This is my expedition fuel planning tool.

Background

Planning for fuel usage can be kind of tricky.  Different conditions, the choice of fuel type, the type of pot used, how windy it is each day, altitude, etc all have an effect on the fuel consumption of your stove.

I’ve been playing around with my set up, doing some experiments.  I then used the data from those experiments to create a model of fuel usage that I could use to predict how much fuel I would probably need on a trip of a given duration.

This model is what is known as a Monte Carlo simulation. It runs many many scenarios given a set of data, and then outputs the average result of those scenarios.

How to use the tool

To use the tool, you will need to do two sets of experiments.  You’ll notice I say “repeat several times” for each experiment.  How many is “several”?  Well, the more the better.  At the most, 30 iterations.  Empirically, 30 iterations will give us a normally distributed sample, no matter what the underlying distribution looks like.  In reality, I’d say 5 or 6 runs should be plenty.

Experiment 1

Boil 1 liter of water using your stove, pot, and fuel in the way you intend to use it on the trip.  Time how long it takes to reach a boil.  Repeat several times.

Calculate the mean and standard deviation (MS Excel will do this for you quite easily).

Experiment 2

Measure a specific amount of fuel into your fuel bottle, and boil 1 liter of water.  Time how long it takes for that water to boil.  Measure the fuel remaining.  Repeat several times.

Calculate the mean and standard deviation of how much fuel your stove uses per minute.  Fluid ounces burned / minutes to boil is the formula you’ll use.

Data

Those four numbers you calculated (mean boil time, SD of boil time, mean fuel usage, and SD of fuel usage) will be entered under “experimental data”.

Then, you select the type of fuel used (for now, I have only entered white gas and kerosene. . . if you really want to use this for unleaded auto gas or jet fuel, I can add that easily enough).

Finally, enter the volume of water you plan to boil each day, and the length of your trip in days.

Output

For now, I output the mean, standard deviation, and mean plus two SDs in fluid ounces of fuel.  I also calculate the mass of the fuel for the mean plus two SDs.

Two SDs results in a pretty conservative number in terms of probable fuel requirements.  Lots of industries like to use six SDs, and you can easily calculate that yourself, or, if enough people ask, I can add that calculation to the tool.  You’ll have to decide your risk tolerance for yourself.

Precision and Accuracy

This tool is written in PHP, and the results are similar to the results I get when using MS Excel for the calculations.  I used the mt_rand function in PHP, as the documentation claims that it is a better random number generator than the rand function.  I didn’t actually plot the results from mt_rand to see the distribution.  I wrote all the statistical procedures myself (even for the mean and standard deviation calculations), so they depend on good inputs (e.g. real random numbers and solid experimental data).

Conclusion

I’d really like to hear feedback on this tool.  With some more users playing with it, perhaps it can be made even better.

CBS NEWS: “Officials: Veteran Climber Humar Dies In Himalayas”

Yes, I said money.  Airlines charge by weight.  If your baggage is over their limit, you will be paying by the kilo or pound.  That is money and that is a cost for your expedition planning.

Base weight system

In my opinion, the “base weight” system is probably the worst way categorize weight.  For anyone familiar with basic accounting, the base weight system reminds me a lot of transfer pricing.  Basically, it has a high potential for abuse.

Transfer pricing is how a company sells things within the organization.  Thus, this is a major system for allocating profit to different departments.

Base weight is subject to the same kinds of games that we see in transfer pricing.  For example, if someone wants to reduce their base weight, they simply remove the item from the pack, and place it in a pocket or in their hands, and just like that, base weight is reduced.

This is useless for anything other than trying to entertain yourself with pissing matches about who has the lowest base weight and what base weight is considered light or ultra light or super light or amazingly light.

Fixed and Variable system

The system I use is very simple, much like a managerial budget (cost accounting).  I have two types of weight; fixed and variable.

Fixed weights

Fixed weights refer to the weight of things that will not change for the trip.  These are the weights of items like boots, backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, rope, carabiners, crampons, etc.

For a given type of trip, no matter the length, these items weigh the same over the entire trip.

To continue to use the accounting analogy, this is like the fixed costs associated with making something.  You have a lease for your factory building.  That cost is fixed over the term of your contract, you know exactly what it will cost you, no matter how productive you are (or how much time your expedition will take).

Variable weights

Variable weights are for items that change depending on the duration of the trip.  The easiest examples are food and fuel.  But, another example is first aid equipment.  Using the accounting parallel, variable weights are just like variable costs. . .your electricity bill is a variable cost.  It varies as you use more or less electricity.  If you run an extra shift at the factory, your electricity bill goes up as you keep the lights and machines on for that time.  If your trip goes an extra day, your food weight goes up.

The weight of antibiotics, pain meds, altitude drugs, etc for a 3 day trip is different than the weight for a 28 day expedition.  The same effect is seen with gauze.  To be able to change the bandages on someone during the course of an expedition requires much larger quantities than for a weekend trip that has easy evacuation possibilities for very minor injuries.

