Unsupported Handlebar-Mounted Bags

I get a lot of reader questions about front bags, and particularly about whether I've found a good way to carry a bag on the handlebars without using additional support. Short answer: In my experience, it depends on the bike, on how much weight is being carried, and on how the bag is attached to the bars. These factors interact with varied results.






On roadbikes, I have tried carrying unsupported loads on the handlebars using several methods. Bags attached with straps are appealing, because they do not require permanent hardware installation. However, on longer and/or faster rides I find it difficult to keep them from sliding along the handlebars, no matter how tight the straps and how light the load. If the bag slides when I lean on a turn at high speed, it feels distracting and disconcerting, even if it is too light to affect steering.




A few manufacturers have come up with hardware to address this, including the Nitto Bar Sack Rack, the Brooks Cornwall system, andthe Rixen & Kaul KlickFix adapter. The latter I've had a chance to investigate on Pamela Blalock's bikes - who uses it on most of her roadbikes.





TheKlickFix adapter is mounted on the handlebars and remains there when the bag is detached. It is compatible with many bags from different manufacturers, the most popular being the waterproof Ortlieb bags, available in a variety of sizes. This is a very stable system for carrying unsupported weight on the handlebars, and it worked for me with light loads: I felt zero movement. However, when I added my DSLR camera (between 2 and 3lb with lens), I found that I had poor control of the steering. I reported this to the bag's owner, who confirmed that she does not carry that much weight in a handlebar bag on this or on any of her other roadbikes; she uses this system to store lightweight items only.




Of course, it is not clear whether having the weight lower and supported by a rear rack would make any difference on the specific bike I rode. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it very well could. On the other hand, I have seen touring bikes with large, heavily laden bags attached to the bars using this same method, ridden successfully. So the bike does play a role, as, no doubt, does rider sensitivity to high/ unsupported loads.






With upright city bikes - especially heavily built ones - there is generally more tolerance. I have ridden such bikes with all manner of baskets and bags attached to the handlebars without lower support, and for short distances it's been fine if the weight is only a few pounds. I've even managed to attach my Po Campo pannierto the handebars of a Raleigh DL-1, and ride with this setup with 5lb+ of weight in the bag. The bag does slide side to side and affects steering a bit, but since I am not riding fast or cornering aggressively, it doesn't bother me. The heavier the load, the more likely it is to become problematic. And then again, there are those who simply hang heavy shopping bags off their handlebarsand blithely pedal away.




The general consensus is that carrying weight high on the handlebars and without additional lower support is not ideal. A stable system such as the R&K KlickFix adaptor is probably your best bet, but still there are limits to how much weight will feel comfortable.If you have a success story, do share.Personally, in the absence of a front rack, I prefer to carry weight at the rear of the bike.

I'm a ;

Lori Thornton started this little meme off with her post Which Punctuation Mark Are You?

You Are a Semi-Colon

You are elegant, understated, and subtle in your communication. You're very smart (and you know it), but you don't often showcase your brilliance. Instead, you carefully construct your arguments, ideas, and theories – until they are bulletproof. You see your words as an expression of yourself, and you are careful not to waste them. You friends see you as enlightened, logical, and shrewd. (But what you're saying often goes right over their heads. You excel in: The Arts You get along best with: The Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Icicle River Gorge Trail ..

Jennifer and I finally got away for a little camping/hiking trip. We drove out to Leavenworth to camp with Matt and his brother Sunday night, and it turned out they had a similar plan for Monday. As Matt put it, "Drive to the end of the road and start walking." I was not aware that Icicle Road was still not fixed, so we headed onward. About five miles from Eight Mile Campground we were met with the road closure.

The road now a river

There was a newer road cut away from the river, but the forest service is not allowing public access by motorized vehicles at this time, so we parked and started walking. The new road is not yet ready for heavy vehicle access and is even susceptable to some flooding early on, where a small bit of rocks and mud is the only thing keeping the river out. It also showed plenty of signs of beavers, which might interfere with the road as well. We hiked on this a bit before it rejoined Icicle Road above the washout. We investigated the upriver side of the washout before proceeding up the road.

