartphone for wilderness navigation. Let’s look at some additional considerations that are swaying me to use this as my exclusive GPS device:
Let’s compare some key features from this top of the line dedicated handheld model, the Garmin Montana 680t, to the iPhone 6s+.
Screen Size
The iPhone 6S Plus vrs. the Garmin 680t
I’ll be honest the biggest deciding factor for me to upgrade to the iPhone 6S Plus was the huge screen. Not only has it been awesome for navigation but this is my home “tablet” as well for streaming TV, email, etc. Many people have asked if I regret the size and I honestly say I could never go back. Anyways let’s look at the facts rather than my opinion in relation to screen size & resolution:
Garmin 680t: 2″ x 3.5″ ; 4″ diag (7 sq. in. viewing space)
iPhone 6s Plus: 4.75″ x 2.75″; 5.5″ diag (13.06 sq. in. viewing space)
The iPhone 6s Plus has almost twice the amount of viewing space!
Resolution
Garmin 680t: 272 x 480 pixels (130560 pixels)
iPhone 6s Plus: 1920 x 1080 pixels (2073600 pixels)
The iPhone 6s Plus has more than 6 times the resolution!
There’s really no arguing this point. Viewing USGS topo maps, satellite imagery, etc., is all much more beautiful on a modern high quality smartphone than any dedicated recreation handheld GPS on the market.
Weight becomes a virtual tie when you factor in a waterproof case
The comparison between the two is becoming more and more unfair. We haven’t even touched on the photo and video capabilities of the newest iPhone, and I won’t bother as they put any photo/video capabilities of any handheld GPS to shame.
What are we missing?
Oh! Mapping software! Smartphones don’t have remove-able data cards for importing all that great topographic information! Unfortunately the need for purchasing multiple SD cards to store topo info from various sources is becoming a thing of the past. Did I say unfortunately? I meant fortunately.
With websites like CalTopo and apps like ViewRanger that let you store maps for offline use and Avenza PDF Reader that lets you create and upload custom maps that are as good, or often much better, than anything that has been available on the market, the era of needing remove-able SD cards and dozens of DVDs with regional maps has come to an end. I provide some information on how to do this in my last blog post here.
So to sum it all up, I am all in. Smartphone Wilderness Navigation is here, and when approached the right way, can be as reliable as any handheld GPS ever was. That statement comes with a very big grain of salt. If you rely on technology, over basic understanding of wilderness navigation, when every battery is spent, every LCD screen is frozen, and water crept into your fancy protective case… you will eventually need a rescue. But if you have that foundation of navigational knowledge, then Smartphone GPS has reached a level of dependability that can replace the need for dedicated handheld GPS units.
There. I said it. Please join the discussion below!
My head is still spinning from some of the info I’ve been able to pick up this past weekend. It all started Saturday morning with Marc Chauvin’s, of Chauvin Guides, informative presentation on creating geo-spatial PDF’s that can be uploaded into a smartphone GPS app to supplement your outdoor navigation capabilities. This somewhat esoteric topic is right up my alley and while the content could seem a bit heavy at times Marc’s energetic & well timed presentation made it easy to stay fully engaged from one concept to the next.
Marc walks us through creating Geo-spatial PDF’s and importing them into GPS enable smartphone apps
I won’t go though the step by step process here but if you are interested I’ll make some suggestions. First, get to know http://www.caltopo.com. A colleague pointed me to this website a year ago and it took me awhile to give it a solid look. This seminar gave me the kick in the pants I needed to start playing around with it and I am simply amazed at what the free version of this website offers. It is hands down the best online mapping resource for outdoor recreationalists. The potential use & application of this program is so large I can only scratch the surface here, but to wet your appetite the first thing I did was create some routes down the popular ski routes in Tuckerman Ravine using satellite imagery, which, with the click of one button, could easily be imposed over USGS Topographic info:
Tuckerman Ravine Ski Routes
This a more accurate way of measuring important drainage scale info than estimating off a topographic map, and the website easily displays information about each run, for example, Hillman’s Highway is .42 miles long and drops from 5179′ to 3923′, and total vert. of 1256′. You can also get “Terrain Statistics” for each route you created, for example, Right Gully:
It felt steeper than 36 degrees! This is excellent information to have when managing avalanche terrain choices!