Another tricky variable weight is fuel bottles for liquid stoves.  With an MSR style stove, 1 fuel bottle is a necessity and should probably be logged as a fixed weight, as part of the stove system.  But as the duration of the trip increases, so too does the quantity of fuel needed.  This requires more containers for carrying the fuel.  These additional containers, whether they are plastic bottles or additional metal fuel bottles should be logged as a variable weight.

Water, of course, is another variable weight, as are the containers for carrying the water and, perhaps, chemical treatments for purifying the water.  In many areas, there is little concern over availability of water.  Following rivers, fishing on lakes, or in mountains with an abundance of glacial streams, water is everywhere and makes up a relatively small amount of variable weight.  There is just no need to carry a large quantity.

However, in desert areas, water can be a significant portion of variable weight, when water suddenly is measured in days rather than in hours between streams.

Batteries are another variable weight.  A lot can be done to minimize the weight of these energy sources, however, they still vary depending on the length of the trip.

Conclusion

Using a simple model for weight accounting results in several useful advantages.  First, it is quite easy to know exactly how much weight you will be dealing with, and plan for weight decreases each day, which can correlate to mileage increases over the course of the trip as well.

Second, using this framework, it is possible to plan for expeditionary expenses, like the costs associated with shipping your gear to the destination.

Third, using empirical data, it is very possible to plan expeditions with a high degree of accuracy.  Variable weights are tricky to master, as every person has preferences for how many hot meals they consume each day, what kinds of food they will eat, how they respond to altitude, how many calories they need to eat, etc.  This is why experience is such a major factor in planning well.

I’ll cover more about weight accounting, cost accounting, and expedition planning in the next few weeks.

Patagonia Speed Ascent versus R2 and a Patagonia hardshell

The Patagonia Speed Ascent jacket is their high end softshell for cold conditions.  It has R2 fabric as the liner, and a polyester shell that is wind and water resistant.  It also has a hood.

Speed Ascent jacket is quoted as being 28 ounces.

To get the corresponding system in hardshell means an R2 jacket plus a hardshell.

R2 jacket is 14.1 ounces and has no hood.

The Stretch Element hardshell jacket is 19.6 ounces.

The Rain Shadow hardshell jacket is lighter at 13 ounces.

At best, softshell is over a quarter pound lighter (28 ounces versus 33.7 ounces), at worst, it is equivalent (28 ounces versus 27.1 ounces plus a fleece hat to make up for the lack of hood).

Marmot Driclime Windshirt versus the Ion Windshirt plus a baselayer shirt

On the other end of the spectrum from the Speed Ascent jacket is Marmot’s Driclime softshell.  This is a very light polyester shelled jacket with 2.7 oz/yard lining.

Driclime windshirt is quoted as being 11 ounces.

To get an equivalent product, we need a light baselayer and a light shell.

The Ion windshirt is 5 ounces, and it has an attached hood.

A Marmot lightweight crewneck base layer shirt is 6 ounces.

In this case, the edge goes to the Ion windshirt plus baselayer as the Ion has a hood that adds some weight.  (11 ounces versus 11 ounces).

Conclusion

This quick comparison shows that softshell is roughly equivalent to a similar system of hardshell plus insulation.  The weight argument doesn’t hold.

One of the key differences between hardshell and softshell is the breathability/waterproof tradeoff.  I’ll not debate that here, as different people want different things.  Some prefer the most breathable layers they can get as long as they are wind resistant and shed some water.  Others want absolute waterproof layers and don’t worry about breathability.

Fill Power

As I covered before, fill power is the metric for down quality.  Fill power multiplied by ounces of fill gives the total volume of down fill.  I cite the total volume of down fill in my chart.

Table Data

There are more sleeping bags in this list.  I’ve chosen to simply highlight the three best in each category using italics.  Thus, the three lightest weight bags, the three most inexpensive bags, and the three highest fill volume bags will each be in italics.

Means and standard deviations have been calculated, and are reported at the bottom of the chart.

The Table

As always, the data is compiled from the manufacturers.

Efficiency Update

Just like before, the efficiency factor is calculated such that a lower number is better.  I’ve sorted the chart on that efficiency factor, putting the most efficient at the top.

I put a lot more data into the spreadsheet and I discovered something interesting.  For the most part, smaller pads have a slight advantage.  However, the Exped Downmats and Synmats seem to favor the larger mats.  Perhaps this is because of the valve and pump weight being spread over more surface area.

I also multiplied the original efficiency factor by 1000 to make it easier to read.  This doesn’t actually have any effect on the factor because it is uniformly applied to the original factor.  It simply changes the decimal position.

I plotted the efficiency curve and noticed that it slowly increases and then suddenly goes up quite rapidly.  It looks like the main inflection point occurs somewhere between 6 and 8.

Efficiency is not the only thing that is important though.  One of the big things I look for is how small I can pack the pad.

