The ultimate kit thread
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I’ve been thinking about this, as my mind has turned to my favorite season (ice season). I thought I’d throw this question out there- What would your ultimate kit be for ice climbing and maybe add why? This is everything from clothes and boots to packs, ropes, crampons, harnesses and tools. The full kit. If you could put together a perfect kit what would it be? I’m thinking for a day out, each day has different objectives so I’m thinking generally. If I’m climbing in Maple Canyon there will be a lot more short to stubby screws compared to Hyalite Canyon. This is a fun exercise, hope to learn from you and maybe have a conversation as to what and why people carry and use what they do. And yes I already know that your kit is the best… Clothing Smart wool light weight long underwear zip t top and bottoms Rab Ascendor light hooded fleece Rab ascendor hooded fleece ( if it’s really cold) Rab xenair light hooded jacket Rab borealis soft shell jacket Patagonia M10 jacket Rab ascendor alpine pant Super light hard shell pant with zips if it’s really wet (haven’t figured this one out yet). Either Rab Generator alpine (synthetic) or Rab mythic Ultra down jacket Wool beanie OR Gradient or turtle fur ( has to be a fun color or pattern) Buff Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro or if it is really cold Lowa Alpine Ice GTX (both of these fit my feet really well) Gloves Mountain equipment super alpine glove 2 pair Aniiu Vinson light Aniiu Vinson short Rab pivot goretex Rab baltoro Hestra Ergo active grip gloves Black Diamond Subzero mittens (super cold weather) Osprey Mutant 38 Pack Camp Alpine Flash harness with 2 ice clippers and 2 OP Five-O biners for racking BD ATC guide with Camp Nimbus locking carabiner Dmm phantom with 5mm cord for backup Black Diamond vapor helmet Grivel G 20 evo crampons or Camp Bladerunners Camp X Dreams Beal Joker 9.1mm x 70m Beal Escaper Beal Ice line 8.1mm x 60m x 2 Rack 8-10 camp photon 10 cm quick draws 6 alpine draws photons with mammut slings 2 camp screamers with photons 2 120cm mammut slings with a photon each 1 180 cm mammut sling with camp nitro locker 1 20’ 7mm cordelette with nitro locker 2 extra nitro lockers 4 nano 22 carabiners 2 7cm screws camp 4-6 10 cm screws camp 6 13cm screws 4 camp 2 blue ice aluminum 6 16 cm screws mix of 4 camp and 2 blue ice aluminum 1 22 cm screw blue ice steel V thread tool Petzl or the one my friend made me 30 years ago that I still have. Single rack of C4 cams from .5-3 Metolius master cams 0-3 Set of dmm offset nuts Set of BD nuts 5-11 Set of metolius brass nuts 5-10 Some pitons 4-5 blades and angles Black Diamond Carbon Alpine trekking Poles AMK .4 first aid kit Petzl Actik headlamp Benchmade mini bug out Granite gear small silicon zip sack (for food and snacks) Stanley 1 liter thermos Nalgene 1 liter bottle Safety/avalanche gear Barryvox beacon Carbon probe Voile mini shovel What is missing? What would you do? |
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Drop the 22 cm screw |
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You have great taste in tools, pons, ropes, pack but I didn't know it was possible to climb ice without wearing Showa TemRes 282-02s (oh no, here we go again...) |
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Seems like you need an awful lot of shit to climb ice.. |
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Rexford Nesakwatch wrote: I have tried them and have 3 different sized pair in my glove bin. My hands get really cold wearing them. They’re good for taking off chains that are muddy. |
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Mark Pilate wrote: For me, I carry 1 22cm screw and a V thread tool inside of it for making threads to get off routes without fixed anchors. What do you use? |
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I guess I could replace all my carabiners with DMM, I like photons. Anyone else want to contribute with what they use or what they wish they used? It would be awesome to see other peoples kits. Maybe it would help me rework mine.
