Light weight kit?

This from a blog reader today,

"Sorry to go off topic, but from looking at your pack contents photo, there were a few pieces of kit that could be substituted to lower the weight/bulk.Swap the GSI cookset, Snowpeak stove and MSR canister for a Jetboil Sol Ti cook system plusa 100g gas canister. Swap your BD krabs for DMM i-beam versions, eg Spectre 2 or Alpha Trad? Finally you could swap the friends for the new 'Helium' version, the Reverso 3 for the 4, and maybe even the harness for an Arc'teryx M270. All

together I think you would be saving over a pound in weight. What are your

thoughts"

Thoughts?  Good idea :)  I thought it worth weighing the suggestion, Jon :) 

1. Jetboil stove 258g

   100g fuel can 196g (110g fuel)

   Snow Peak stove 128g

   GSI cook kit 162g

   MSR can 374g (227g fuel)

My kit is 32g heavier (fuel cell sizes change depending on the project) 

But bigger fuel cells are slightly more efficient for what you carry in fuel

My Snow Peak stove and cook kit are way smaller/less bulk over all than a Jetboil

2. DMM Spectra 2 biner 32g

   DMM Alpha Trad biner 34g

   BD OZ biner 28g

   Trango Super Fly 30g

with 25 biners my kit is 100g lighter or more

3. Helium Friend  [1] 3.35 oz [2] 3.84 oz [3] 5.11 oz 

   Rigid stem Friend [1] 3.1 oz; [2] 3.80 oz; [3] 5.00 oz (sewn Spectra slings)

Carry only five cams and I am at least 25g lighter 

4. Reverso 4 56g  (edit of correct weights on my scale)

   Reverso 3 78g

same here

5. Petzl Hirundos 315g in a large

   Arcteryx M270  310g in a large

5g heavier here

Total difference in weight between the suggested kit and mine?

I am 63g lighter if not more from Jon's suggestions.  Or 2.2 oz :)

I don't doubt the Jetboil is a better stove than the Snow Peak but I normally usea MSR Reactor if I want a "real" stove.  I like the Snow Peak because of the verysmall volume it takes up in my pack. A full pound savings was being very optimistic on Jon's part. But you never know so I took the time to weigh what I have hereand make a side by side comparison. I have both Helium and older rigid stem Friends and already knew what the result would be there. Take the time to weigh and know what you have in your own pack. Jon, thanks again for the suggestion!

These may be my favorite trees in Charleston

If only you could have walked down King Street today in Charleston. Not the shopping district (absolutely not),but just above Broad Street. That is where you would have found a pair of Ginkgos flanking the entrance to the Charleston Library Society at the peak of their fall display.

And they are two of the grandest trees in Charleston.

They go fairly unnoticed through the year; We are a city that worships the Live Oak. But every year, just as everyone is hanging wreaths and stringing lights, the Gingkos command all the attention.

I particularly love the two Gingkos on King Street because of their surrounding architecture and landscape. There is something to be said for a strong, simple design supported by a Podocarpus hedge, two Gingko trees and a manicured lawn.

And the heavy dose of Spanish Moss hanging from the branches just makes me love them more. (How is that possible?!)

I could go on for days, but I'll let the pictures make you jealous that you weren't here to see it for yourself.Perfection.

Blue and Red and Yellow

It's primary colors today at Circus~Cercis - another three ring show:* * *
First look toward the Blue Ring to view the successful finish of the Blue Planet Run.



Mary's husband Paul followed the team across much of the US portion of the run - he took this photo of Mary and her brother Jay at the completion of the Elmira run, and Mary's mom sent it to me for this blog. The adventures of the team as they traveled the globe were quite wonderful to read about - even with the injuries, losses of luggage and clothing and exhaustion.

To see Mary cross the finish line in NYC go to the Blue Planet Website.

If you want to make a donation to help the cause of clean water, this link will take you to the right page. Congratulations to the entire team and their families!
* * *

In ring two we present the oxblood lilies:


The Rhodophiala bifidia are blooming! They're also called School House Lilies.