Packed Size

I really don’t like having things hanging off my backpack.  The streamlined shape of most internal frame packs is ruined when a big pad is strapped to it.  This causes it get snagged on tree branches and brush.  For me, this means I need a very small package that can fit inside my pack.

However, others do use their pads as a frame in ultralight packs.  These folks won’t necessarily care about packed volume as much as the structure and rigidity of the pad when it is in the back of the pack acting as a framesheet.

For this reason, I’ve not tried to create a more unified factor that includes the packed volume of the pad.  Users will have to decide for themselves what is important.

Total Picture

To give a complete picture of these pads, I’ve included the MSRP per the manufacturer or distributor, or if that was unavailable, I used information from REI to fill in the gaps.

Despite being included in the efficiency factor, I’ve included R-value and weight in the chart.

This way you can see better whether a pad fits your needs in terms of weight, warmth, efficiency, packed volume, and cost in USD.

Here is the updated chart:

Avalanches really have a lot of compressive force.  The snow gets packed very densely, requiring a burly shovel to dig out anyone that is trapped.  For this reason, I consider any shovel without a metal blade to be dangerous in avalanche terrain.

Another key feature is a shaft and handle that is comfortable enough for use to dig rapidly and furiously in avalanche rubble.  I’m a tall guy, so I prefer a longer shaft.  In addition, my hands are large and the way I prefer to dig, I like a D handle as opposed to a T handle.

The D handle also provides a convenient location to tie a sling.  I like shovel blades that have holes in them to allow it to be slung as a deadman in an emergency.

I strongly recommend not using your shovel as a tent anchor.  This makes it difficult to retrieve it to dig out your tent during a snow storm.  In addition, if you have set up a base camp, you need your shovel while you head up the slope.

I like using the Voile Telepro.  It is comfortable, has a really durable aluminum blade, and allows me to really move a lot of snow efficiently.  The blade also detaches easily from the shaft, which makes life easier when trying to dig out the interior of a snow cave.

You can get it at Mountain Gear and REI .

I apply this concept to my equipment and clothing as well.   This is especially true on long trips when your body will be undergoing changes due to the new stress of carrying a pack every day, being perpetually cold, probably wet, and living on insufficient calories.

Sock diversification

My first example of diversifying gear is with socks.  Try as I might, I’ve not been successful in reducing my the number of socks I carry below three pairs.  When I’ve tried using only two pairs, I usually end up wearing wet socks a lot.  During a stretch of wet weather, where humidity is high, it is difficult to get a pair of thick socks to dry, even inside a sleeping bag.

Three pairs of socks seem to be my minimum number.  That said, I don’t carry three pairs of the exact same socks.  I carry at least two different brands.  If I start having a foot problem, I may be able to remedy it by wearing the softer socks, or the firmer socks, or the slightly thicker socks, etc.  Sometimes a pair of socks will just seem right due to a particular reason halfway through a trip.  But the next trip, that may not hold true.

For example, feet often swell over the course of a trip.  Altitude is another factor that can cause swelling.  Early in the trip, at lower altitudes, a thick, firm sock will often be comfortable.  After a week of lugging a heavy pack over talus and scree, your feet may have increased in size substantially due to swelling.  Having a softer sock, or a slightly thinner sock could be the key to alleviating any discomfort.

Layer diversification

My second example is diversifying your layers.  I don’t use all wool, or all down, or all fleece, etc in my clothing system.  Different conditions often seem to favor certain layers more than others.  This is especially true as your body goes through the changes that living outdoors has a tendency to cause.

This involves tradeoffs in terms of weight.  A wind layer plus a light fleece sweater offers more options than a single softshell jacket, or a light down or synthetic filled mid-layer.  Two garments offer the potential of three layering combinations (item 1 worn alone, item 2 worn alone, or both items worn together), as opposed to the single possibility of one garment.  The downside is that two garments will usually be heavier than a single garment.

Sleeping bag and belay jacket insulation diversification

For most conditions, I like to have a down sleeping bag and synthetic insulation in my belay jacket.  Should something bad happen, like an unplanned swim in a glacier fed river, having something that will insulate while wet is essential.

I’ve chosen to use down sleeping bags most of the time while using synthetic clothing is due to two key reasons.  First, while moving, I may not have the choice but to sweat in my layers.  If I’m in my harness, pack, roped up, carrying the extra coils of rope, slings, and a rack, while climbing a glacier, stopping to add or remove layers isn’t very practical.  If I guessed wrong and the weather ends up warmer than expected, I’ll be sweating in my layers.  Down doesn’t deal with all that moisture when you stop to belay and have the chance to throw on that belay jacket over the wet layers.  So I use synthetic clothes.  It is harder to keep clothing dry.

The second key reason is that it is easier to keep a sleeping bag dry with the use of some garbage bags while it is inside the pack.  And, because a sleeping bag is a major piece of equipment, the weight savings by going with down instead of synthetic is substantial.