The work of beavers

After a while we came to the Chatter Creek trail head. After checking out the board there, (A trail conditions report from August '08 was on it.) we parted ways. Matt and his brother were heading back to Seattle via Washington Pass and Jennifer and I forged on ahead. Just around the corner we found the Chatter Creek Ranger Station. It looked like it was in a state of disrepair, but not too bad considering it has not been used in two years. Just across the road was the start of the Icicle River Gorge Trail. We decided to take it.

Unfortunately, the most dramatic point on the trail is the start where you cross the footbridge over the creek.

View from the bridge

There was some serious whitewater and interesting eroded rock in the constriction under the bridge. We watched a bit before heading up the trail. The trail climbs a short bit to a lookout area above the creek before dropping back down into an area that is more like a Western Washington forest. The ponderosa pines were replaced by western red cedars and the ground cover changed. We started seeing plenty of blooming (and past bloom) trilliums. We hiked on crossing several small bridges and hiking for what seemed like a while. The trail has not been maintained in a few years, but did not have too many logs across it.

Largest trillium I have ever seen

We had started this trip sans packs, and started thinking about getting back as this was a little more than we were thinking about when we left the car. But the trail was nice and we were having a good time. Despite dark clouds in places, we did not get any precipitation while we were out either.

We decided to continue up trail as we expected to be reaching the bridge back across the creek soon. It took longer than we expected, and once we got to a bridge we still appeared to be heading upstream. I quickly ran ahead to make sure we were going the correct way and I was able to see the vehicle bridge at the Rock Island Campground. We were going the correct way. At the campground I checked to see if the water fountains were working, but of course they were not. Since Jennifer and I had not packs, we did not carry any essentials with us including water.

We got back on the trail and headed back toward the car. The trail went quicker on this side of the creek and once again we were in a cedar forest.

Needle carpeted trail

The rest of the hike out was uneventful except for us missing the new road back before locating it. This was a fun hike, and surprisingly populated for a Monday. (We saw two other parties.) Considering the road is closed, it takes a bit of hiking just to get back in there. You could take a mountain bike on the road, but they are not allowed on the trails due to it being a wilderness area. I'd like to explore this area further in the future. It was also nice to get out without a pack on and just go for a walk. Of course, it would have been nice to have some food and water with us, but we survived.

The Forest Service page on the washout

Too Local? Not to Worry!

Today I made the decision to do something new and exciting: to rent an art studio close to home. My current studio situation is kind of disjointed. I have a small painting studio in our apartment, and the Co-Habitant and I share a photography studio outside of Boston. Neither has been working out very well. I have a difficult time painting at home, often feeling stir-crazy and unable to focus. And the photo studio, while a great space in theory, takes so long to get to that we do not go there as much as we envisioned. Some restructuring is in order if we want to be more productive.



When I began to look for studio space, I was hoping for a moderate bicycle commute. A manageable distance would be key to maintaining a daily practice - especially in the winter when it gets unpleasant to cycle in the snow in traffic. Good studio spaces are pretty scarce around these parts, but I didn't want to settle for something so far away that I'd end up never going there. I looked around and didn't find much. Then suddenly a great space turned up a 10 minute ride from my house. That's almost too local!




But while the studio is close by, it is in a neighbourhood I do not normally venture to - separated from my neighbourhood by a great big hill. In fact, the entire trip is basically the hill: Both going there and coming back, the first portion of the ride I spent climbing and panting, taking care not to weave in front of moving cars. The second portion I spent descending - careful not to go too fast, as cars appeared out of nowhere. Oh boy. This is what awaits me every day, twice or more a day, in high traffic and on an upright city bike! Laden with a heavy pannier, my 3-speed climbed faithfully, maintaining a consistent line of travel. I did it, but I didn't like it. Hopefully I will get really strong in a couple of months without breaking my knees first. Of course I could also just walk; it's close enough... but what would be the fun in that?

What a wonderful bird the frog are

Hubby took a branch-trimming break to show me this cute little Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) he'd found. They have got to be the most willing-to-pose frog species in existence. Just like the one from last year, he didn't budge the whole time I had the camera practically up his nose.



