This year The American Alpine Institute is proud to announce eleven new Guides' Choice Award winners from seven different outdoor equipment manufacturers. The Guides' Choice Award is based on comparative evaluations of clothing and equipment for mountaineering, rock and expedition climbing in many locations around the world. The testing program uses our professional guides to put equipment through rigorous field testing during one or several climbing seasons which can add up to hundreds of days of consecutive use. Only the items that show the highest quality in design, durability, and performance will be elected as Guides' Choice winners.
2012 Guides' Choice Winners
Our guides found the Black Diamond Compactor Poles to be
extremely convenient due to their use of Z-pole technology. Unlike most three
section poles, the Compactors can break down to less than 16 inches long,
making storage on or even in a pack easy. This was much appreciated by our
backcountry snowboard testers. Although the Compactor poles are not as durable
as other three section ski poles on the market, they still stood up well to the
use and abuse that our ski and snowboard guides put them through. Climbers will
find the Compactors great for use on the approach and easy to store on the
climb. Flicklock adjustments allow for 20 centimeters of adjustability.
Interchangeable basket design allows the Compactors to be used with powder
baskets for winter activities or with trekking baskets for summer hiking and
climbing.
Camp Blitz Harness
The Camp Blitz Harness is one of the lightest harnesses that
our guides have ever tested. Typically the lighter the harness the less
features you get. This is not the case with the Blitz. Despite only weighing in
at only 7.2 ounces the Blitz still offers four gear loops, an independent belay
loop, two ice clipper slots, drop seat, and adequately wide waist and leg
loops. The Blitz is ideally suited for ultra light alpine climbing, or
expedition climbing.
The Corsa Nanotech Ice Axe is a perfect example of Camp
thinking outside of the box when it comes to ultra light ice axe design. The
combination of a 7075 aluminum shaft and head keep the axe very lightweight
while a bolted on ultra hard but lightweight Sandvik Nanoflex steel pick and
spike add durability to the high wear areas. The Corsa has a bent shaft that
allows for some clearance if climbing steeper névé, yet still plunges cleanly
for lower angle climbing. At only 8.8 ounces the Corsa is the perfect choice
for ski mountaineering, ultra light alpine or high altitude climbing.
Camp Photon Wire Carabiner
All climbers want carabiners to be lightweight, yet need them
to be large enough to easily clip. The Camp Photon Wire carabiner is full size
and weighs in at only 29 grams. A veteran AAI guide states “The photon is
the best carabiner for alpine and ice climbing on the market today. It sports a
massive gate opening, huge basket, and is easily to clip with gloves on.” In all of our testing the Photon was preferred for
it’s larger size over other lightweight carabiners on the market as well as its
smooth gate action that ensures an easy and secure clip.
Rab Stretch Neo Jacket
We found the Stretch Neo Jacket to feel more like wearing a
softshell than a hardshell. The outer fabric is more supple and quiet than most
hardshells making it comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The two
napolean chest pockets make for easy access while wearing a backpack. The
sizing runs a little larger than most other jackets, but this did allow for
layering under the jacket without feeling constricted. Guides raved about the
extremely high level of breathability while still being fully waterproof. The
oversized hood fit over every ski and climbing helmet that we could get out
hands on. When ice climbing the Stretch Neo stays put at the waist and did not
ride up when swinging tools overhead.
Rab Stretch Neo Pants
When we test waterproof breathable pants usually we are
making sure that they can keep you dry from the outside elements, but it turns
out that the Stretch Neo pants not only do that incredibly well, but as one of
our Denali testers found you can dry already wet pants while wearing them. In
his words,
“These pants were most
amazing during a rainy day on the lower Kahiltna. It was June 12, and for
whatever reason we were receiving sideways 34 degree rain for about two hours.
For whatever reason I decided not to wear my hardshells this day, and opted
just to wear my softshell. After about two hours of getting rained on, I
decided to put on the Stretch Neo Pants. I figured this would be pointless
because I was already soaked. We traveled for another 30 minutes before having
to stop and set up a cook tent for the team (the rain was that bad). As I sat,
I noticed that my pants were starting to wet through a bit. I realized that
they weren't wetting out from the outside, but rather from the inside. It was
still raining by the time we started moving, but only lightly at this point. By
the time we got to camp a few hours later, I looked down and noticed that the
Stretch Neo Pants appeared completely dry, and water was beading up on them.