I do, however, occasionally go with all synthetic.  If the conditions are going to be around freezing most of the time, and I plan to do things like sleep in the open, in snow caves, etc where it will be nearly impossible to stay dry, I ditch the down bag and take something synthetic.

Conclusion

There are several ways to diversify gear to give yourself a lot more options during a long backcountry trip.  Diversification can increase your safety and comfort over the course of time.  Taking different brands of socks, a variety of layers, and using different types of insulation prepares you to handle the changes in weather, conditions, and physiology that occur during extended duration trips in the backcountry.

I had been using old camouflage pants for bushwhacking for a while, but found the 5.11 Taclite pants.  They are a cotton/poly blend fabric, with lots of pockets.  I’m a big fan of the bigger thigh pockets that hold small items easily; compasses, GPS, snacks, etc.

The benefit of the cotton/poly fabric is that they are durable while remaining relatively light.  The downside is that it will get wet and not dry as easily as a lightweight nylon fabric.  In warm weather, this isn’t that much of a concern.  I wouldn’t use these pants in weather where I was concerned with hypothermia.

I’ve not used these pants for rock climbing, as I bought them specifically for bushwhacking, so I can’t speak to durability against rock, nor the design of the pockets for wearing a harness.

Another interesting feature of these pants is that they have double layer knees.  This, in and of itself, is a great feature as it adds substantially to the durability.  There is a small slot in the knees that you can slide a neoprene knee pad into.  If you like to take photos like I do, kneeling a lot is common.  In addition, they help pad the leg against the brush and thorns.  However, they really make the pants much hotter in warm weather.

So, in short, these are a great pair of pants for off trail use.

I bought another pair of convertible pants because I really like the idea of pants and shorts all in one.  I bought the Marmot Cruz convertible pants.  These pants also come in different lengths, which is handy as I’m tall.

They are made of a very light nylon material that has been durable to this point.  I have noticed something strange though.  It seems that when I wear my wool socks, the pants stick to my shins.  I think maybe it is a static electricity effect.  It seems to go away once the pants get dirty and muddy.

The pockets aren’t very good on these pants.  There is one zippered thigh pocket that I end up using for everything I would keep in the normal slash pockets.  The normal pockets are shallow and items seem to fall out readily.

The pants don’t come with an integral belt, which at this price point, I expect a nice thin integral belt that is comfortable under a pack waist belt as well as under a harness.

Speaking of harnesses, I really do find these pants to be comfortable while wearing a climbing harness.  However, the pockets still leave something to be desired while wearing a harness.

If they had better pockets, and a low profile integral belt, they would be ideal in my opinion.  They are good, but for the 68 USD price tag, I expect great for a pair of nylon convertible trail pants.

These pants are available at Summit Hut and Mountain Gear

I won't win awards for my tailoring

The North Face Paramount pants zip off into shorts, are made of a quick drying and thick nylon fabric that looks good even after wearing them for days on end.  Dirt doesn’t show easily.  I figured I had a winner.

However, the pockets are place over the top of the thigh, rather than on the sides.  In addition, they aren’t bellows pockets like most cargo pants.  This made it difficult to store anything and access it while seated (for example during a flight).

Second, my pair didn’t last very long.  In fact, I got 1 two-week long trip out of them before I split the seam in the seat.  I’ve never actually had a seam rip on an outdoors garment before.  I’ve torn holes, I’ve abraded through cloth, but I’ve never had a seam blow out.  So, this was a surprise.

After repairing the split (this is why a repair kit is a good idea), I still use the pants, but no longer for travel.  They are strictly trail use now.

From The North Face and for the price, I expected a lot more from these pants.

I usually choose to wear light and fast boots when climbing.  The downside is that they can’t be made as warm and insulated as heavy double plastic boots.  I’ll take every extra bit of insulation I can get.

The Superfeet REDhot insoles are made for winter use, and they have some insulation, plus a reflective bottom.  I have used these on glaciers and frozen rock, and even while wearing crampons, I have not had problems with cold soles.

I have wide feet, so it was nice to finally find some insoles that were wider.  These cover the whole interior of my boots and keep my feet comfortable as well.  The arches are somewhat high, but I find them quite supportive for long days, especially with a heavy backpack loading my feet.  Durability has been good.

If you have cold feet in the winter, I’d really recommend trying the Superfeet REDhot insoles.  You can get them at REI

A selection of my favorite handwear for severe conditions

I am very serious about keeping my hands warm and happy.  I’ve gone my whole life without frostbite, and I fully intend to maintain that record.  Here are some of the things I use to keep my hands happy.

First, are the light gloves.  These are the fair weather, or high dexterity task gloves.  I like fleece with a windproof laminate.  They are surprisingly warm and comfortable, but don’t count on them for a second in wet conditions.  They will soak through.  Carry a few pair of these types of gloves so that you always have dry ones handy.  I use mine for tasks like setting up a tent or fixing dinner.  I keep mine in my pockets while active so that I can slip out of a mitten and into a glove if I need to readjust a binding or some other task that is too intricate for clumsy mittens.  My personal favorite gloves over the years are the Black Diamond Windweight gloves .