What really got me excited was seeing the layering potential of the website. Being able to layer crowd based info (like unofficial mountain bike trails) on top of verified info (like USGS maps) is amazing, especially when you can make these maps GPS enabled on your Smartphone! To top it all off though you can have the software shade specific slopes based on info you specify.
For example, if your local avalanche bulletin suggests to avoid slopes NE-NW aspect above 7000 feet that are steeper than 35 degrees due to a Persistent Slab problem? You can actually enter this slope criteria and these areas will be shaded! It really is impressive. A short video of the developer that references this ability right at the end:
Marc has made an excellent video highlighting this feature. Check it out here:
Once you have a decent understanding of CalTopo you can use the website to print or export custom PDF maps. The fun doesn’t stop here though! The next step is to download the Avenza PDF Maps app. This free app lets you import your newly created PDF maps and make them “geo-spatial”? What does that mean? It means you can use these maps with the GPS chip of your smart phone to show your location. Marc has been getting into the mountain bike scene lately and there are many mountain bike trails that you won’t find on regular USGS or even hiking maps. With this two-shot combo you can upload any map, “sync” it with a base map, and voila, you can navigate and see your location on the hybrid creation!
For practice in the class we imported a Green Hills Preserve map that showed some popular mountain bike trails over your standard USPS map. After “geo-marking” two reference points on the map it scaled and aligned perfectly.
Green Hills Map
If I was still at the Grand Summit Hotel when I took this screenshot my location would have been pinpointed on this map with a little blue dot.
Finally this technology is easily shareable. The CalTopo website will create unique URLs of your creations that you can easily share with climbing & hiking partners. I’m planning on having a master map for our back-country skiing trips on Washington that guides can edit as they get more accurate GPS positions on first aid caches, drop points, bailout options, etc.
I planned to talk about our pre-winter EMS Schools training but I’ve run out of time so that will come later. Also, there’s been some healthy debate about whether one should trust their phone GPS over a dedicated unit. I’m writing a detailed post looking at some recent research and arguments for and against using your phone GPS for wilderness navigation. Please stay tuned for that!
I’ve been involved with survival skills since I was a young Boy Scout, then later, as a US Infantry Marine, and currently as an expert Wilderness Navigation Instructor, Climbing Guide, and Mountain Rescue Service Team Member. So when a friend of mine introduced me to the founder of VSSL (pron. vessel), a new company producing outdoor utility tools with a focus on survival, my interest was naturally peaked.
A couple weeks later I received the VSSL Supplies Model. There are already a ton of positive reviews out on the inter-webs regarding this product along with it being featured in quite a few national magazines:
Photo from VSSLgear.com
Instead of jumping on the brief positive review bandwagon I’m going to break this clever little device down into its realistically smaller parts and review each piece with a focus on performance & real life practicality. Let’s get to it!
VSSL Supplies Survival Gear
The Case:
“Each VSSL unit is 9″ long* by 2″ diameter made from seamless extruded military specification anodized aluminum… Weighs 18 ounces (1 pound, 2 ounces).” – VSSLgear.com
*my at home measurement put the length at 9″ 7/18th (just about 9.5in)
It is unquestionably rugged weighing in at 18.3 ounces. In hand it feels like something you could drop down a 300 foot cliff without it receiving more than a couple cosmetic scratches.
The gist of VSSL is to take the style and durability of the classic rugged Maglite flashlights, switch to energy efficient LEDs, and replace the large heavy D alkaline batteries with small 3 N-type (generic name), or E90 (Energizer) batteries, freeing up storage space in the handle to pack various supplies.
Let’s take a look at everything included:
VSSL Supplies Survival Kit
The Compass:
VSSL Supplies Compass
On the bottom of the unit is an oil filled compass. Comparing its accuracy to my professional grade compass it was spot on. As a wilderness navigation instructor I would emphasize that this style compass is not a replacement for a dedicated compass that can also function as a protractor for re-section and trip planning. As far as a “backup” compass it is probably the nicest one I have seen, with no visible bubble in the liquid and resolution to 2 degrees, however without an index line that resolution would be hard to take advantage of.
