Two Cents; Issue 3; North Face Hedgehog Hiking Shoe

-Designed to be a light and rugged hiking shoe for quick movement.





Dependability

Buying dependable gear is the best way to enjoy your time in the mountains. Nothing gets more abuse than your foot wear. Depending on the make and model they will be used all year around. When I buy my shoes I walk them into the ground, literally. The North Face Hedgehog was mediocre at best.


The Pro's

• It's light and rugged
• The rugged tread grips dirt and rock well

The Con's

• The fabric on the heel disentegrated, leaving the foam exposed
• The loops that keep the laces in place was showing signs of wear

In Defense...

It is my personal belief that gear companies make the best quality gear to do what the costumer says they need. A light weight hiking shoe was exactly what the market demanded. People wanted the protection of a boot without the boot side of that equation. Many shoes have come onto the market that have similar functions. Most companies make a shoe like this, you simply choose the name you want and off you go. I understood that the shoes would not last for ever, but they died way before I thought they would.

In Conclusion

On the trail this shoe preformed wonderfully, my feet were protected from the elements without wearing boots. After using them almost every day for a year they began to fall apart. The heel was down to the foam, the eyelets too looked well used, however, the tread on the bottom did survive. I would caution you when you are looking at any style of footwear where inside of the heel is fabric, I would run away, that will not last. I'm a personal believer that leather is still the best way to go where friction is present and durability is required. But it is up to you. Leather tends to be 'heavier' and certainly doesn't breath as well, but it will last twice as long as there fabric counterparts. Just like anything else having the right tool for the job is what makes or breaks the day. Be careful what you buy, and consider how you plan to use the product. This shoe would be fantastic if I only used it twice a month, I didn't think it would deteriorate within a year.

Go, No Go

The North Face Hedgehog receives a 4 out of 10 form me. The shoe did exactly what it said it would, which was preform well on the trail, but it was not as versatility as advertised. I will not buy any style of shoe that is similar to this, regardless of the maker. It fell apart from the inside out. This product receives a no go. 

K

The Class System

-Technical climbs in the United States are based off the Yosemite Decimal System. Explaining the numbers that are in the guidebook.




Overview


Class 1

• An easy trail with no obstacles

Class 2

• Still an easy trail, but there may be some times where scrambling is required.

Class 3

• Scrambling will be required with more exposure. An unprotected fall from a class 3 would quite possibly be fatal.

Class 4

• Easy climbing, a rope may be used on the way up, and is often recommended for the descent if there is not a trail off the backside. High exposure.

Class 5

• Technical climbing, where gear is used for protection both going up and coming down. Exposed.

Class 6

• Normally used in rescue scenarios, where climbers ascend or descend on the gear that they put in place. Used when the situation leaves the party unable to free climb the face safely. 

In Other Words

The way that makes it easiest for me to process is by counting the number of parts in contact with the rock. Class one, your legs are in contact, class three, you will be using your legs and two arms, all the way up to a class 5 where you are using both legs, arms, and protection to keep you safe. In Colorado the most common place to see the class rankings would be on the descriptions of 14ers,




The Thing That Kills 

What makes a climb difficult is not the level of skill one must possess, but the ability to stay focused while moving across exposed sections of the route. The section where you step out and there is suddenly a 300 foot drop away to either side. Even though that portion of the hike by not be technically difficult the exposure increases the risk evolved.




Final Thoughts

The outdoors provide an escape from reality and the opportunity to set and achieve your own goals. When you head outside please be sure to have all of your bases covered and know exactly what you are getting into before you stumble across them. This will lead to a fulfilling day for everyone evolved.


Thanks.


K

Two Cents; Issue 2; Black Diamond Speed 30

-Black Diamond's Speed 30 is a wonderful companion for a day at the crag or short alpine excursions. Designed to be easy to use gloves on and still access the contents. It has enough space to hold the gear that you need without adding any unnecessary features.




Why It Ended Up With Me

It was decided early on that because of the age of my father's gear that I should put together my own set, choosing the right pack was essential. My pack needed to be able to hold my rope. harness, a collection of gear, water, food, and an extra layer or two. Right out of the gate I ran into a problem, should the rope be stored inside the pack or on the outside. If I put it inside I would need to double the volume, if its strapped to the outside then it is not as protected. The devil is in the details. To my eventual regret the decision was made to haul the rope on the outside.



Black Diamond

There are many companies on the market that offer great packs that would have been just fine for the job at hand. However, Black Diamond, BD, is a well known climbing and skiing company and as I had already owned and used a handful of products form them they quickly became my first choice.



The Pro's 

• Simple and easy to use
• Light weight
• Uses BD's active suspension system.
• Easy to use with winter gloves on
• Great for day trips 
• The new configuration is better then the previous model 
• Straps are well placed and the ice axe keeps are easy to use 
• They keep the tool from moving and the head tucked away

The Con's 

• It's small
• My own fault for buying the wrong size pack
• The top of my pack rolls down
• Can be cumbersome if its not packed correctly 

In Conclusion

Black Diamonds Speed 30 is a wonderful pack for a long day on the trial, and a great light weight pack for a quick alpine excursion if you plan on wearing your harness and caring the rope in its own bag. It's too small to put the rope on the inside, but this pack was never designed to have the rope on the inside. It receives and 9 out of 10 as I have never used the pack for its intended use so it would be unfair to call it 'perfect'. If you plan to buy a pack for climbing and you want to put the rope inside with room for the other gear you need to look in the 60 liter range. Anything smaller will be quite a stretch to get it all in there. 

Go, No Go

This pack is a go, so long as you use it for its intended purpose, keeping in mind that size will be a factor. There has been no problems with the construction of the pack itself, its been drug through and over unforgiving surfaces its entire life and has asked for more abuse. It is the right size for winter use with enough space inside for extra layers and food and moves with the wearer effortlessly.  

The Black Diamond Speed 30 is a great pack for a day outside where speed and simplicity are the designed traits.



To The Readers

If there is anything that you would like to have my two cents on please let me know, I'd be happy to write to what I can.


K