AT A GLANCE

• Wilderness travel in North America requires water filtering
• Tap water in some foreign countries require water purification
• Destination, trip duration, group size, ease of use, water clarity,and weight of the unit are all considerations when purchasing a water filtering or purification devise.
• Filters last longer when they are used in clear water
• Purifiers are better suited to muddy or silty water
• Purifiers kill viruses
• Consider hose length; it needs to stretch from the water source to your filtration devise
• Ease and efficiency of the pumping action
• Wash your hands after cleaning your filter

The days of dipping your Sierra cup into a cool mountain stream are long gone. Unfortunately our streams and creeks are contaminated with microorganisms like giardia, cryptosporidia, and E. coli. Once ingested these unseen trouble makers can cause nausea, diarrhea, dehydration and fatigue. Nothing could be worse than being out on a lovely hike, miles from home with cramps and diarrhea. The good news is these larger organisms can easily be filtered out. Smaller bacteria such as salmonella and viruses like hepatitis A are much more difficult to remove. Boiled water, chemical tablets, UV light, water purifiers can eliminate these more troublesome threats. One also has to be careful in foreign countries where seemingly harmless tap water can pose drinking hazards.

There are times when out hiking in the early spring at the highest elevations and the water source is clearly visible dipping your cup might be okay, but with that said, there is still a risk and most rangers will say NO.

Chlorine-Dioxide Tablets vs. Iodine Treatment

Iodine tablets are definitely old school but inexpensive. We don’t recommend iodine because of potential health risks to pregnant women and people with health issues and they are definately not recommended for long term use.

Chlorine-Dioxide tablets are a better option. Basically they bleach, (oxide), the pathogens and add very little if any taste to the water. Chlorine tablets are considered safer than iodine. The only issue is shelf life, chlorine tablets do deteriorate over time so make sure you pay attention to the expiration date on the package.

Ultraviolet Light

Simplicity, size and quickness make the SteriPEN popular with travelers. The pen shaped utensil irradiates the water neutralizing viruses and pathogens. The only consideration is they work best in clear water. We highly recommend the SterPEN for overseas travelers.

Pump Filters & Purifiers

Pump filters have also been around for a long time. These traditional filters use an intake hose and pump to force the water through the filter element. Pump filters are easy to use and maintain. We recommend pump filters for day hikes and extended wilderness outings in the US and Canada.

Purifiers are highly recommended for foreign travel. Purifiers combat viruses which are a major concern in some foreign countries.

Boiled Water

Always effective in eliminating contaminates but inefficient because it burns a lot of fuel and takes a long time to bring your water to a boil, at altitude it can take upwards of 20 minutes, and then you need to let it cool down.

AT A GLANCE

• Consider the coldest temperature you expect to encounter
• Down is best in cold dry climates
• Synthetic insulation is quick drying, non-allergenic, less expensive
• When storing your bag long term take it out of the stuff sack and keep it loose, large storage bags are best
• Think system when it comes to a good night’s sleep; pad, pillow, and a comfortable bag
• Using a liner helps keep your bag clean
• Wash with a gentle, outdoor gear specific detergent, and use extra capacity washers and dryers always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions

Down Bags

There are lots of benefits to using a down sleeping bag. Down has a great warmth to weight ratio and it can easily be compressed. Down is extremely breathable and offers the best protection in cold dry conditions. The loft of a down bag is measured by fill power and loft is what traps the warmth. The higher the fill power the warmer your bag will be.

The outer fabric on down bags are usually treated with a DWR, (durable, water-repellent), finish helping to keep your bag dry. A wet down bag is a useless bag. It is important not to let your down bag get wet!

On extended trips a down bag will not take up as much space as a synthetic bag and it will weigh much less. Remember a light backpack makes for more comfortable, faster hiking.

Synthetic Bags

One of the most important things about a synthetic bag is even when wet a certain amount of loft will be maintained, that means if the worst happens and your bag gets wet you can probably make it through the night. We highly recommended synthetic bags in wet humid climates.

The warmth to weight ration is not as good as a down bag but there are definite benefits in additions to those mentioned above. If you have allergies synthetics can be a big bonus and companies are starting to offer ecofriendly bags made from recycled bottles. Now that’s a good thing!

There are two types of fibers used to make synthetic bags. Thick, durable continuous filaments provide strength and durability with a good amount of lofting, but they don’t compress as much as a down bag or a synthetic bag constructed with short-staple fibers. The shorter fibers make for more compressibility and softness.

Ultralight or Minimalist Bags

For those that want to travel light and fast and are willing to fore go the comforts of warmth, softness, draft collars, and hoods this could be your bag. The packer that uses this type of bag is usually pushing the envelope carrying very little gear and wearing superlight footwear. These bags can also be just enough for desert packing and you can add comfort with a quality sleeping pad.

