Spring Mountain Rambling Kit

Kit laid out (forgot to include helmet)

A quick listing of my basic kit for mountain routes during the spring/early summer where I expect snow travel.  This could range from quick climbs like Mount Daniel to the longer "ultraneering" routes like Dakobed or Olympus.  I must note that it is not the be all, end all and certain routes will require tweaks to this kit but for the most part, this is what I turn to.

• Black Diamond Distance 15:  I absolutely love this pack. Is it perfect?  No.  The enclosures for the front pockets are fiddly and it can be difficult to access the lowest front pockets when the pocket above it is crammed full but I can overlook these small nitpicks.  It is comfortable, fits well, doesn't bounce and has just the right capacity for all of the stuff listed (it could fit more if needed).  I have worn this thing on a 50 and 62 miler and had no issues with shoulder strain.  The front pockets hold enough to keep me moving for hours at a time and honestly I only need to remove the pack for layer or gear changes. 

• La Sportiva Uragano:  Typically I'm not a huge fan of GTX shoes but these shoes are so versatile from snow travel to scrambling to just all around comfort for long approaches that I overlook the GTX feature. The built in gaiters are a nice touch and the aggressive traction is great for the different terrain we face in Washington.  

• Petzl crampons: Depending on terrain I will use either the Irvis Hybrid which feature steel points in the front, or the Petzl Leopard which are all aluminum and are lighter.  These fit to any boot or trail runner I have used, are compact and easy to put on and take off.

• Black Diamond Vapor Helmet: lightweight, sharp looking.

• C.A.M.P. Corsa Ice Axe: Extremely lightweight fall protection. I use both a 50 cm and 70 cm depending on terrain I am likely to encounter.

• Black Diamond Trekking Poles: I'm not a huge fan of poles but on the bigger routes I will lug these along.

• Garmin inReach Mini: I reviewed this product earlier but for me, it's an absolute essential.  

• GoPro 3: For quick snaps while moving

• Suunto 9:  Huge battery life, all kinds of bells and whistles and I haven't had much issue with the app and Suunto synching. 

• Battery charger/cable: For phone, Mini, headlamp charging

• Biolite headlamp: Comfortable, adjustable light with five settings.  Very simple and for someone like me who doesn't want a super bright headlamp, it lasts for a long time.  20+ hours.

• Julbo sunglasses: Explorer for lots of snow travel.  Trekking for routes that have less snow travel.

• Outdoor Research Baja Hoody: Lightweight puffy with hood and a big front pouch pocket as I find I like it for putting my hands in if chilly.  I will interchange this with a heavier Rab Alpine puffy if forecast calls for colder temps.

• Black Diamond Distance jacket: Lightweight wind breaker and water resistant.  Amazing how much warmth is trapped by this jacket.  Similar product that is as good, Patagonia Houdini.

• Outdoor Research Echo Hoody: Started wearing these in an effort to keep the sun off me.  Absolutely love this versatile top that I wear in temps ranging from low 40's to upper 80's.  Combined with the Distance jacket, I am good in the low 30's while moving.

• Patagonia Terrabone Jogging Pants: Another purchase to keep the sun off my legs as well as protect them in bushwhacking routes.  Lightweight, water resistant and quick drying.  I absolutely love these and I hate pants! 

• Patagonia Strider Shorts: Quick drying, great pockets

• REI fleece gloves: Simple but effective.  Will bring along waterproof outers if I the route might have steep snow where I will be getting my hands wet.

• Random brand buff: Extra warmth for head or face

• Bicycle Cap: My favorite style of cap.  Bill doesn't interfere as much with your vision but still shades the eyes.

• Smartwool/Stance Socks: Love both brands.  Combined with pre-taping with Luekotape and application of Trail Toes prevents blisters and maceration.

• First aid kit: Random odds and ends like sunscreen, chapstick, some pain relief in case of injury, extra tape.  

For water, I rely on the numerous water sources available in the PNW and carry a liter of capacity.  I will be upfront and admit that I do not filter my water (haven't for years) but for those who want to filter, I recommend the Katadyn BeFree filter.

Fueling is such a personal variable that I don't go into much detail about it.  I am fortunate in that I can go for eight to ten hours on very few calories (<500) without bonking but again, this all depends on what works for you. 