Next, a good pair of work gloves are necessary.  These are the gloves with thick leather palms for handling poles, ice tools, ropes, and so on.  These are the gloves that get used and abused and destroyed rapidly from all the use.  In warm weather, like spring when it can be easily above freezing during the day, a great solution is to go to any hardware store and buy some all leather work gloves for 10 dollars and rub them with neatsfoot oil to waterproof and soften them really well.  But, for cold weather, something more substantial is necessary.  I want good leather palms, and a high gauntlet to keep my wrists warm.  It also helps to have knuckle padding.  My personal favorites are the now discontinued Black Diamond Ice glove.  Black Diamond has a new version that they call the Enforcer Glove.

Finally, big and warm mittens are like sleeping bags for your hands.  Definitely do not skimp on the mittens.  Durable palms, and lots of puffy insulation will keep your fingers intact and warm.  I don’t wear liner gloves inside my mittens because that defeats the idea behind mittens.  I want the blood flow in each finger helping to keep the other fingers warm.  It is nearly impossible to do anything in proper mittens.  Opening my water bottle, and maintaining a grip on a ski pole or ice axe is about all I plan to do in mittens.

Mittens are especially important if you have to wear a backpack.  The straps seem to always reduce blood flow to the hands and arms.  Keep that in mind while traveling, and make sure your fingers are always getting blood flow.  Stop and shake some fresh blood into your hands on occasion.  I like to use Expedition Mittensfrom Marmot.  These are packed full of insulation and are lined with a soft wicking layer to keep hands dry.

I have a big pile of gloves and mittens I’ve accumulated over the years.  I’ve tried most combinations I can think of, and this is what works well for me.  Let me know what works for you.

I have spent a lot of time in the cold working out this method for layering, that allows for changing weather conditions, and changing activity levels.  I’ll separate the approach by torso and legs.

Here is a summary of the layers.

Torso

1. Base layer
2. Wind layer
3. Light insulation
4. Shell
5. Belay jacket (heavy insulation)

Legs

1. Base layer
2. Softshell
3. Belay pants

Base layer

The base layer is the start of the layering system.  It should fit snugly without feeling constricting, as the main purpose of the base layer is to keep your skin dry.  All your sweat should be wicked away from your skin to the outer layers where it can evaporate.

A common question is whether to use wool or synthetic base layers.  High quality merino wool base layers are available.  They are comfortable and good for some conditions.  Synthetics, I find, work better on extended trips.  I reviewed the wool versus synthetic debate previously.

Base layers come in a variety of weights, usually “lightweight”, “midweight”, and “heavy weight”. Sometimes, there is even an extra heavy weight.  For the most part, I stick with lightweight and midweight baselayers.  For the same conditions, I generally tolerate a heavier base layer on my legs than on my torso.  For example, I generally will wear a lightweight shirt, while choosing midweight for my legs.

Wind layer

No insulation on the back where a pack provides all the insulation you need. . . great design.

The next layer for the torso is the wind layer. The wind layer should be a very light wind shell, that is extremely breathable.  There really is no need for any waterproofing.  In fact, I don’t reapply (DWR) to my wind shells, as I have found they breathe more easily after a few washes.

The idea behind the wind layer is to allow all that perspiration to pass through, and then evaporate without chilling your core.  For this reason, I personally prefer a vest, as my arms seem to do just fine without a wind layer, so I see no need for the extra weight and reduced mobility of sleeves.

I reviewed the Marmot Driclime vest.

Light insulation

The purpose of the light insulation layer is purely to keep you comfortable (meaning slightly cool) while you are moving.  Carrying a pack, climbing, preparing camp, etc are all hard work and lots of insulation just isn’t necessary.

I have a variety of light fleece sweaters that I use depending on the overall expected conditions.  If temperatures will be above 0F much of the day, I’ll use a 100 weight fleece sweater or pullover if I need it.  Close to 32F, I am usually only wearing my base layer and my wind layer.  Below 0F, a 200 weight fleece sweater, usually fill zip with a hood is a good option.  For consistently severe cold, there are other options that can be lighter than fleece, such as thin synthetic insulated sweaters.  I tend not to use down for such a piece as it will get wet from sweat.  I also avoid the use of wool sweaters unless it is only a day hike.

Shell for the Torso

A shell jacket is still useful in extreme cold weather, however, it needs to be highly breathable.  Being waterproof is less of a necessity the colder the temperatures.  The likelihood of encountering liquid water is very low.  Wind resistance is critically important, as wide open and cold places tend to have very strong winds. Even light shells with DWR shed snowfall well enough.

I avoid the high cost waterproof breathable hard shells because my shell is going to get abused against rock, and there is a lot of risk of damage from ice tools, ice screws, and other sharp implements common in the cold.  And, as I mentioned, waterproofing isn’t a critical quality of a good extreme cold weather shell.