The NeoShell fabric actually allowed a saturated fabric underneath to breath
well enough to dry out, while still remaining waterproof to the outside
elements. This was absolutely astonishing to me, and had me completely sold on
these pants.”
Polartec NeoShell Waterproof Breathable Fabric
Polartec has raised the bar for the performance of
waterproof breathable fabrics with the development of NeoShell. The way that
NeoShell differs from other waterproof fabrics is that it allows for two-way
air exchange allowing for an easier transfer of water vapor out of the garment.
Polartec understands that for a fabric to be fully waterproof, it only needs to
have a hydrostatic head rating of 10,000 mm, which is a measure of resistance
to water penetration. Most other waterproof breathable fabrics on the market
have a rating of 20,000 mm, which prevents two-way air exchange, thus making
the garment less breathable. All of AAI’s testers found NeoShell garments to be
fully waterproof and super breathable. One tester states, “NeoShell is as
comfortable and breathable as a softshell, yet is still totally waterproof.
When conditions are bad and there is no option but to endure them, NeoShell is
my insurance for staying dry from the elements as well as my own perspiration.”
Multi-fuel stoves have been on the market for several years
now, but the WhisperLite Universal is the first that we have seen that has a
quick and simple change over from one fuel type to another. The redesigned legs
make the Universal lighter and easier to setup than the previous design. In its
liquid fuel configuration the Universal worked every bit as efficiently as its
WhisperLite International counterpart for cooking duty on AAI’s Denali West
Buttress expeditions. Even at 17,200-foot camp our guides were able to use the
Universal in the inverted canister configuration to heat 2 liters of water for
hot drinks within ten minutes. At 14,200-foot camp the entire process of
melting snow to the boiling of 2 liters of water took only eighteen minutes
using the liquid fuel configuration with white gas. The versatility in fuels
that the WhisperLite Universal brings to expedition climbing or even just
backpacking is huge. For those who are trying do decide whether to go with a
liquid fuel or a canister fuel stove for general cooking purposes, the
WhisperLite Universal makes the decision very easy!
AAI has been using the Hilleberg Saivo on Denali expeditions
for three years now and it has proven to be the best tent for the harsh
conditions that teams will encounter on the mountain. One AAI guide explains “The
Saivo is a great tent for self-supported expeditions because of its ease of
setup, strength, durability and it weighs several pounds less than similar
tents.” The Saivo was a favorite when
having to wait out storms on the mountain because of its 40 square feet of
floor space and two doors each with a 14 square foot vestibule for storing
three peoples gear out of the storm. Unlike most other tent manufacturers,
Hilleberg’s freestanding tents can be setup fully in one step since the outer
fly is pre-connected to the inner tent. This feature is very important when
trying to set up a tent in adverse weather.
Hilleberg has always been known as a 4-season tent
manufacturer, but this year they debuted a new line of 3-season tents. The
Anjan is a tunnel tent much like it’s 4-season predecessor the Nallo, but is
20% lighter thanks to the super-light, extremely durable Kerlon 1000 outer
fabric, and a trimmed up rain fly that does not go all the way to the ground.
The Anjan is an ideal climbing tent for summer outings in the Rockies, Sierra
or any time that you most likely will not need a 4-season tent. In warmer
conditions it’s high level of airflow helped keep the tent comfortable, while
in damp conditions kept all condensation at bay. Starting at only 3 lb 3 oz.
the Anjan is one of the lightest, comfortable, double-wall 3-season tents on
the market.
The Petzl Micro Traxion boasts all of the awesome features
that the Mini Traxion has, but is almost 50% lighter and has a 20% more
efficient pulley! At only 85 grams our guides had no problem slapping the Micro
Traxion on their harness for glacier or alpine use. The Micro Traxion weighs
about 35 grams less than a lightweight pulley and the prussik loop that would
need to be combined to do the same job that the Micro Traxion does by itself in
a crevasse rescue situation. The 91% pulley efficiency is noticeable in hauling
applications and its more compact design takes up much less room on the
harness. The ability to turn the progress capture on and off makes the Micro
Traxion extremely versatile in nearly every type of climbing from
mountaineering to big-wall climbing.
Contact Jeff@AlpineInstitute.com or call 360-671-1570 for any questions regarding the Guides' Choice program.
--Jeff Voigt, Manager of Guides Choice Award International Testing Program
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