I was in need of a new “3 season” bag as the synthetic bag I’ve used since I was 14 just doesn’t cut it anymore. I was looking for a down bag in the 15-20 degree range as that seems to be the best compromise between warmth, packability, and weight for a bag used primarily here in Colorado. Several options exist that fit those general criteria, but I ultimately chose a traditional mummy bag design in the Big Agnes Bellyache Mountain SL 17. Big Agnes is located in Steamboat Springs, CO and is known for several things – namely tents, sleeping pads and bags, but has also recently begun to dabble in the apparel market with a few down jacket offerings.Bellyache Mountain SL 17 Side View
The Bellyache Mountain fit a pretty good sweet spot in terms of down quality and fill weight – 700 fill, 21 oz fill weight and weights 2.3 lbs (measured) for the regular size. Big Agnes is one of a few manufacturers who offer down that has been chemically treated to repel water, thus maintaining loft and insulating properties when wet, and the Bellyache Mountain sports their DOWNTEK water repellant technology. The bag also has a nice draft collar around the neck as well as a draft tube down the length of the zipper. The draft tube has a strip of thicker nylon sewn into it to help prevent stuck zippers. Speaking of zippers, the bag is available in both right and left hand zipper configurations – which is nice as 2 bags can zip together for those fortunate guys with girlfriends/wives, or if you’re just one of those weird left handed folks. Read more…
Cheap ski gloves are getting more and more popular these days and not just for fashion statement reasons. They are practical, affordable, more durable than they seem and give skiers great dexterity. I used to buy 70 to 100$ gloves and they would usually last a year, maybe 2 if I were lucky. Marmot, Black Diamond, Mountain Hardwear North Face, Hestra, Swany – it didn’t really matter. A moderately large problem I had with some of these gloves, outside the lack of longevity, was the insulation bunching up when you removed your glove, making it brain damaging trying to put your hand back in. Kinco work gloves and Flylow Ridge and Tough Guy gloves avoid this problem by more consistent stitching throughout the whole glove. Kinco gloves are the most popular brand out there cause of their price. You can buy a pair for 11$ and squeeze 2 seasons out of them, taping up as necessary – or just start with a fresh pair. They are so cheap, it doesn’t matter. Flylow has recently joined this market with their own versions of the leather work glove – the Tough Guy (50% leather) and the Ridge (100% leather). I just wanted to show a quick analysis on the two and show the benefits to both. Read more…
The snow totals in Colorado over the past week and a half have been incredible for many areas. With Monarch receiving 116” of snow in the last 14 days (Mount Baker-esque numbers), it’s hard not wonder if perhaps we’re temporarily living in an alternate universe of some kind. Brian, Mike, and I, intent on using the first of 3 free Monarch days attached to our ski passes, in conjunction with the desire to avoid I-70 at all costs, made the long but easy drive down 285 to Salida on Saturday morning. By that point Monarch had received roughly 3 feet of snow in 72 hours, with an additional foot falling on us throughout the day while we skied. Keep reading…
The weekend before last I had the pleasure of joining a great group on Homestake Peak in the northern-Sawatch Range. After a few trip reports were thrown up on 14ers.com indicating good coverage and ski conditions high on the peak, it became an obvious option for a late-January tour. Rick, David, Brian, Dillon and I met Brandon Chalk, his wife Kristine, and two friends of theirs, Jay and Mike at the Crane Park Trailhead the morning of the 26th at 8am. Read more…