I included this poem in the previous post too, but I like it so much I'm using it again. Something about the Gray Treefrog just brings it out in me.

What a wonderful bird the frog are!
When he stand he sit almost;
When he hop he fly almost.
He ain't got no sense hardly;
He ain't got no tail hardly either.
When he sit, he sit on what he ain't got almost.

-Anonymous

------

More crittery goodness at the Friday Ark.

US Senate Honors Search and Rescue Personnel

May 27th-Memorial Day Weekend

Winter still rules at Mt Rainier!!

We hope to see folks on the mountain psyched to climb and camp but please be prepared! GPS, map and compass, cell phone and a completed wilderness permit are all great tools that allow both climbers and rescuers a greater safety margin when the weather turns poor. Pack your Gore-tex and skis and have a good time with great winter conditions this weekend.


On Friday May 14, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Resolution 526, which honors the men and women who perform Search and Rescue (SAR) throughout the United States. The Resolution specifically acknowledges the role that professionals and volunteers provide to our country, and sets aside the week of May 16 to May 22, as National Search and Rescue week. Also, it encourages the people of the United States to observe and hold ceremonies and activities that promote awareness and appreciation of the role SAR personnel provide for their communities.

The Mount Rainier climbing community had a hand in making this possible, as our former Mountaineering and SAR Program Manager, Mike Gauthier, was one of the driving forces behind the Resolution. As you may recall, Mike left Mount Rainier to work in the US Senate last year. While at Mount Rainier, he participated in over 200 SAR incidents and had this to say about the Resolution, “This is a very personal story for me as my friends and fellow rangers, Sean Ryan and Phil Otis, died during a mountain rescue high on Mt. Rainier in 1995. Finding them on the glacier that day changed the trajectory of my life and career, and steeled my resolve to change the way we worked as climbing rangers. Being able to help with this resolution is part of my commitment to honor and remember them and their spirit.”

Mike and Central Mountain Rescue Volunteer Marty Lentsch have aspirations to eventually create a National Museum and Memorial for SAR. Said Mike, “some of the hardest, most valuable and rewarding moments of my time as a park ranger have been during search and rescue missions. I worked with many incredible people who gave their time and energy, sometimes risking their lives, in order to help others in emergencies. At Mount Rainier, the volunteers from the Mountain Rescue Association were very notable because they trained and prepared on their own in order to help the climbing, hiking, skiing and outdoor recreation community. So it is very appropriate that the US Senate, through our good friend Senator Maria Cantwell, acknowledge and set aside a week to recognize the work they, and the professionals from local, state and federal agencies, do in order to help people throughout the nation.”

Please pass this good news along and look for more information on how you can help. It will take time to organize and achieve a National Museum and Memorial, but it would be a fitting honor for those who have lost their lives in the line of duty and also for those who unselfishly give so much to help others in need.

More can be found about Sean Ryan and Phil Otis through books, and here is a link to the text of the Senate Resolution. Photo by Mike Gauthier.

~ DG

More Blossoms

Wordless Wednesday :: Schooldaze ~ Fifth Grade

Of all my school pictures, this is my favorite!

The Bostonians: A Meeting of Cousins

On a lovely Sunday afternoon in Boston, my Royal H. mixte ran into a cousin...an ANTLady's Boston Roadster of the same colour.



I promise the ANT is not mine. But whoever it was built for certainly has a similar taste in bicycles.



Sage green loop frame, cream Delta Cruiser tires, brown leather saddle, cork grips and huge copper panniers - I think the combination looks great. And notice that the rims are powdercoated the same colour as the frame.



It's fairly accurate to say that my Royal H. and this ANT are related. Not only because both were made by Bostonian frame builders and have similar "complexions," but also because some time ago Mike Flanigan (of ANT) gave Bryan Hollingsworth (of Royal H.) the new-old-stock mixte lugs that made the construction of my bicycle possible.



