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Jul. 28th, 2010
My CC gets a better workout than I do
Jul. 28th, 2010 08:49 am( Why I'm buying boots online ) Not only did I fail to get them on sale, not only did I fail to find it somewhere I could try it on, but even the manufacturer was sold out of (one of) my size(s). ARGH! I literally started calling every single dealer the manufacturer listed, with a spreadsheet to track the whole thing: I'm so glad I didn't have to order them from Alaska.
On the plus side, while doing so, I found some good deals on some of the other equipment I'm buying. I almost found the rope I want on sale. I ended up buying the size that La Sportiva didn't have at Moosejaw, which has become my new favorite Internet retailer: their website is so funny!! Altrec.com had my new belay device and the crampons on sale.
My mum had a coupon for EMS on top of the 20% off, so my new solar charger is less embarrassingly expensive than otherwise. Speaking of my mother, we were discussing the logistics of the trip when she asked, "Wait, you pitch your own tent and cook your own food??? What are you paying them for?" How much is it worth to stay out of crevasses, Mom?
I'm feeling even more unready for this trip after calling the AAI office to ask about gear check and other logistics. ( fretting )
I discovered that renting a stove for 12 days is $25, while one they recommend is $40; $50 with the piezo electric starter. Is there any reason I can't take a piezo electric starter in my checked luggage? After reading through every recipe in Lipsmackin' Backpackin', but they are oriented toward thru-hikers: I don't understand how they get anywhere with how much time they spend cooking. But I shudder to think how my body will hate me after 12 days of freeze-dried meals.
Believe it or not, even with all this spendiness, and including the last odds and ends I'll order from REI at the end of the week, I'm 10% under my gear budget for this trip. Then again, I budgeted nearly as much for durable gear as I did for instruction - and I'm on track to spend less on this 2-week trip than a week in Russia.
I was going to buy an ice tool, until JBeau told me that (a) they cost roughly $250 a piece and (b) there are a lot of customization options. Maybe I'll rent for this trip and just keep trying them out until I find the bestest one evuh.
They seem to recommend a CamelBak, which I find hilarious given that both the Tetons guides I know, one of whom climbed Everest, can't say enough bad things about CamelBaks. Unfortunately, this time I won't have a sexy engineer to figure out how to attach the insulated hose to the bag :(:(:(
I really really want a set of these mini 'biners: they're so light! and cute! and colorful! Many climbers have a principle that you should never carry a piece that can't be used as an emergency piece, but Black Diamond says they're almost full strength: I wouldn't set them to take a dynamic load, but I bet I could rappel off two in an emergency. I might just buy them to hold my water bottle and pray I'm never in such an emergency I have to take that bet.
On the plus side, while doing so, I found some good deals on some of the other equipment I'm buying. I almost found the rope I want on sale. I ended up buying the size that La Sportiva didn't have at Moosejaw, which has become my new favorite Internet retailer: their website is so funny!! Altrec.com had my new belay device and the crampons on sale.
My mum had a coupon for EMS on top of the 20% off, so my new solar charger is less embarrassingly expensive than otherwise. Speaking of my mother, we were discussing the logistics of the trip when she asked, "Wait, you pitch your own tent and cook your own food??? What are you paying them for?" How much is it worth to stay out of crevasses, Mom?
I'm feeling even more unready for this trip after calling the AAI office to ask about gear check and other logistics. ( fretting )
I discovered that renting a stove for 12 days is $25, while one they recommend is $40; $50 with the piezo electric starter. Is there any reason I can't take a piezo electric starter in my checked luggage? After reading through every recipe in Lipsmackin' Backpackin', but they are oriented toward thru-hikers: I don't understand how they get anywhere with how much time they spend cooking. But I shudder to think how my body will hate me after 12 days of freeze-dried meals.
Believe it or not, even with all this spendiness, and including the last odds and ends I'll order from REI at the end of the week, I'm 10% under my gear budget for this trip. Then again, I budgeted nearly as much for durable gear as I did for instruction - and I'm on track to spend less on this 2-week trip than a week in Russia.
I was going to buy an ice tool, until JBeau told me that (a) they cost roughly $250 a piece and (b) there are a lot of customization options. Maybe I'll rent for this trip and just keep trying them out until I find the bestest one evuh.
They seem to recommend a CamelBak, which I find hilarious given that both the Tetons guides I know, one of whom climbed Everest, can't say enough bad things about CamelBaks. Unfortunately, this time I won't have a sexy engineer to figure out how to attach the insulated hose to the bag :(:(:(
I really really want a set of these mini 'biners: they're so light! and cute! and colorful! Many climbers have a principle that you should never carry a piece that can't be used as an emergency piece, but Black Diamond says they're almost full strength: I wouldn't set them to take a dynamic load, but I bet I could rappel off two in an emergency. I might just buy them to hold my water bottle and pray I'm never in such an emergency I have to take that bet.