I’ve used the Marmot Precip jacket for years now in various forms.  It is a nice, light, and inexpensive option for a shell.

Belay jacket and pants

Leukotape patch on my DAS

The belay jacket and pants are common for winter climbing and mountaineering.  The idea is to have heavy insulation for periods without much movement.  These should be thick puffy garments full of synthetic insulation, as they go on over the top of all the sweaty layers from the day.

For the legs, full side zips are important so that boots do not need to be removed.  These garments must be sized to fit over the top of all of the other layers.

I discussed the belay jacket concept more thoroughly in the past, including my preference for the Patagonia DAS Parka and Patagonia Micro puff pants

Softshell for the legs

On my legs, I can tolerate one system much more easily because my legs aren’t full of critical organs that need to be closely temperature regulated.  In addition, I’m often wearing a climbing harness which precludes the ability to quickly, easily, and safely add or remove layers as conditions change.  These reasons lead to softshell being a more ideal system for the legs.

Softshell is suitable for a wide variety of conditions, more so than the traditional 3 layer system.  It is a light, breathable, and comfortable system.

I reviewed my favorite softshell pants, the Patagonia Mixmasters in the past.

Conclusion

The 5 layer approach for the torso, of base, wind, light insulation, light shell, and belay jacket, as well as the 3 layer approach for the legs of base, softshell, and belay pants works very well in a wide range of extreme cold weather and severe conditions.  I’ve used and abused this system for quite a while now, and have no reservations relying on it to keep me safe and comfortable in the mountains.

For more information about cold weather clothing choices, Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast, and High by Mark Twight is a very good resource.

For more information about sleeping in the cold, see my article about cold weather sleep systems.

I hope this helps.  Let me know!

I’ll talk about a few important quantifiable considerations, and leave the qualitative decisions to you.

Fit is a qualitative factor that should be considered carefully for example.  For example, a snug fitting bag will have less space to heat and keep warm, will likely be lighter weight, but many people may feel constricted and uncomfortable.

Three of the main quantitative measures for down sleeping bags include the weight, the down, and the price.  I’ll cover those.

Fill Power

Fill power is an important concept when discussing down sleeping bags.  Fill power is a measure for the quality of down.  It is expressed in cubic inches per ounce of down.  High quality down fills more volume per ounce than low quality down.  This means for a given volume of sleeping bag loft, higher quality down will weigh less.  An important consideration.

What I’ve done to compare the sleeping bags is to multiply the weight of down fill (in ounces) by the fill power of down used.  This gives a standard “volume” of down that can be used to compare straight across.  Simply looking at weight of fill can mislead you.

Bags Included in the List

I included bags rated from –15F to –25F.  I also stuck with “regular” length bags, although two bags stood out as a bit strange to me.  The Montbell bag only fits to 5’10”, and the Mountain Hardwear bag fits to 6’6” in the regular size.  All of the other bags have a 6’0” fit for regular.  Keep this in mind when comparing the bags.  If you are larger or smaller, perhaps one of these bags would be a better match for your needs.

Table Data

I’ve used the stoplight system of red, yellow, and green to highlight the low, middle, and best three in each category respectively.  So, the heaviest three bags will be red, the three most expensive will be red, and the three with the least fill volume will be red.

I also calculated the mean and standard deviation for each of the three columns.

The Table

All information is from the manufacturers.

I personally own the Marmot Col EQ and reviewed it.  I’m quite happy with it, despite it being one of the heavier bags on the list.  It is quite warm and has several features I like.

I hope this chart helps you pick a cold weather bag.  Let me know if you liked it, and would like to see a similar compilation for bags in another temperature range.

For sleeping pads, what I wanted to do was compare how warm (the R-value) with the weight of the sleeping pad.  This way, the most efficient pad could be chosen.

However, one thing I quickly realized was that dimensions were different for the sleeping pads.  There are short pads, long pads, wide pads, and mummy tapered pads.  This means an objective comparison of weight is useless without considering how the pad measures.

For this reason, I chose to exclude any mummy tapered pads, as I did not want to calculate their area without physically possessing them to perform measurements.  I focused on “regular” sized pads to get them as similar as possible, and then calculated the surface area.  This was necessary even with the regular sized pads, as the Exped mats were 2” shorter than the other mats, potentially giving them an unfair weight advantage.

Simple division gives us a measurement of how much each square inch of surface area weighs.  Another round of division gives us a measure of the warmth of each surface area per weight unit.

I then sorted on the weight/area/R measure to put the most efficient pad at the top of the chart.  This is the most objective way to evaluate sleeping pads.  Subjective measures like comfort, or additional desired features are up to you, the reader, to determine for yourself.

If you want to see the full version of the spreadsheet, click here for it in PDF format.

One of the surprises was just how efficiently warm the Ridgerest pad turned out.  It is second only to the Downmat 9 and it is more efficient than the Downmat 7!  That is truly impressive.  I know I’ll be keeping a Ridgerest around for any times I need to go really light but don’t need the absolute warmth of my Downmat 9.

