GearFlogger

Arc'Teryx Alpha LT jacket

Arc'Teryx earns a twofer: along with the Alpha SV bib comes the Alpha LT jacket, a stellar example of what good mountaineering kit should be. The LT barely nudges 13 ounces on the scale; yes, you read that right, a serious-duty waterproof, windproof shell at well under a pound. With the jacket and bib, all you need is a codpiece and you're good to hook.

It was difficult for me to give up my much-beloved Sigma SV soft shell, but the LT saves half a pound and a packs down even smaller, plus it's fully waterproof. My only real complaint about the Sigma was the pockets; problem solved on the LT with its reach-across chest pockets for easy access under a pack. An internal zippered pocket stashes wallet or MP3 player, and on the left and right hip are little foam bumpers (Hemlock) that prevent the LT from riding up through your harness. Pit zips, zipper garages, helmet compatible hood and a full length zipper flap round it out.

The fit is typical Arc'Teryx, which is to say just about perfect. The few adjustments are all you need to dial it in. The hem drops down in back just a bit, which is nice. The Gore-Tex 3L Pro Shell is getting a lot closer to soft shell, not exactly supple but minimal annoying crinkle and swishing sounds. My only concern was durability, but the LT got lived in on Denali with no visible scarring, including sucking up a sixty pound pack with no complaints. Breathability is excellent. The Alpha LT is top drawer all the way.

$499.00 at REI

Arc'Teryx Alpha SV bib

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who divide people into two kinds and those who don't. Also, those who wear pants and those who wear bibs. Who wears bibs? Drooling infants, for one. Mountaineers, for... oops, redundant. 'Scuse.

The Arc'Teryx Alpha SV bib is simply the best bib ever. The weatherproof Gore-Tex 3L Pro Shell construction is bomber, breathes like a teenage boy watching Megan Fox, and effortlessly sheds the elements. At a mere 22 ounces it won't weigh you down, and the fit is exquisite: trim, a high cut with a Schoeller vest, inner waist drawcord, removable foam kneepads (so nice when putting a knee down to rest), zippers that don't ride under pack belts/straps, adjustable cuffs with lace hooks, instep patches, easily adjustable shoulder straps, we're talking the whole enchilada. The leg zippers don't fully separate, but that's OK, 'cause you'll be wearing these dawn-to-dusk and probably 24 hours a day on expedition.

The design and placement of everything is perfect. A three-way through the crotch zip allows you to do your duty without excessive exposure (make sure it matches your inner suit if you're wearing one; rainbow zips and through-the-crotch don't play well together). The best part? The pockets. Two small inner pockets and two medium outer pockets all zip up to close, and - hallelujah! - they're Napoleon-style. It's hard to stress how convenient this pocket design is. It doesn't interfere with pack straps, it's easier to reach across than back, and you can sleep with all kinds of crap (not literally crap, but small bits of gear) and not worry about breaking stuff, unless you're a stomach sleeper. They're beautiful, man. Save your pennies.

$499.00 at REI

CAMP USA Alp 95 harness

Sometimes when I'm alone at home I like to put on the SheFlogger's thong. It helps me feel special. Now I can get the same feeling on the mountain with the CAMP Alp 95, a butt-floss of a harness for low-angle alpine and adventure racing use.

The Alp 95 weighs in at 3.5oz, about as much as a locking carabiner. An upgraded version of CAMP's XLH 95, the Alp adds a tie-in point and an adjustable waist belt. There is a loop on each side if you want to add a 'biner to rack gear, but the Alp really shines underneath a pack. The Alp lived under my Mchale hip belt on Denali this year and was not even noticable, as long as you don't get the little pad behind the buckle underneath. And make sure the waist belt lies flat before putting your pack on.

I didn't spend much hang time in the Alp for obvious reasons, but properly adjusted it is comfortable enough. The leg loops run small, and that can present a sizing problem; measure your thighs first if you're ordering online, because you might have to move up a size. That will mean you'll have to crank the waist down all the way. I'd like to see the leg loops an inch or two bigger for each size. Other than that the Alp really cuts down on weight. You see a lot of climbers sporting pound-plus harnesses on routes like Denali's West Buttress and Rainier when the Alp would do just fine.

