Elk Mountains Grand Traverse – Gear

It’s only my third year doing the race and I am not one of the fast ones by a long shot, but I think I have some of the gear basics pretty well figured out.

Pack
• Last year we acquired a couple of Camp X3 600 ski packs. http://www.camp-usa.com/products/packs/x3-600.asp It is a very light pack with minimal support. I find it reasonably adequate in comfort, especially because our gear is so light. The only modification I did was add a couple accessory cord attachments to the back for extra lash points and a bit of duct tape to secure the shoulder straps right below the plastic adjuster. The straps like to elongate over time and this prevents them from moving. Velcro could be used to keep it from hanging too low, as well. That would be a less traditional fix, of course.

Pad

• Jettison the bulky foam pad and go with a Therm-a-Rest (patch kit required). Get the smallest pad you can afford, but remember the pad minimum size 20″ x 48″ x 1/2″ when making the purchase. A Thermarest will easlily stay in your pack, rather than dangle off the back of the pack or take up excessive room inside the pack  like ENSOLITE pads can. I have always loved Therm-a-rest pads. They have plenty of R value for the weight and would make an unforeseen emergency bivy less of a frigid epic.

Bivy Sack

• Double Mylar bivy sack. Snuggling up to your partner might not float your boat, but it will at least be a hell of a lot warmer than going alone.

Ski Choice

• IMHO…..Dynafit bindings and tongueless Scarpa F-1 boots. More pricey, but after a couple of tours on the gear I am sold. A decent kick and glide with tip skins, solid full skins for Star Pass and lock’um and point’um for the down. On Nordic stuff, I have lost VERY significant time and energy f-ing around on the decent. Ugly and dangerous…..then again….. Nordic gear (either skate or something like Fischer Superlight skis with crown bases) have been the standard among some of the fastest teams. It is truly personal preference.

Skins

• Kicker or short skins are the key to covering the huge portions of flat and undulating terrain. A pair of full skins with a tail kit will keep them on even if they ice up (with a little duct tape, of course too)

Other Stuff

• Function Before Fashion chest packs. Hand made in Crested Butte, they add convenient access to food, hold H2O bottles and keep you from having to dig around in your pack.
• A Buff. Head up to Star Pass with your face covered. You will thank me.
• Tape your heels well if you tend to blister.
• Nordic gloves with an OR Gore-Tex shell mitt. This is my favorite way to manage the heating and cooling that goes on as you gain elevation and expose yourself to potential high winds. The shells are easy to stash in a jacket pocket when not used. The fleece liner can be your required spare gloves and used to triple up if it gets really cold.

Tags: Backcountry Gear, Elk Mountains Grand Traverse, EMGT

This entry was posted on January 21, 2010 at January 21, 2010 and is filed under Races, Snow. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.