Full disclosure: all measurements are from manufacturers web sites, and costs were either MSRP as per the manufacturer, or the price listed at the REI website. if an MSRP was not listed on the manufacturer web site.

I have an Exped Downmat 9 and reviewed it here.

I hope this little chart helps you make decisions regarding sleeping pads.  I’d appreciate any thoughts, questions, or feedback in the comments section.

You can find an updated chart I made with more sleeping pads and information here.

I prefer a vest for my wind layer because I’m more concerned with protecting my torso from heat loss.  My arms do just fine without extra wind protection.  The sleeveless design also allows venting from the armpits without the weight of pit zips.  My preference for vests greatly limits the options, most manufacturers produce wind jackets.  I’m not very good at sewing, so I hesitate to buy a jacket and cut off the sleeves.

The Driclime vest from Marmot is a well thought out wind layer.  Not only does it help block wind, but it has a little bit of insulation.  The key is, they only put the insulation where it matters.  When wearing a pack, the back is very insulated by the backpack.  Extra insulation there is a waste.  Marmot chose to leave the back panel free of insulation.  This saves some weight and keeps the insulation where it matters.

No insulation on the back where a pack provides all the insulation you need. . . great design.

Overall, this is my favorite cold weather wind layer.  Once the temperatures are below freezing, I live in a base layer shirt and my Driclime vest, rarely taking it off.

Synthetic

Synthetic baselayers are incredibly efficient at moisture transport.  They don’t absorb the moisture which means they dry rapidly, although, they can dry too rapidly, inducing a chilly feeling in windy conditions.

Synthetic baselayers retain their shape, no matter how wet and abused they get.  No amount of rough handling or days of wear seem to change a synthetic baselayer.

Synthetic baselayers (well, most all synthetics really) can trap odors and get really smelly after a few days of use.  On solo trips, this really doesn’t matter, but when sharing a tent with a partner. . .

Wool

Despite the itchy association I have due to cheap woolen garments from my childhood, wool baselayers are very comfortable.  The wool used in baselayers is high quality, and much like a quality business suit, the wool is soft and luxurious feeling, rather than rough and scratchy.

However, wool, like most natural fibers, holds moisture.  It gets heavy when wet, and can be very slow to dry.  However, I often find wool still feels comfortable even when wet.

Wool stretches and loses shape.  When wool gets wet, this happens quite quickly, in my experience.  The areas I notice it first are in the knees and elbows, where lots of motion tends to stretch out the garments.  I prefer a snug fit to my baselayers so that they wick the moisture off of my skin rapidly.  As wool loses shape, it becomes less efficient at wicking moisture.  However, washing and dry the wool seems to restore the original shape.

Wool doesn’t absorb odors as easily as synthetics.  This is a huge positive when you want to smell somewhat presentable.

What do I use and when?

For single day outings, such as a hike or a day of climbing, I prefer the comfort and odor free properties of wool.  I prefer something like Icebreaker Bodyfit 200.  This is a good general weight for cold weather activities, and is quite comfortable.

If I’ll be out more than one day, for backpacking, mountaineering, etc, I switch to synthetics.  I like to go lightweight, and wet wool is not light.  I don’t carry spare baselayers to change into when one set gets wet, so synthetics rule on long trips.

For my legs, I really like Patagonia Capilene 2.  For my torso, I like a light baselayer with a zipneck so that I can adjust according to the conditions, like the Marmot Lightweight Zip Neck.

Final thought

For climbing use, I strongly recommend choosing lighter colors for baselayers.  It can be brutally sunny at altitude, or on a glacier, and having a light color to reflect that sunlight can help keep you cooler.  Dark colors can feel very hot very fast under those conditions.  Grey is a good color as it is light enough to feel cool, yet dark enough to not easily show how dirty it really is.

Prepare your whetstone with some water or oil.  Personally, I like to use WD-40 on my whetstone.  It flows away easily, carrying all the bits of metal.  It is also very easy to spray some more WD-40 on it to clean it off.

Take a black permanent marker and color the honed portion of your blade.  Now pass the blade on the whetstone like usual.  Look at the blade and you can easily verify whether or not you are holding the knife at the original angle because you will see where the black marker has been worn off.  Adjust the angle if need be and take another pass on the whetstone.  Check and adjust, check and adjust.

Keep this up until all the black is worn off and the edge is honed nice and smooth.

Trail to Lago Sucia

Getting There

When you arrive in Argentina, you’ll land at EZE (Ezeiza International Airport) in Buenos Aires.  Aerolineas Argentinas and LAN are the only airlines I know of that fly from Buenos Aires to El Calafate, although I did recently read an article that flights to El Calafate would increase, so perhaps there are more options now.

Unfortunately, you won’t be flying out of EZE to El Calafate. . . you must take a taxi or other transport to the domestic airport: Jorge Newbery (AEP).  I paid in the range of 100 Argentine pesos for a taxi.