$39.95 at CAMP USA

Big Agnes Insulated Air Core sleeping pad

Sawing logs and counting sheep are two of my favorite things, and they're both a lot easier at altitude with my phat ass parked on top of a beefy sleeping pad. The Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Mummy Pad can take the thunder, especially for you side sleepers out there like me who hate having your bony hips bottom out whilst tossing and turning.

I'm a big believer in the two-pad system for extreme cold: an inflatable parked on top of a closed cell foam pad will usually do the trick, and then you're also protected against pad failure. The Big Agnes Insulated Air Core series has long been a GearFlogger favorite, and this time up the mountain we packed the mummy version, size regular; it's also available in short and long versions. It performed flawlessly. Comfort was excellent, although larger folk with floppy limb syndrome might want to consider a wide version, unfortunately not available in mummy format.

The mummy is the lightest in this series at 21oz for 20x72in. Although I was a little concerned about having two extra corners, there were absolutely no problems aside from getting my lungs to work to inflate the big bastard. The extra air is needed to inflate the mummy to its 2.5 inches of glorious butt-absorbing goodness. Despite the beefiness the mummy compacts down to smaller than a 32oz Nalgene for excellent packability. Whichever Air Core you choose you can't go wrong.

$79.95 at REI

Outdoor Research Gorilla Balaclava

One of the best things about mountaineering is being able to wear a balaclava without getting pulled over by the police or kicked in the head by Chuck Norris. When it's time to get your inner ninja on pull on a Gorilla 'clava from Outdoor Research.

The Gorilla goes normal clavas one better with a collection of features: it's Windstopper, it has a nose shield that directs your nasty booger spray away from your shades, a fine mesh covers your mouth, and the face shield is removable via velcro straps on either side.

The Gorilla fits very close because it's not a pull-over; instead it has Velcro on the side to open the face up for putting on and taking off. It's cut lower in front to cover your chin, and higher in back so you'll want a high collar to cover the gappage; if you've got a hood you're all set. The inside is supersoft fleece. All in all, very nice and suitable for extreme conditions where you want no square inch of skin uncovered. Be aware: like all Windstopper headwear it muffles sound a little, and when you rip off the Velcro closure it's pretty loud inside.

$49.95 at Backcountry

Marmot Fjell women's jacket

Holy sweetness and light. The Marmot Fjell women's jacket is a beautiful execution of Gore-Tex Pro Shell that hits all the right notes. Weighing in at a feathery 1lb 1oz for a size small the Fjell is equally at home frontcountry, backcountry and just about anywhere else.

The design has a sculpted fit, dropped hem and looks that kill, but don't be fooled: the Fjell is all bidness. It's waterproof and eminently breathable thanks to the Pro Shell. The hood slips over a helmet (or really big hair), and there's a removable powder skirt that reduces the weight another few ounces for serious go-fasters. The cuffs are rip-and-stick adjustable to slide under gloves easily, and the two zippered external chest hand pockets also function as vents. There's a zippered mesh interior pocket for your stash.

Hem and hood drawcords with nifty keepers inside will fit you up. A full length zipper flap with Velcro tabs will keep the bad out. For laying a skin track uphill, or just wearing in the rain on a warmish day, crank open the pit zips. Gore's Pro Shell is a sublime material, venting well, not nearly as crinkley when cold as early versions, and without the clammy feel of some waterproof/breathable materials. The Marmot Fjell is a perfect mating of form and function. On the outs with the SheFlogger? On a get-out-of-the-doghouse scale of 1 to 5, the Fjell rates a six.

$425.00 at Moosejaw

Black Diamond Whippet self arrest pole

When a problem comes along, you can Whippet! C'mon, put your hubcabs on your heads! Ah, the kids these days don't know what they missed in the eighties. Probably better that way. But they have cool stuff like Black Diamond's new Whippet self-arrest pole, so I guess we're even.

You have to love a product where the instructions actually tell you, "try to avoid self-evisceration should you wipe out." Do that and the Whippet will be your new best friend. I've carried the original Whippet instead of an ice ax for years now, and you've all been asking how the new model compares. The new (still two-section) Whippet is slightly shorter when collapsed (about 39" v. 44"), barely lighter (14.3oz v. 14.7oz) and has a redesigned handle and integrated pick, complete with cool orange elastic cover. The top of the Whippet is now encased in rounded plastic instead of the slit plastic tube on the original. Finally the upper barrel on the new version is a smaller diameter, so it won't take the old Whippet lower.