The Light:
VSSL Supplies Light
On the other end of the unit you’ll find the dual mode LED flashlight. Official lumens, range, duration, etc. will have to wait while the company seeks “ANSI/NEMA FL-1 portable light certification”. Many of us don’t know what a “lumen” is anyways and we just wanna know how darn bright this thing is and how long will it last? To that end my testing reveals the following (with fresh batteries);
Range– On “high” setting the light has a use-able range of about 20m. My personal definition of “use-able range” is enough light to make out a person standing in open woods. I know, that sounds weird, but to me that is “use-able range”.
Field of View (FOV)– After conducting some market research the company decided to go with a “flood” beam as opposed to a focused “spot” beam. The first thing I noticed about this flood beam was its gigantic FOV, my estimates putting it at about 120 degrees. I can’t help but wonder if some of those polled during the research wanted to make sure zombies couldn’t sneak up from the sides, and with a FOV like this I think those surviving a zombie attack might have a fighting chance 😉
Duration– This is not so much a “negative” point in the review but definitely a case of real life practicality. While switching to compact E90 type batteries frees up valuable space it obviously cuts down on duration. In this case the company reports about 20 hours “usable/functional light time”, and 40 hours in “SOS mode”, which is just a strobe effect. My obvious solution to improve these numbers was to look for lithium batteries in this size, and alas, they do not appear to exist. This has some negative implications for cold weather use; alkaline batteries suffer greatly in sub-zero temperatures. So what to do? Consider this, like the compass, as a “back-up”. Continue to carry a dedicated hands-free headlamp in your day kit. For a really nice option on a emergency headlamp check out the Petzl e+LITE!
Fishing Tackle:
VSSL Supplies Fishing Tackle
I’ll be honest, I am no expert at fishing. I have a few fly fishing friends that have been inviting me to get to it though so I plan on sharing this neat little kit with them for their candid take on it. For those who do know what they are looking for in emergency fishing gear this .75oz little tin stocks;
3 barbed hooks
3 lead weights
3 swivel leaders
3 rubber worms
1 swivel spoon
50′ of 20lb test fishing line
1 EVA line winder – bobber
Rope and Razor Blade:
VSSL Supplies Rope & Razor Blade
I’d be lying if I didn’t say I smirked a little when I saw this little tin labeled “rope”. What functional rope could be inside this tiny little container? How about 25 feet of 250lb breaking strength rope? Basically a thick thread, this could have countless uses in a real-life survival situation, but don’t expect to go rappelling down your local crag with it ok? The included razor blade can be used to cut said rope, or fishing line, or other gear that needs cutting, or, if you land a fish with the above mentioned fishing gear, a much easier way to skin your catch!
Trail Markers & Whistle:
VSSL Supplies Trail Markers & Whistle
I wasn’t sure what trail markers would look like, but when I opened this up my first thought was “how clever!”. These 30 little thumb tacks are 50/50 white/red reflective arrows. While they probably wouldn’t have helped Anthony Hopkins out of the wilderness I can see the most practical implication being a remove-able flagging system, perhaps from a main trail to a preferred bivy spot, to mark an unofficial climber’s approach trail, or if you know rescuers are looking for you a way of leaving a bit of a bread crumb trail. The included whistle benefits from being “beadless” so it performs quite well even when wet.
Firestarter & Mirror:
VSSL Supplies Firestarter & Mirror
A fire-starter is on every basic “essentials” list for good reason. This fire-starter is composed of;
10 quality weather proof matches
1 striker (under the lid of tin, I almost missed it)
5 Tinder Quik fire starters
1 acrylic signaling mirror (protected by a remove-able microfilm)
Beeswax candle:
VSSL Supplies Beeswax Candle
This 100% Canadian Beeswax candle is nestled in the unscrew-able end cap and boasts a 6 hour burn time. Accompanying literature recommends removing the candle from the end cap if burning for more than 15 minutes as the end cap can get quite hot (it is aluminum after all). I imagine cleanup would be a bit more involved if you burned the candle down in the end cap over an extended time.