A Quick Review of the inReach Mini

This is a quick review of the Garmin inReach Mini.  With now two months to use the device in a variety of applications, I feel I have gotten to know it fairly well.

I will preface this review by outlining what is most important to me with a device like the Mini.  Being solo about 95% of the time, a satellite communicator and tracker has become an essential piece of gear in my kit.  It travels with me on any route where I have any chance of losing a cell reception.  The primary use of the device is for my family and friends to keep track of my whereabouts, to be able to have two way communication while out on a route and of course, the SOS feature in case things go awry.  I do not use the device for navigation, choosing to use both Gaia on my phone or the ol' paper map and compass routine.  Additionally, I have not downloaded the app to my phone nor paired the device with my phone.

Also, as a solo traveler, it is imperative for me that I have the device tracking me at all times.  If I were to become incapacitated and unable to hit the SOS button, at least rescue teams would have a fairly small area to focus on.  If I do not have the device pinging and don't check in for hours, that search area suddenly becomes a lot larger.

Out of the box, the device was reasonably easy to set up even for this only semi- tech literate dude. Your personalized homepage is fairly intuitive to navigate so I won't go into much detail on it.  The device is limited to just four or five buttons, but again, it is easy to navigate through the various screens and find what you are looking for. With the ability to pre-load various messages into the device, I am able with some foresight, to load messages that I believe will be handy during a route so that I can easily access them and send them without having to type them out (which is a slow process with the limited buttons).  This is all moot if you do choose to pair your Mini with your phone which will allow you to type messages on your phone and send them out.

The size of the Mini (or lack of) is incredible.  Weighing in at just 3.5 ounces, it easily fits in the palm of your hand.  It is so small that I can tuck it into the pocket on my shorts and not even notice it.  A significant decrease in size over the standard device.

But the decrease in size has come with some negatives.

Battery life.  I had read reviews that warned of a battery life that did not perform to the manufacturers specs. This gave me some concern as I decided on whether or not to purchase the device.  In the end, the small size was enough for me to make the investment.  It was my hope that the battery would at least last 35-40 hours which would cover the majority of my routes.  Anything longer and I could charge with an outside battery source.

After eight weeks of using the device in a variety of terrain, I had very mixed results.  In areas with heavy tree cover with pings set to every ten minutes, my battery usage was about 5% per hour, giving the device a 20 hour life before needing to be recharged. However, on my 100 km trip to the border and back in the North Cascades, I used 75% of the battery in just 10 hours even after switching it to 20 minute pings at about six hours in after seeing the huge battery drain.  With it being a 20 hour trip, I was forced to charge the device while on the route.

On the other hand, in areas like the Grand Canyon, and Koma Kulshan where I had no tree cover, the battery usage was about 2-3% per hour, which would the user 33-50 hours of usage before needing charging.  Much more in align with what I hoped to see when purchasing the Mini.

Second, reception.  On my old device, even under heavy tree coverage, I found the reception to be consistent with very few instances of significant gaps between pings. This has not been the case with the Mini.  Under heavy tree cover, I have gone up to four hours without sending out a ping.  A tad bit concerning given that so much of what I do is under tree cover.  Again though, in areas with no cover, the device has pinged consistently.

Some examples:

Device on Koma Kulshan.  Consistent pings throughout the trip.

The Brothers.  As you can see large gaps in the forested section of the climb.

Given the battery life and ping issues, it is pretty easy to conclude that the device is using a lot of juice while attempting to find a satellite under heavy tree cover.

At this point, despite my reservations about the Mini, I intend to keep using the device knowing full well the limitations and working around those.  However, if you are looking at purchasing a satellite communicator and size is not an issue, than I have to recommend the standard device. If the size is important enough to you to accept some battery life and reception shortcomings, then the Mini may still fit your bill.

Update (05/26/2019)

Yesterday I went for a walk around my neighborhood and decided to test the inReach Mini in extended tracking mode. I set the pings to 30 minutes, turned off logging and threw it in pocket of my Black Diamond Distance 15 and promptly forgot about it.

This is the result of 30 minute pings in mostly forested cover. The red is my exact route. While there are some gaps, this isn't too bad of coverage. Battery usage was a little over 10% in six and a half hours.

Will continue to test the device using these settings.