Women’s Bags

We love that companies are finally building women specific products. Women are built differently from men, (in case you hadn’t noticed), consequently women’s bags are cut narrower at the shoulder, wider at the hips, and usually shorter in length. No one want to carry around more bag then they need. Increased insulation in the foot box and upper body are often part of the design features in women’s bag. We are seeing more thought going into women’s athletic and outdoor gear and we say it’s about time!

Temperature Rating

When a bag’s rating is 30 degree Fahrenheit that means that most people will remain comfortable when the low temperature reads 30 degrees, but always take into consideration your personal comfort factors. Are you usually colder or warmer than other? Hint! If it gets colder than your bag’s rating wear socks or long underwear.

Sleeping Bag Features

Hoods to keep your noggin warm

Draft tubes behind the zippers to thwart cold air seepage and warm air leakage.

Cold weather bags usually have a collar that fastens just above your shoulders trapping more of your body’s heat.

I am frequently asked if skiwear made with Gore-tex is still the most waterproof and my initial response is, “that’s a tough one”. New processes and technology keep evolving making it difficult to say one is definitely better than the other.

Gore-tex held the patent on this technology for years and once their patent expired other companies were able to take the original technology, tweak it, give it a new name and call it their own. For example Marmot uses Gore-tex but they also have their own proprietary waterproof membrane, which they actually call Membrane. By using Membrane Marmot is able to build product and retail it for much less than a comparable item made with Gore-tex.

With that said one of the things that make a Gore-tex jacket so waterproof are the garment design features. Gore-tex makes every manufacturer submit a design and in many cases the item itself is submitted for review. For example if a ski jacket is made with Gore but has exposed zippers or non-sealed seams sooner or later the water is going to find its way through these design flaws. I should say skimping on these details isn’t always a flaw but a way to produce a cheaper garment. Obliviously testing design features and the features themselves add to the cost of the garment.

The most important thing to check is the waterproof rating, the higher the number the more waterproof the item will be, but don’t stop there, checkout design features. Is the ski jacket seam sealed, does it have storm flaps over the zippers and pockets? Or does it have new waterproof zippers?

Another problem I see being a the base of Squaw Valley is the garment is not being worn properly. Let’s face it if your zipper is open at the neck water is going to find its way in. So if you invest in an expensive ski jacket only to be careless with the way you wear it don’t blame the manufacturer when you find yourself all wet.

One last thought, the reason we don’t wear rubberized rainwear skiing is because of the lack of breath-ability. You know you can get wet from the inside as well. Waterproof breathable, check both ratings, that’s the secret. We’ll talk more about layering and systems next week. Stay blogged and stay dry.

Treas

Buyer/Owner

It’s interesting how the market continues to evolve. I remember when Atomic ruled the world. The Red Sled dominated the slopes of Squaw. Fischer skis, remember them? The bright green SL and the grape GS ski, hot, hot, not! Right now the ski industry is in a state of big change with giant holding companies buying up and distributing several big brands under one umbrella. I’m sure you have heard by now that Jarden has bought up K2, Marmot, Marker, Volkl, Mister Coffee and a slew of others. Tecnica is no longer distributed with Volkl, who would of thunk! Now what makes this interesting is that the group that put Volkl and Tecnica on the map in the US market now distributes Blizzard and Tecnica, that made us stand up and take notice. The group has hired a young, aggressive sales and technical force to support the Blizzard and Tecnica line.  

Blizzard is not a new ski company by any means. They were founded in 1945 in Mittersill, Austria and the skis are still made in Austria. Our Granite Chief team tested the skis last year and decided this was a band wagon we just had to jump on. Our Blizzard line up goes like this, the Argos, Magnum 8.1 and 8.7, Viva 7.6 and the Answer, which we believe is going to be the answer that will put this seasoned ski company at the top of the market place once again.  

The Answer with a 105mm waist is destined to be a hit at Squaw Valley where fat skis rule the mountain. Jason’s favorite.

The Argos sports a 101mm waist, not quite as fat making it a great everyday big mountain ski. Pete Coggin’s favorite.

The Magnum 8.1, the narrowest in this construction group rips on groomers but still a very good all mountain ski.  Darby’s favorite.

    Magnum 8.7, a bit fatter with an 87mm waist makes it a force on groomers but a solid all mountain ski as well. Herb’s favorite.             Viva 7.6 rates high as a women’s mostly groomer ski with lots of snap at speed. It’s not a whimmpy glamour ski, (you know like you find at Heavenly), it is as high end as our North Shore women skiers. Justin’s favorite… or was it the girl riding it? These skis are all built with solid ski construction technology but what really put the icing on the cake is the unique IQ binding system. The rails that attach the binding to the ski come up and over the connecting plates which puts the binding right on top of the ski not on top of rails, making for a rigid edge to edge ride. Of all the systems our team skied we all found the IQ system to be bomb proof. Granite Chief has all of these skis in our demo lineup in both our Truckee and Squaw Valley stores. And remember we have a FREE 2 hour test drive at Granite Chief in Squaw. Give’em a run, I think you’ll be as impressed as we are. 

Herb Manning

Owner