Sometime last year I went through a purging spree. Everything I didn’t really use within the last few months had to go. Of the casualties, my REI Flash 18 Pack was the one I missed the most. Worst idea ever. I kept meaning to pick one up but never did, making do with the packs I had at the time (hi, Scrambler 30). When Outdoor Research came out with the Isolation Pack this spring, I knew that it was time for me to pick up a summit pack replacement.
When I met with Mammut during Summer OR 2015, little did they know that they were going to blow my mind. Why deal with a pack to carry your things when you could have a chalk bag to eliminate most of your carry needs? Internally, Mammut has debuted prototypes of this carry all chalk bag, but this summer 2014 was when they put the idea to fruition. The Mammut Multipitch Chalk Bag is a brilliant piece of gear for when you’re way off the deck.
It’ll be easy, I said. It’s only a few pitches of 5.6, I said. We’ll be in and out with tons of time to frolick and lounge, I said. That’s how I talked my friend, Joe, into spontaneously driving to Tuolumne Meadows with Josh and I to climb Cathedral Peak with us one June weekend.
When Mountain Hardwear asks if you want to party with them in the desert, the only answer is yes! I booked a flight to Ontario, CA (closest “major” airport to Joshua Tree) and told my boyfriend to pick me up. The agenda was a chili cookoff, Ethan Pringle flipping pancakes and climbing with Cliffhanger Guides, aka a good freakin’ time.
Once upon a time, I soaked through my down jacket while snowshoeing. Yep, I’m the type of person who is too lazy to shed layers when I’m moving. I don’t want to stop; I just want to keep going. For days like those, the Black Diamond Deployment Hybrid Hoody is a lifesaver.