First stop – El Calafate

Arriving in El Calafate, you’ll be in a small airport, and there are bus services set up to take passengers in to town to the bus station.  I would strongly recommend spending some time in El Calafate, if for no other reason than to purchase the bulk of your food.  Perito Moreno Glaciar is also available as a quick trip from El Calafate.  Once you arrive in El Chalten, food is available, but not nearly as much, nor the variety available in El Calafate.  From the bus station in town, you can pick up any number of busses that will take you to El Chalten.  It is a beautiful drive, but also a good chance to catch up on sleep.

Arriving in El Chalten

The bus I used dropped us off at the very large Rancho Grande hostel.  This is nice, because the trailhead to Fitzroy is a quick walk up the street from the hostel.  The downside is that you must walk all the way back to where the road comes into El Chalten to the Ranger Station to get your climbing permit first, and to get the trailhead to Cerro Torre.  Rancho Grande had rooms at about 30 pesos when I was there.  This is a great place to meet climbers, have some beer, watch TV, etc.

Campamento Rio Blanco has running water!

Across the street from Rancho Grande are some little markets where you can pick up some more food, chocolate, empanadas, and importantly, boxes of wine for the trip up to the base camp.  From the road, when looking at these tiendas, you’ll see a little road/path to the right.  If you go up there, there is a place where you can tent camp for just a few pesos per night.  There is running water, bathrooms, and showers, plus a wind shelter with tables and benches for cooking.

If you follow San Martin street away from the trailhead, towards the entrance to the town (and the Ranger Station), you’ll eventually come to a bigger grocery store just before the corner where San Martin ends.  This is a good place to get any fruits and veggies you want, as well as dried sausages and salami (look for the dried chorizo, it is amazing)  There is also an outfitter around the corner to the right.  This outfitter was the only location I could find with white gas (bencina blanca) and kerosene (queroseno).  The shop also had nice individual packets of various foods and condiments.  There are fuel stations if you are willing to use auto gas or diesel in your stove.

Also on San Martin are some bakeries where you can buy “facturas” (this confused me greatly at first, as factura is Spanish for bill or receipt, but in Argentina, they are a type of pastry too).  Stock up on facturas and empanadas just before you head up to base camp.  You’ll appreciate those things (and that important box of delicious malbec wine) while waiting out the weather in camp.

There was an ATM in El Chalten when I was there.  It is located closer to the entrance to the town, on the way to the Ranger Station.  However, it was the only ATM I found.

Campamento Rio Blanco – Fitzroy’s base camp for climbers

Inside the cabin at Campamento Rio Blanco

As you walk up San Martin, towards the mountains, you’ll arrive at the trailhead to the various campgrounds and Fitzroy.  From that spot, it is about 3 or 3.5 hours walk on the trail to get to Rio Blanco for climbers, or if you are just trekking, maybe 2.5 to 3 hours to get to the trekking camp.  Of course, that time is only for the first time you make the hike. . . I kept stopping to take photos which slowed me down considerably.  Subsequent journeys back to town for more wine and facturas usually only take 2 or 2.5 hours each way.  It is a beautiful hike.

The camp is quite nice, with some latrines, a little cabin for cooking, eating, and waiting out storms, and a small stream nearby with potable water.  We were all drinking directly from the stream with no ill effects.  There was a sign up indicating that the water was potable, so check before you drink.

On the trail near the camp is a 3 sided shelter for trekkers to stop and rest or have lunch.  Near that shelter is a nice spot of grass that gets some sun.  This is a good place to relax and dry gear on days that are too windy to do much of anything.

During the briefing at the Ranger Station, they indicated to me that camping outside of the designated camps was prohibited.  However, climbers could bivy on the approach of their climbs.  In addition, climbers were asked to pack out their waste from Paso Superior.  Please respect these rules and keep Patagonia beautiful.

It doesn't get much better than this - Fitzroy on the right.

Getting Home

I used Aerolineas Argentinas.  They require a telephone check in 72 hours before the flight.  There are several telephone shops, some with internet, available along San Martin for this purpose.  I ran into extremely long wait times on hold for Aerolineas, and had to return to a telephone shop about 3 times before I finally was able to speak to a customer service representative.

Another thing to keep in mind is flexibility.  Things go wrong, schedules change, etc.  Keep a positive attitude.  Aerolineas changed my flights both going and returning from El Chalten, but they did take care of me and paid all my expenses (taxi, hotel, dinner) to spend the night in Buenos Aires.  Being friendly goes a long way.  Even though I speak Spanish, Aerolineas used English speaking staff, and they called the taxi company and the hotel, and had everything pre-arranged.  All I had to do was wake up, get dressed and walk down to the lobby of the hotel where the taxi was already waiting for me.  I enjoyed my free night in Buenos Aires, it is one of my favorite cities.

Anything else?

Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments section.  Patagonia is a very special place, and I hope this little guide helps you get there and enjoy it!