Wire Saw:
VSSL Supplies Wire Saw
Another eyebrow raiser was this little tin claiming to hold an effective saw. Turns out this is the same saw issued by the British military. Utilizing canvas handle straps, which are better than the metal ring “handles” you typically see, this is a pretty sweet looking bow saw.
Wire saw (high tensile, 60lb working strength with handle straps)
Made of 8 independent, tightly woven stainless steel wires
Standard issue used by the British Military (United Kingdom Special Forces)
Can be used in areas hard to reach with a traditional saw
Cuts through wood, bone and soft metals like aircraft aluminum
Canvas strap handles make it easier to form the wire saw into a bow for the most effective cutting
I’ll try to get some video showcasing the effectiveness of this soon.
Can Opener/Water Purification:
VSSL Supplies Can Opener & Water Purification
1 P-38 military rations can opener (world’s smallest functional can opener)
6 Aquatab water purification tablets
1 set of Aquatab instructions (also useful for starting a fire)
Having enough purification tablets to treat up to 12 liters of water is a great addition to this kit. The “P-38” can opener has a slight learning curve to it. Luckily YouTube member “Horizons” has created a how-to video regarding this opener.
First Aid Kit:
VSSL Supplies First Aid Mini-Medical Kit
Properly named the “mini-medical kit” this, like the light & compass, should be considered the “back-up” and not replace a dedicated first aid kit for wilderness & survival adventures. VSSL even sells a dedicated First Aid model. I’ve long since learned though the most important thing about a first aid kit is the training of the person carrying it. To that end take a wilderness first aid course from a quality provider. I highly recommend SOLO wilderness medicine training. With courses all over the continent you owe it to yourself and those you adventure with to take a 16 hour Wilderness First Aid course.
Finally a set of brief instructions covering each “tin” is included in the metallic sleeve:
VSSL Supplies Instructions
Summary:
It’s obvious that this company is carefully considering everything that goes into this product. A lot is accomplished in 36 inches of cubic space and just over a pound of weight. Could it be improved? Sure. I’d love to see lithium batteries in it, but that would require finding room for AAA size batteries. Stuffing one pair of nitrile gloves into the first aid section would add value for me. These thoughts are diminished though if you take my advice to consider the light feature as a back-up to a traditional headlamp. I think that’s where I keep getting hung up. You can’t fully replace dedicated items to your kit when you are planning an adventure. Compass, Headlamp, First Aid Kit… those are key. But what if you weren’t planning on the %$^# hitting the fan? How difficult is it to just toss this thing in my pack and know I have 6 of the classic “Ten Essentials” already covered.
The answer? Not difficult at all. While this might not ride in my pack all season long, it will definitely be grabbed during short impromptu trips where I plan to be back in a few hours anyways. I think it will also become a standard in our vehicle, as driving to remote places in the winter always has me second guessing our level of preparedness in the event of a break-down in sparsely populated areas.
You can purchase a VSSL directly from the manufacturer here!
What does your emergency kit look like? Share in the comments below!
Thanks for reading… see you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
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Disclaimer: While this product was provided to me at no cost the opinions above are entirely my own. Affiliate links help support this blog.
Each year I mark the beginning of thinking about snow with this annual workshop. I haven’t missed one yet, and each year friend and colleague Jonathan Shefftz writes a summary article for The Avalanche Review about the presenters and topics (as well as organize vendor booths and collect raffle items). This year the American Avalanche Association and Jonathan have given me permission to post his article here before it goes to print! *All photos are mine and not part of official TAR article
Our venue, the Omni Resorts Mount Washington HotelThe Grand Ballroom, plenty of room for 225+ attendees
The fifth annual Eastern Snow & Avalanche Workshop (“ESAW”) on November 7 attracted a record of more than 225 attendees near the base of Mount Washington in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range.
