I actually hesitated on this one because I could have gotten by with my old Kelty Coyote 4750 on the next trip. However, the Aether 85 gives me 650 cubic inches more room with only a slight increase in weight (3 ounces), a well thought out compression system, lots of options for attaching tools/gear, a better suspension, and other conveniences. It’s a tried and tested mountaineering pack that should last me a few years.

I’ve wanted one of these packs since my first Belford attempt. My friend Alan Arnette had his that day (read his review) the contrast between his Osprey and much lighter gear vs. my unwieldy overstuffed Kelty was pretty striking. I don’t think better gear would have made the difference that day but it would have certainly made the attempt less miserable. Memories of that difficult attempt are still pretty fresh and make pulling out the credit card to buy better gear less painful than it probably should be.

I will say the Kelty served me well on long training hikes and on Guadalupe Peak. It’s bombproof, cheap, not unreasonably heavy for activity closer to sea level – a decent option for casual hikers but I wasn’t looking forward to packing it into Chicago Basin. I’m going to hold on to it though. I’ll load it up with about 50 pounds of something and use it as a dedicated training pack.

I was just browsing the watch counter at REI when the girlfriend surprised me by whipping out her credit card and buying me a new Core. Regular readers know the story about my previous Suunto and how it imploded at 14,000 feet – a problem which I may have triggered when changing the battery before the climb. Hopefully, that won’t happen again. I’m eager to give it another try at altitude (hopefully somewhere just over 14,000 feet) in just a couple of weeks.

On Guadalupe Peak our gear choices worked well. It was a training run more than anything else so we took more gear than was needed. We were intentionally going heavy for the workout. Fast forward a few months though and we were on the steep switchbacks of Mt. Belford, in deep rotten snow, and with the same big packs full of heavy gear. That didn’t go so well.

That attempt on Mt. Belford was probably doomed from the start but my choice of gear removed any hope of success that might have existed. Struggling under that unnecessarily heavy pack taught a very important lesson about weight. Being a pack mule on sea-level hikes is useful and relatively painless but every ounce counts when you’re gaining elevation. Alan Arnette and I went back to Mt. Belford a few months later, dozens of pounds lighter, and reached the summit.

The summit attempts in August won’t require much gear but getting to base camp will require hauling fairly heavy packs 6.5 miles and up over 3,000 feet to an elevation of around 11,000 feet. Stripping out as much gear and weight as possible will make the trip significantly more enjoyable. Here’s a brief look at some of the changes I’ve made.

Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 Tent: Incredibly popular – and light at just over 2 pounds. My previous Kelty tent weighed twice as much – ok for backpacking but not so much for climbing.

Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite Sleeping Pad: Folds up small and weighs less than a pound. My previous self-inflating pad weighed almost 3 times as much and took up a ton of space.

Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles: The pair weighs only a pound. Just a little lighter than the damaged Leki’s they’re replacing.

MontBell Super Spiral Burrow #3 Synthetic Sleeping Bag: 30 Degree: Weighs in at 2 pounds 10oz which is about two pounds less than the Alps Mountaineering Crescent Lake bag that it’s replacing. I like the Alps bag but I’ll take it camping not climbing. Thanks to Alan Arnette for the recommendation on this one.

Black Diamond Half Dome: This isn’t the lightest helmet – those are about 4oz lighter – but it’s proven and durable. I’m not so sure that I’m willing to shave all the weight out of the one thing sitting between my head and flying rock – or the ground.

Platypus SoftBottles: Flexible, strong, and 80% lighter than hard bottles. This will be my first time using these but the larger platypus hydration bag that I use for summer hikes has held up extremely well.

REI FLash 18: I’ll be using this light pack for covering ground between 11-14k.

Fozzils: Super light (almost weightless) and space-friendly plates, bowls, and utensils.

More gear changes are likely. I’ll update as decisions are made. If you have thoughts on this, or other useful gear, leave a comment. I’m interested in your feedback.

I really liked my Suunto Core. Really. And then it popped at 14,000 feet on Mt. Belford, filled with condensation, and stopped working. I almost did the same thing by the way but that’s beside the point. My watch was supposed to work up there.

In fairness, it might have been partly my fault. There’s a chance that I didn’t seat the delicate seal properly when changes the batteries before the trip. However, that also points to one of the Core’s biggest flaws – battery life. The thing eat batteries like nobody’s business. Given the battery life, and the possibility of this happening again, I decided to explore other options.

I looked at the Timex Expedition WS4. Timex got a lot right with this watch. It’s biggest asset is usability. It’s easier to use that most of the competitors and the wide screen is nice and readable. Downside, It doesn’t have the altitude logging that I loved in the Core and the size and old-school boxiness of it makes anyone who wears it look like a ginourmous retro geek. Some find that aspect of the design appealing but frankly I don’t want to look like a ginourmous retro geek. Sorry Timex. Keep tweaking, you’re close.

Next, I looked at the Casio Pathfinder PAW1500-1V. This is a bad-ass watch. It looks as good as a sport watch can. I’m still iffy on the whole black plastic watch thing but this is as good looking as that sort of watch can be. Solar power is a huge plus with this watch. It’s also rugged and, despite the incredible number of features, pretty usable. However, I can’t find a use for moon-phase, tide reports, and many other features. I wish the folks at Casio would strip some of these features out and build in better altitude reporting and tracking – build a watch just for climbers. That’s not likely to happen but if Casio builds it I’ll buy it.

I haven’t taken a serious look at Highgear’s lineup. They’re affordable but I don’t get the impression that they’d take much of a beating. At least one climber I know wears one though so maybe I’m being harsh.

Timex has introduced a surprisingly attractive alternative in the E-Instruments collection. The E-Altimeter might be worth a look but like the others it lacks Suunto’s logging features. I also doubt that I could make sense of the display while fatigued and oxygen-starved at altitude.

After looking around I find myself considering Suunto again. The battery life is a pain but I can live with it. Perhaps the failure at 14,000′ was a fluke? Or maybe altimeter watches, with all their inherent flaws and inaccuracies, just aren’t worth the expense. What do you think?

Outer
Top – Marmot PreCip
Top – Mountain Hardwear Exposure II Parka
Bottom – Mountain Hardwear Exposure II Bib

Middle Layers
Top – REI Power Stretch Half-Zip

Base Layers
Top – REI Heavyweight MTS Long-Sleeve Crew
Bottom – REI Heavyweight MTS Bottoms

Gloves
REI Switchback Gloves
Black Diamond Mercury Mitts

Head
Seirus Quick Clava
Teotepec Buff

Eyes
Julbo – Dolgan
Oakley Proven OTG Goggles

Socks
Liner – Smartwool Merino Liner
Heavy – REI Merino Wool Expedition Socks

Boots
Asolo AFS 8000
Vasque Breeze GTX
SuperFeet Green Insoles

Gaiters
OR Expedition Crocodiles

Backpack
Kelty Coyote 4900 (Replacing 2009)

Crampons
Black Diamond Contact Strap

Ice Tools
Black Diamond Raven Pro Ice Axe

Sleeping
Sleeping Bag – ALPS Mountaineering 20F Crescent Lake
Inflatable Pad – Therm-a-Rest TrailPro
Insulation – Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest

Poles
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork
Leki Trail Makalu (broken on Mt. Belford)

Cooking
Jetboil Personal Cooking System

Light
Black Diamond Spot
Brinkmann 1 Watt L.E.D. Flashlight

Hydration
MSR 10L Dromedary w/ Hydration Kit
Nalgene Water Bottles

Tent
Kelty Grand Mesa 2
4 Season to be added soon

Watch-Altimeter Suunto Core