Like my mixte, the ANT roadster was built with racks and dynamo lighting. Looking at the "cycling landscape" in Boston today, I think it is important to credit ANT for resurrecting the notion that transport bikes should be built with these features. I see more and more bicycles now with dynamo lighting, whereas as recently as a year ago people would stop and ask me why my front hub was so large, amazed when I would explain that the lights are powered by pedaling. And racks are now pretty much the norm on city bicycles, whereas a year or two ago they were an anomaly. ANTbikes, and the younger local builders whose work is influenced by them, played a crucial role in this change.



It is nice to live in a city that is home to so many excellent frame builders, and to spontaneously "meet" other local handbuilt bicycles. The bike pictured here was actually the second ANTI saw today. Earlier, I was stopped at an intersection and heard the cyclist behind me say "Sick bike! Where did you get it?" I started telling him aboutRoyal H. and handbuilt frames, then realised that he was riding a blackANT when he pulled up beside me. "Hey, yours is an ANT!" What a weird thing to bond over, bicycles. Encounters like these make me feel like a character out of a 1950s sitcom, where neighbours wave and smile to one another and the mailman whistles a happy tune.

Bluewater Creek Canyon

We took a road that we had seen deer, elk, and turkey on many years before. It was rough and got rougher until we found we had come to the end of the road. We decided to step over the barbed wire fence where others had done the same before us. We walked out to the edge of a canyon and looked down, or tried to. We couldn't see the bottom. We could see many miles to the northwest beyond the canyon. The rock ledge was intriguing. There were black streaks down the almost smooth rock at one place. I wondered what could have caused the streaks like that. Had it been water falling over the ledge some time in the past when there wasn't the drought we are having now?

Suddenly we heard an eagle scream. The big bird did it over and over. And then we saw the birds flying against the side of the ledge. Knowing that they are such big birds they looked small up against the side of the huge rock wall. They disappeared but then were back to fly right over our heads. We were so interested in looking at the eagles we almost forgot to try to get some photos and the only one I got was blurred.

It was a wonderful experience to see the eagles. I think they were golden eagles. They just didn't lookright to be juvenile bald eagles that have the dark heads. We agreed thatrock wall would make the perfect place for an eagle nest but as much as we looked we couldn't see any sign of one. But we could only see the wall across from us and not the one right under our feet.







































When we got back I goggled around until I found out that the canyon was the head of Bluewater Creek Canyonthat runs into Bluewater Lake that is just west of Grants according to the Cibola National Forest website. There is a hiking trail along the creek that is about 2 miles long. I would love to be able to take the hike but old age doesn't make for goodhikes.

The 6th of the 6th

Randy's latest bit of Saturday Night Fun is to "go to your My Pictures folder (or the equivalent) and pick out the 6th item in that folder. Then pick out the 6th item in that folder, and so forth, until you get to an actual picture." Then, "post that picture to your blog with an explanation of what the picture depicts, including place and date."

The sixth photo in the sixth folder of the sixth folder of my "Image Files" folder was taken at my grandpa's house in December 1954 and my sister Terry was just learning to walk. Mom has always said "It was her first step" but who knows. A rather appropriate picture though, seeing as how today (January 31st) is her birthday. . .

Synthetic Insulation 60g to 100g

Sweaters and LWT Belay Jackets



The typical question:

"I will climb Rainer this summer...next Orizaba, Kili, then Aconcagua! What do I need for clothes?" Here aresome thoughts on a well proven "systems approach" that you may have not had. It is a multilayer and multi use cold weather system based at least two garments. Onegarment with 60g insulation and the another with100g insulation. The bench mark Patagonia DAS belay jacket is 170g insulation by comparison. For really cold tempsI have used up to 4 lighter layers or 280g of insulation,plus the resulting eight layers of nylon shell material that comes with it. 3 layers @ 60g and one at 100g. Surprised actually, at just how easy/well the system works. And how easily regulated for mid winter technical climbing at altitude, a cold bivy,a quick ascent of Rainier in summer or Fall/Spring alpine climbing. One garment at a time makes the buy in easier and the mutilayers should give you a lot of use/durability over the long haul. I have a good many choices in the closet and find myself actually using variations of this systemalmost full time these days. Simply because of what is available for a "system". It is the lightest, breathes the best and is the easiest to pack cold weather system I have used. Generally 2 layers of 60g. When it is really cold I'll add the 100g as a third layer. May be even afourth for an openbivy. Sure a single thick down jacket will be the warmest and breath very well. Might even be the lightest. But they are fragile. Get downwet from sweat and you loose much of the insulation. Add a water proof shell and you limit the breathability. One big warm layer and you don't have a lot of options for temperature control. There is defiantly a place for down garments and even multiple layers of down I think. But for technical climbing I suspectmultiple layers of synthetics offer a better choice for most of us. No where was Alaska mentioned in the opening quote. Nor was it addressed by me originally. I've done multipletrips to the Alaska range. For time spent (45+ weeks) almost a full year on the glaciers there. Half of those trips included the summit on Denali. All but one were originally to more technical objectives first, justnot very successful. Trivial record compared to many climbing there now. I've taken down jackets to Alaska twice. A synthetic bag once. Below, you are looking atan open bivy on Mt Deborah,Alaska using both, 4000' off the deck.. We did three open biviesthat trip. Not the first or the last with that or other combos. But not once did I "sleep like a baby". But not taken a down jacket or a synthetic bag to Alaska since '80. Dated technology in many ways now for what I was trying to do. None of my partners or myself have had a cold injury...on any mountain while using synthetics. Would I take Down again now? Sure, depending on the objective.. There are some pretty amazing synthetic stand alone jackets available these days, the Patagonia DAS, The Arcteryx Duelly or Fission SL, The MEC Tango among many. "Stand alone" meaning the biggest and most insulation in a "belay jacket". They are sized to go over all your clothing. Some nice down choices in that category as well, Eddie Bauer XV, the RAB Nuetrino, Mtn Hardware Nilas and the Naronna Lyngen. Specific combos of lighter weight insulation offer even more choices. Back to the question? "At some point I'd love to get up Orizaba, Kili, Aconcagua, and wondering if jackets for something like Aconcagua is going to be overkill for a Rainier jacket?" Polish route on Colfax n Feb '10. Mid weight down jackets like the Narrona Lyngen pictured above can be a good choice for climbs like Aconcagua andwarmer environments. The experience of using a 60g and 100g weight garment seems imo to be a better *combo* for the mountainslisted, having summited on 3 of the 4. The coldest I have ever been in the mountainswas in the Alps in the winter of /11. Great technical climbing just a 20 minute tram ride above Chamonix and only minutes from a latte and a nice salad. May be I should have actually zipped up that last 100g layer. In Alaska I probably would. Well may be I would. In thepictureabove, my base layer is a R1 Hoody. From theR1 out I am using a Atom Lt @ 60g, A Patagonia Nano Pull Pullover another60g layer (which are a part of my "action suit") and finally a Atom SV @ 100g. For a total of 220g. I had stared the climb in asingle 60g layer and as the day got colder I added layers. Syntheticgarmentslayer well. They will dry from body heat alone from the inside out. I have not found adding down layers to a pile garment of any sort aseffective transporting moisture. Where a layer of Priamloft 1 does very effectively. One of the reasons the Patagonia DAS @ 170g is likely the most widely used synthetic belay jacket made. Helps of course that Patagonia was the first to market a belay jacket based specifically on Mark Twight's ideas and writings in EXTREME ALPINISM. I think anything over 100g weight