This year’s ESAW was once again a collaborative effort. The organizing partners included the Snow Rangers of the USFS Mount Washington Avalanche Center led by Chris Joosen, and the Mount Washington Volunteer Ski Patrol. ESAW also once again relied on a grant from our lead sponsor the American Avalanche Association (“AAA”), led here by AAA Eastern Representative Chris Joosen, with your faithful correspondent as AAA Member Representative. Additional support came from the American Alpine Club and our headline industry sponsor Outdoor Research. Registration fee proceeds over and above hosting costs benefited the White Mountain Avalanche Education Fund, which provides avalanche education to youth of the Northeast.
ESAW 2015 kicked off the prior Friday evening with a social event hosted by the Friends of Mount Washington Avalanche Center and fueled by Smuttynose Brewery at the International Mountain Equipment shop and guide service. Then Saturday morning the avalanche presentations started up at the aptly named Grand Ballroom of the Mount Washington Hotel: famed site of the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference that established the post-WW2 international monetary order (including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank).
Although your faithful correspondent’s economics expertise pales in comparison to that of the 1944 conference’s John Maynard Keynes et al., our ESAW speaker line-up this year measured up to the best of them. Read on for proof. (And no more economics references, promise!)
Chris Joosen introduced us to our first theme of Warming. Dr. Bruce Jamieson, Professor in the Applied Snow and Avalanche Research program at the University of Calgary (along with far too many other positions and accomplishments to enumerate here), presented on “Warming of Dry Snow: Instability and Decision Making.” When Bruce offers training on this topic, the response is often, “Come back in March.” But this phenomenon can occur at any time of the season, even during otherwise wintry conditions. Assessing its potential is complicated by the lack of any direct numerical forecasts for solar radiation, as opposed to precipitation, temperature, and wind.
Dr. Bruce Jamieson, presented on “Warming of Dry Snow: Instability and Decision Making.”
And if that wasn’t sufficiently technical for us, the snow science level was ratcheted up by Dr. Sam Colbeck, retired from the U.S. Army’s Cold Region Research and Engineering Laboratory (in Hanover, NH) after three decades of groundbreaking cold lab and field research in snow crystal bonding and wet grain relationships. In his fourth year of ESAW presentations, this time Sam explained to us “The Physics of Warming.” The scale varied from micrographic pictures of snow crystals to the varying effects of global climate change upon Greenland versus Antarctica.
It got a bit deep here in the physics realm
The next theme was Communicating Avalanche Information. Don Sharaf, co-owner of the American Avalanche Institute and forecaster for Valdez Heli-Ski Guides, presented on “Communicating Avalanche Information Effectively within Operations.” Along the way, he touched on the perception of “too cold for avalanches”: a colleague once saw an avalanche at … -48F!
We were then whisked all the way from Alaska to Europe by Dr. Rudi Mair, Director of the Lawinenwarnzentrale (Avalanche Crisis Center) for the Tyrol region of Austria on the topic of “Avalanche Danger Patterns.” The “clearly predicable course of events” for most avalanches was illustrated by many incidents that concluded with variations of, “he was found clearly dead.” (The his-and-hers paragliding avalanche incident though was certainly an atypical context!)
From there we went up into the “cloud” for “The Impact of Social Media on Decision Making” presented by Jerry Isaak, Chair for the Department of Expeditionary Studies at Plattsburgh State University of New York. Although we can easily be so dismissive of selfie-stick narcissism, social media is simply the modern technological expression of the ancient human impulse to tell stories.
Jerry Isaak presents “The Impact of Social Media on Decision Making”
After the lunch table we were treated to a round table panel discussion on “Traveling into New Terrain: Responsibilities, Questions, Risk, and Making Good Decisions” moderated by Chris Joosen, with participants Bruce Jamieson, Don Sharaf, Rudi Mari, and Jerry Isaak. The most dramatic example was probably Jerry’s planned trip for this coming season with his university students to Kyrgyzstan!
Round table panel discussion on “Traveling into New Terrain: Responsibilities, Questions, Risk, and Making Good Decisions” moderated by Chris Joosen
We then retreated to nice safe bucolic Vermont, the neighboring Green Mountain State. But perhaps not always so safe everywhere, as Neil Van Dyke, SAR Coordinator for the Vermont Department of Public Safety, reminded us with “Avalanche Terrain of Vermont.” And this is no mere conceptual threat, as a decade earlier Neil led the response to an avalanche fatality in Vermont.