Most of my clumps of school house lilies were shared by MSS of Zanthan Gardens. Since hers were in bloom a good 10 days before mine appeared, I'm not only delighted but relieved to see them! Here's a Zanthan Gardens profile of these lovely flowers. Julie at the Human Flower Project has posted an article on them by Jill Nokes.


* * *

In ring three are some showgirls of September, all wearing yellow:


The hanging bells of yellow brugmansia - Angel's Trumpet wear a train of Blue Plumbago.

Our yellow 'Julia Child' rose still sends up a flower or two every couple of days.

The yellow Plumeria/Frangipani has opened in pale gleaming yellow - not as flashy, but more fragrant than the pinky-red plumeria.

As to refreshment - no lemonade yet at Circus~Cercis, but a couple of the Meyer's Lemons are turning yellow.

Death Valley :: Zabriskie Point

Wednesday, March 7th - - I was tempted to spend another night at the motel in Pahrump because the strong winds were still blowing. But the sun was shining and patches of blue sky were showing through the clouds and the weather forecast called for diminishing winds later in the day. There was still quite a bit of dust in the air and the mountains in the distance were rather hazy looking. It was late morning when I left Pahrump and the drive to Death Valley National Park was rather nice. There wasn't a lot of traffic to fight with and I was driving into the wind so the van wasn't buffeted from the side like all day Tuesday.



Having been stationed in California, I have visited Death Valley several times the latest being in April ... Like many of our National Parks, each time you visit you see things in a different way. The quality of the light is always different depending upon the time of day and other atmospheric conditions. And the light is what makes things seem to appear different. Because there was so much sand and dust in the air I concentrated this time on the closer views at Zabriske Point, abstracting Mother Nature a bit. There is no sense of dimension in the photos, no way to tell how large or how small the mounds of dirt and rocks really are...

secret powers

last night I dreamed a cranefly orchid
in winter the only green



between 40 shades of brown
and lucky as a clover
I found it

Flowers for Susan

These tiny flowers, about ¾ of an inch in diameter, some pink and some white, grow on several bushes planted in flower beds around the house. (I have no idea what kind they are.) I doubt that they were blooming in June when Susan was last here, so I thought I'd send her a virtual bouquet to say “Thank You” for her hospitality and friendship (thanks also to Don).

What's for Dinner?

Ya, no, not what you are thinking.

Dinner as in "dinner plates", the kind you get on hard, cold ice and can reap some havoc even if you are careful.

Most of us have been cut at one time or another. Some have had stitches or just as likely should have had stitches and didn't. I've been knocked out cold, by a dinner plate while leading...imagine that!?




So we wear helmets. But in addition to the helmet there is something else I used to make fun of now I doubt I'll ever climb ice again without one. It is the visor. Couple of companies offering them in different versions. Easiest one for me to get my hands on was a Petzel.

Last year I popped a small piece of ice directly into my eye on a hard lead. Big enough piece and high enough velocity it bruised my eye ball just off the lens. Scared me a bit honestly, since my eye sight is much of how I make a living. That and the fact it hurt bad enough I couldn't open my eye, let alone see out of it, for several minutes. That while hanging on tools in the midst of a serious lead for me. A sore eye ball for several more days after that trip kept up the reminder. So I found a visor this summer and added it to my Canadian ice gear list. Still not convinced it was worth the effort on local ice. Then on the last trip the visor deflected a fist size piece of ice bound for my chin that I never saw coming. Decided by now that the visor is a good thing on any ice. Bit hard to pack around but easier than expected so far. It is a gimmick...and I hate gimmicks but this one really does work and worth the silly price tag imo.




A new one on me was having a dinner plate smack me in the foot this trip and dang near break a toe. Never would have imagined! The purple toe nail pictured below is a week old now. I will obviously lose the nail in time. Didn't hurt terribly bad at the time although I did notice the smack while leading on a pillar of hard ice. But...WOWIE..was it sore the next few days afterwards.






Not that big a piece of ice either. I would have thought my boots would have protected me more. No mark on the boot but with some inspection of the boot toe it is easy to see a big piece of ice could collapse the boot enough and damage your foot. You have to be careful out there :)




Just helps to be aware of what could happen in lwt boots. If this incident (my first in 30+ years of waterfall ice) is any indication a broken foot is not out of the question with a well planted crampon and a big piece of ice.