insulation as your last layer is generally over dressing for technical climbing in the US and Canada, short of the typical Alaskan climbing season and Canada or the Alpsmid winter. Lucky for us there are a lot of choices in my preferred combinations of 60g and 100g insulation. Eddies Bauer: Has two in the First Ascent Series. The ever popular Ignitor @ 100g and the newest hybrid on the block with 40g of Primaloft 1, the Accelerant Jacket. Patagonia: Offers a number of garments in these weights. The Nano Puff Series @ 60gand the 100g weight in the Micro Puff Series. Arcteryx: Has the Atom series..Atom LT in the 60g and the Atom SV in 100g weight. Mount Bell: Has the Therma Wrap BC which is unique with insulation 80g Body and 50g sleeves The Therma Wrap Pro is 80g though out RAB: The jackets from RAB that I looked at are the Xenon @ 60g through outand the Alpine Generator with 100g in the body and 60g in the arms and hood. But as much as these 8 jackets look the same..they clearly are not. Patagonia uses a Primaloft 1 and Priamloft Sport for insulation. There is a significant difference in insulation value between the two Primaloft offerings. RAB is using Primaloft 1, the gold standard for synthetic insulation by most accounts. Acrteryx offers the garments listed here in Coreloft. By Arcteryx's admission its Clo rating is 5% less than Prmaloft 1. Mont Bell is using theirown Exceloft synthetic insulation. "Exceloft a combination of 8-denier compacted polyester tubing with extra-thin, 0.7-denier polyester thread makes the insulation remarkably compressible. In addition, Exceloft absorbs very little water, making it highly resistant to saturation and extremely quick to dry." And my take from all that is either a combo of the Exceloft and their shell materials or just Exceloft makes a warmer garment for fill weight than Primaloft. But I have not seen Clo numbers to prove me right or wrong. Just a educated guess from using all these garments as they were intended and in a controlled environment simply for this comparison. This came in from a reader after I first published the comparison on CC.com, Thanks Sean! Montbell's Winter catalog, "Compared to some synthetic insulations of equal weight, EXCELOFT achieves the highest Clo Value (a measurement of thermal insulation)." (page 16) Clo and fill weight? Synthetics are measured bygrams per square meter of fill. •60 g/m² Double the thickness of the insulation and you get, •120 g/m² Weight has nothing to do with fill power or Clo values (which is basically an esoteric heat retention measurement for the human body). Grams per square meter is just a measure of physical weight. Which brings me to the real part of the story when you make comparisons. The outer shell materials are obviously really important for the intended use. As is the detailing and construction of the garments. The combos I have used and like are a combo of pull over and and zip front. Generally I want a hood on the 100g layer but a hood on both is welcome as well. Although I think at times the 60g garments can be really versatilein both versions, with or without a hood. 40g, may be even more so. Weights in a Men's Large on my digital postal scale: Eddie Bauer Accelerant Jacket13.5oz Ignitor20oz Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover 10.5oz (no hood) Nano Puff Hoody 13oz Micro Puff Hoody 18oz Arcteryx Atom Lt Pullover (vented- no hood) 10.5oz (see the next review for the 80g/m Aphix Hoody) Atom LT Hoody (vented) 14.6oz Atom SV Hoody 18.6oz Mont Bell BC (no hood and vented) 13.1oz Pro Hoody 16.8oz RAB Xenon Hoody 11oz Alpine Generator Hoody 20.7 How about a direct comparison of the 60 g garments no vents? Accelerant Jacket 40g PL113.5oz (note this is 40g PL1 not 60g) Nano Puff Pullover 10.5 (no hood) Nano Puff Hoody 13oz Xenon Hoody 11oz And60g garments with vents. Atom LT pull over (vented) 11.oz Atom LT Hoody (vented) 14.6oz BC (no hood and vented) 13.1oz Again as close as the weights are you have to make sure you are or are not getting a hood. And if the garment offers a stretch fleece under the arms for venting. Both will add weigh to a garment. And depending on your requirements may be some usefulness. The side venting on a shelled and lightly insulated garment is most easily identified in my mind with the Atom LT. I started using the Atomseries several seasons ago and have written about it many times in the last 4 years. Eddie Bauer has take this to the extreme in the Accelerant Jacket with40g weight PL1. Mountain Hardware offers a versionas does Mont Bell among others. For an active layer where you also need some extra warmth I think the idea is brilliant. Enough so that I have stopped using soft shell jackets changing out for a 60g layer of synthetic insulation with venting and a good hood. Aton Lt in use @ -25C Ignitor Jacket 20oz 100g PL1Lightweight 1.25 oz 20-DENIER 100% Ripstop nylon With StormRepel® Durable Water-Repellant Finish Micro Puff Hoody 18oz "Lightweight, 1.7oz 30-denier 100% recycled polyester ripstop, windproof shell made of recycled polyester and treated with a Deluge® DWR" Atom SV Hoody 18.6oz Gossamera™—100% Nylon ripstop fabric with water repellent coating DWR Pro Hoody 16.8oz "Ballistic" nylon is one and a half times more abrasion resistant than other similar weight fabrics and boasts three times the tear s trength of nylons that are almost 20% heavier. 