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pair of Nomics or x dreams. teathers. Kinko driving gloves for climbing. EMS ascent gloves for getting warm in emergency. one 10cm , one 13 cm, one 16 cm and one 22cm. blade runners, a coupple of slings and biners, 60m x 6mm Mamut rappel line . Old worn out paddagicci guide pants. army surpluse fleece bibs under that. old ems jacket. ems puffy, hyperlight 40L pack. extra gloves, chemical hand warmers. more screws, draws and ropes if I have a partner. most of my 13s and longer are Blue ice. I have two camp 7cm for specific climbs. my 10s are old bd stainless steel and need to be replaced... |
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Sunny-D wrote: I’ve tested A-threads to my own satisfaction to be comfy with using a 16. I’m with ya on the Rab jackets (I converted from the bird) and Hestra ergo gloves (pretty much all I wear 90% of time) Can’t shake my love of Petzl Ange S biners/draws, Mammut rope addiction, and for me (fit great) the La Spo old G5 and G-Techs depending on temp |
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I have a friend who says you can make threads with 10cm screws but I prefer a 22 ovwer a 16 as it gives you many more options to find good ice. The reason my soloing kit gas a 22 and a 16 is because if I drop the 22 I can still thread with a 16 and vise versa. |
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Sunny-D wrote: you're not going wrong with a lot of this, my edits for most days out: clothing/crampons/tools are mostly a personal preference, use what works I prefer rolltop backpacks for most ice stuff, the mutant has a little too much going on I like skinny ropes for Ice/alpine, Edelrid 7.1 half's or a Beal 8.9 single I find quickdraws to be much more useful than alpine draws, I usually bring 2 alpines max, Blue Ice slings are the best I've found. no idea why anyone would use all, or even mostly steel screws at this point, I have a mix of Petzl and Blue ice screws, maybe a Blue Ice steel in 13 and 16, other than that all aluminum, call it 4 13;s and 6 16's most days, throw in 10's as needed, one 22 for threads, I've rapped on plenty of 16 Cm. threads, sometimes its all good, lot's of the time I like a little more. I find a J-Snare to be easier to deal with than a rigid threader Soft bottles of whatever description are far better than nalgenes for cold weather use. |
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That's interesting. I went to 60:40 ratio of regular quickdraws to alpine. Do you also only have 2 alpine when climbing on a single rope? I'm assuming you link pitches a lot and still no rope drag issues?
There are places / conditions when they bind up quite bad due to higher friction and heat conductivity. Imo steel screws still have their place. But why are people still using 16cm screws?? :) |
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16s are good late season when the ice is fat and baked. Longer screw is going to have a better chance of holding in that crappy late season Styrofoam. I usually have 6 10cm 6 13s and a few 16s and a 22 for big climbs. |
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Lots of possible discussion points, but a good list. Putting on my "safety police" hat that nobody asked for... I think these are the biggest things missing - since we're talking about the "full kit":
Also, I'd swap out the 5mm cord (5.5-ish kn) for 7mm (13-ish kn) and pay the weight and bulk penalty. With that safety sidetrack behind us, please return to the regularly-scheduled fun discussion! |
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Grant Watson wrote: Curious about local knowledge on this one. When I visit Canmore I see lots of Nordic skiers with spray in Dec/Jan and always thought it a little overboard. When do you consider carrying spray in AB? |
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I'm updating my ice kit so checking out what your kit has & other folks comments on their kits. Have the mutant 38 pack for cragging days but switch over to my BD Speed 40 when carrying pack since it strips down well & carries nice. Curious about your glove selection as that is one thing I need to replace this season. Currently climb in BD gloves (terminator). What are your go to gloves for climbing in temps above 15 degrees? |
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Ron C wrote: Hestra ergo grip series(10-25F) Over 25F, thin liner under a batting glove 10F or colder, the above Hestra’s inside a BD trigger finger mitt shell with a shake and warm inside
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My all time favorite leading glove is the mountain equipment Super Alpine Glove. I know there are a lot of opinions and options out there but this one works for me in almost every condition and no it’s not water proof. |
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In your ideal kit I would switch: |
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I am mostly quick draws. No screamers In almost a decade. Whatever your v thread tool is it should be stiff enough to clean out a screw. |
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Spopepro O. wrote: I'll always consider taking bear spray, and I usually take it. Early or late season - for sure. Somewhere a little more isolated - for sure. The heavily trafficked ice crag 30 minutes from a major highway - maybe not, but it's probably already on my pack anyhow. There have been cases of hikers stumbling over hibernating bears, and they don't actually hibernate (technically, it's torpor). I can certainly understand why skiers around Canmore would carry spray. I think more about cougars, which are active year-round. From what I've read, the first "snack" usually won't have a chance to use spray against a cougar, as they usually strike quickly and quietly from behind. However, I like the idea of having some defense against being dessert. |