The final theme was Stability Analysis. Don Sharaf led off with the highly pertinent “Easterners Heading West on a Backcountry Ski Vacation: A Stability and Decision Approach.” Among a wealth of valuable advice he reminded us to: “Listen to the locals … but don’t necessarily trust them.” (So apologies in advance if any of us sound skeptical this coming season when soliciting beta from you!)
Then Bruce Jamieson addressed “Field Observations and Snowpack Tests: Which is Best When?” And Rudi Mair presented on “Avalanche Forecasting Operations.”
Bruce Jamieson addressed “Field Observations and Snowpack Tests: Which is Best When?”
We concluded with our annual expo, including displays from reps for the American Alpine Club, Backcountry Access, Black Diamond / Pieps, Catamount Trail Association, Dynafit / Pomoca, Friends of the Mount Washington Avalanche Center, Hagan, La Sportiva, Mammut / Barryvox, and Outdoor Research (our headline industry sponsor). We raffled off donations from these companies plus the American Avalanche Association, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, DPS Skis, Free Range Equipment, Mountain Hardwear, MSR, Ortovox, Sterling Rope, Toko, and Voile.
In a break from tradition, instead of subsisting for the evening on scarfed-down free pretzels at the expo, we sat down for a formal dinner at the hotel. This was a memorial to Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle, U.S. Ski Team alpine racers who died in an avalanche only ten months ago in Austria. In addition to some other presentations, Rudi Mair delivered the keynote address on “How do we deal with avalanches and their mortal dangers when we can’t understand the risks in their whole complexity?” A U.S. Ski Team racer who was with Ronnie and Bryce at the avalanche incident addressed us via video, and was capped by a heartfelt address by U.S.
Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster and prepared remarks from U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen read by Chuck Henderson, her Special Assistant for Projects and Policy.
By far the most moving moments were a tearful address from Bryce’s mother that brought many of us to the same, plus one line in particular from Ronnie’s mother that summed up everything we are all trying to achieve:
“We want to keep you from suffering our loss.”
Jonathan Shefftz lives with his wife and mondopoint-size 18 daughter (still too small for “Tech”-compatible ski touring boots) in Western Massachusetts, where he patrols at Northfield Mountain and Mount Greylock. He is an AIARE-qualified instructor, NSP avalanche instructor, and AAA governing board member. When he is not searching out elusive freshies in Southern New England or “coaching” his daughter’s skiing (i.e., picking her up off the snow), he works as a financial economics consultant and has been qualified as an expert witness in state and federal courts. He can be reached at JShefftz@post.harvard.edu or just look for the lycra-clad skinner training for his NE Rando Race Series.
Thank you Jonathan for all that you do to further avalanche education in the East and for letting me share your article!
The following day I returned for a focused workshop “Reducing Risk and Exposure for Avalanche Workers” led by USFS Snow Ranger Chris Joosen. This 3 hour session was targeted at search and rescue groups, Fish & Game, local climbing guides, patrollers, and others who work professionally in avalanche terrain.
Reducing Risk and Exposure for Avalanche Workers
Towards the end Don Sharaf, co-owner of the American Avalanche Institute and forecaster for Valdez Heli-Ski Guides, laid down some impressive statistics about how many times during his 25+ year career he has had an “incident”, companion buried, near miss, burial, or died (still at zero knock on wood). This particular graph was enlightening, especially when Don talked about some of the things that cause these big drops in confidence:
Confidence in avalanche skills over time
It was a very productive morning and I’m hoping Chris continues this professional development session after the official ESAW next year.
Well it’s time to find your beacons and put some fresh batteries in, avalanche season is right around the corner! General Advisory’s will be posted at the Mount Washington Avalanche Center once the season really gets under way, usually no later than mid-December. I also have a few beacons I’ll be reviewing this season, and a cool outdoor survival kit review coming this Monday so stay tuned!
Omni Mount Washington Hotel while leaving from the 2nd day of ESAW