On the old Whippet you could replace the aluminum lower section with the carbon fiber lower from the old BD Carbon Fiber Flicklock pole with an adapter, adding point three ounces to the weight. The new Whippet doesn't need the adapter and will take their carbon fiber probe lower section with a small increase in weight of point four ounces. You have to get the probe lowers from BD directly for $11 plus a few $ shipping; if you're going for a pair make sure you get a male ML and female FM, and know that the shorter 125cm length sticks out an extra inch when collapsed. On the plus side you can just pull the lowers out and they're just under 36" so they'll stow nicely.

The same caveats for use still apply: practice with it to get used to the difference in self-arresting with a ski pole v. a shorter axe. Once you do you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much terrain you can cover with the Whippet and not have to swap out to a traditional axe. With a Whippet in each hand- an expensive proposition, no doubt - you can really engage four points of contact and move quickly over pretty steep terrain.

$80.96 (on sale from $89.95) at Backcountry

Black Diamond Carbon Fiber Flicklock probe

When Cartman got an anal probe do you think the aliens used crappy old aluminum technology? Hell no, they used carbon fiber. And if I know my anal probes, which I do, it was a Black Diamond QuickDraw Carbon Fiber Probe 230, the choice of anal-probing aliens across the galaxy.

Also useful for avalanche search the CF230 is a beauty: 7.5 feet of hi-tech glossy goodness weighing in at a meager 8.4oz. Probes don't get any faster to deploy: grab the plastic coated wire loop, whip it out and pull. The six sections snap into place with a cool auto-locking bushing thingy at the end and wah-lah, you're good to probe.

The sections are marked with 5cm rings for snow pack analysis. They are also shorter than normal, the longest (sharp end) being only 17.5in for easy packability. The handle section has a sandpaper-like grip, and the included bright safety yellow bag has a velcro lid instead of a drawstring for easy access. Performance is solid and reliable; the aluminum tip pierces nasty debris as good as any probe out there, and the no-slip strip will save your grip as you make your grid. And don't let a real emergency be your debut: go find a beacon park and practice.

$58.46 (on sales from $64.95) at Backcountry

DMM Revolver Screwgate carabiner pulley

Introducing the ayatollah of lock-and-rollah! DMM has had their kick-butt Revolver wiregate pulley carabiner out for a few years now and it has proven itself in the field. See that review for how to put together an ultralight crevasse rescue hauling system. Now our fine Welsh friends have done it again, this time with lockability.

Available in three different locking formats, climbers will want the screwgate. The action on the screwgate is buttah smooth, and unlike the wiregate it's a keylock nose for snag-free unclipping. The screwgate adds minimally to weight for a total of 2.2oz. The gate opening is a little tight but workable at 16mm.

The Revolver is fully certified as both a carabiner and as a pulley. The pulley makes wandering ropelines pull smoothly for less leader effort, and the ease of lowering saves wear on your 'spensive thread for top-roping. If you're still wandering the icefields with old-school pulleys, do yourself a big favor and chamber some Revolvers.

$34.95 at Mountaingear

Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite sleeping pad

An update to an old favorite, the Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite pad is back and better than ever. The accordion-style design is still insanely useful and not just for sleeping. And svelte too, at under 15oz and a packed size of 20x5x5.5 for the size regular 20x72. A size small at 20x47 and 10oz is also available.

If you've ever fought with a rolled pad you'll appreciate the folding design; getting it from pack to tent and back again is much simpler. The egg-crate design traps air for warmth for an R-value of 2.2, and it also gives a little more than a closed cell flat pad for you side-sleepers out there.

It's versatile, converting to a 3/4 length pad with double-thickness under your bony hips easily. It makes a great chair too, doubled for two people or quadrupled for one. Storage is simple: creatively folded it can go anywhere on a pack, in or out. The high-visibility Limon color is bright and cheery, just like you'll be as you watch your campmates try to reverse curl their old-school pads whilst you lounge on your Z-Lite.

$39.95 at REI