100-wash rated POLKATEX DWR treatment." Alpine Generator Hoody 20.7 30D triple rip stop Pertex® Endurance outer and a Pertex® Quantum 20D rip stop lining Fit? Fit is obviously such a personal thing. I am 6'1" and 190#. Here is how I have used these garments and my comment on the fit in that use. Accelerant Jacket: It is a slim fit and feels like a more traditional sweater as there isn't much too it. But warmer than you would think for the weight and good wind protection as well. Ignitor: Is a full zip and light weight sweater with a lwt fleece hood. Warm enough and wind proof enough to work as a layering piece or as outer wear. Interesting garment that should draw a lot of attention once people learn how to use it in their own clothing systems. Nano Puff Pullover: I generally use this as an over shell for the Atom light. It is a big and boxy cut on me. Nothing flattering but I love the weight and warmth of this jacket/ sweater. Nano Puff Hoody: This one is again big and boxy for the size on me. It is a little heavy and I don't like the hood size. But for the weight and versatility of a full zip and a usable hood others might love this one. Micro Puff Hoody: With Primaloft Spot this one holds little interest for me but then the price point reflects the use of a less insulation. Same issues with Patagonia with fit and pattern for me on this one. Atom LT Pullover: Atom LT Hoody: Atom SV Hoody: These I'll admit are go/to pieces for me. They fit like they were designed to layer together and every detail is almost perfect on both jackets. The Pullover is a slim fit that I use as a wind proof sweater. Awesome hoods by themselves on the jackets or in combo and over my Petzl helmets,which generally impresses me. I have zero complaints on these two after several years of use in some really cold conditions. They have a tailoredathletic fit which I really like and never bind while climbing. I simply love the combo. BC (no hood and vented): I likethe option of not having a hood on occasion. And I really like the vented style garments. The 50/80g combo also added a garment here that is significantly different in warmth. I have to look for places to use it and then decide why I should instead of an Atom Lt. But it is good enough to make the effort. Pro Hoody: This is a jacket that made me realise I really am a gear snob. For it's 80g weight it seems warmer to me than the Atom SV by comparison. I really like the patternand detailing. The hood (which will take my helmets)and knit cuffs stand out. As does the pattern. It is athletic and very fitted. This has become one of my very favorite 100g jackets...even though it is only 80g weight insulation. Go figure! Big surprise to me all round and a very pleasant surprise at that. Xenon Hoody: This is a sneaky little guy. It is not sewn through like the Patagonia 60g Primaloft. And it is two ounces lighter. It has a PertexQuantumGL® 10 Denier shell fabric inside and out. There is more to this one than easily meets the eye. My only down side is the hood is good only under my huge helmet.The shell alone and the way RAB has done the insulation makes this one sort of "out of category" in a very good way. It has replaced my Atom LT on windy days and dropped a few ounces in the process. Alpine Generator Hoody: If the Xenon is "out of category" the the AG is aringer here. No one else usinga Pertex® Endurance outer and a Pertex® Quantumliner. The hood is the best of the bunch imo and the Acteryx hoods are VERY good. The sizing spot on for layering. This jacket seem to me to be a specific built belay jacket with no compromises.There are no bad 100g jackets listed here but the AG is a step above all ofthe ones I looked at in this review. It is as obvious and as simple as that. Be sure to check your sizing. I've found RAB to run a little on the small size across their range. The point to the conversation here is that as singles or as combos synthetic garments for climbing even in the harshest of conditions can easily be justified. With the right combination of garments you could easily use a lighter one listed herefor a chilly day cragging or a combination of several for a speed ascent of the Cassin. If you ended up here by chance be sure to look at the following review of the new (fall ) Acteryx Aphix Hoodie. Things just keep getting better!

Cabin & Truck

In this shot you can see the logs that were part of the log cabin and an old rusted out Model T truck that was near the cabin.