I was reading some old articles on snowbliss.com and came across these two interesting products: RibCap and Psolar BX Balaclava.

RibCap is a piece of headgear; it’s soft and wears comfortably but could act as a helmet. RibCap uses a special material called d3o which consists of free-moving molecules: when your body moves slowly, they move with you, and therefore you should feel the material soft and flexible. However, when d3o encounters impact, the molecules lock together to absorb the shock.

I am intrigued by this product since I am still looking for a ski helmet. Although the testimony snowbliss.com quotes lowers my doubt, I think I’ll stick with traditional hard-shell ones for now after reading the disclaimer from the official website of RibCap: “The ribcap doesn’t offer a complete head protection and doesn’t comply with any standards established for protective headgear like helmets.”

Psolar BX Balaclava and other Psolar products use a heat exchange module called QXtec®. This module warms up the cold air you inhale by forcing a phase change from vapor to liquid, and it could raise the temperature of the air from the freezing point up to over 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here is a quote from their website describing how QXtex works: “a QXtec module that is made of desiccant coated plastic. The desiccant grabs the moisture from the air, forcing a phase change from vapor to liquid. This phase change releases heat that is added to the natural heat of exhalation, warming the plastic. This warmth is transferred to the air as it is inhaled.”

A few days ago, I read about this product, LightCap, on Gizmodo, and it grasped my attention.

I backpacked in the Catskills last weekend. On Saturday, after finishing up hanging the bear bag, the sun was long gone and I couldn’t see my tent even with my headlamp on. Although I lost my sense of direction, I wasn’t nervous because I knew that my tent wasn’t too far away, and I had the map and compass with me. However, that reminded me about many stories I heard about such as people went out of the tent at night for bathroom break and couldn’t find their way back. One friend, who is an experienced backpacker, once told me that he always hangs a lantern or a small flashlight in the tent when he leaves his tent at night. That is a good idea, but given the extra weight and packed space, I still count on my compass.

This product might be a good compromise. It weighs 4.6 oz (about 130 grams; actually I still have no sense about imperial system) more than a regular water bottle. More importantly, it’s a gadget and I like gadgets. In addition, simplehiker found out that it’s cheaper if you buy it on amazon.com.

This article is based on what I presented in the Beginner Backpack Workshop held by Appalachian Mountain Club, Delaware Valley Chapter, April 22, 2006.

What are socks for?

For your feet – socks provide cushion and warmth, and help wick moisture out.
For your boots – socks block sweat and dead cells from getting into the boots which destruct the internal structure of the boots.

This article is based on what I presented in the Beginner Backpack Workshop held by Appalachian Mountain Club, Delaware Valley Chapter, April 22, 2006.

Boots are important. A good pair of boots helps you carry on through various terrains and conditions. Incompatible boots tire your feet and legs more easily, and they are more likely to cause blisters which turn your trip miserable.

I like to say that finding a good pair of boots is like finding your life partner. It might sound overly dramatic, but if you’ve ever traveled with someone you hate, you would know that I am not exaggerating.

Boots are something you shouldn’t buy on-line or through mail order. You need to try them on and fit them perfectly. It’s too risky to buy them without a test drive. A size chart is for reference ONLY. Vendor A’s size 8 might not be the same as Vendor B’s size 8. Especially nowadays, manufactures outsource their production, so even Vendor A’s size 8 sometimes might not match Vendor A’s size 8 made in another country.

I couldn’t believe that for many sports, when I just started, I didn’t wear any protection gear. I learned to acquire helmets, kneepads, wrist guards, struck by hard experience, such as elbow bruises, skin cuts, and an ambulance ride. Protection gear gives you extra weight but the additional mental strength it boosts definitely makes the weight negligible.

For downhill snow sports, I own a helmet and a pair of kneepads. The helmet has accompanied me for several years, which I bought right after I rolled down a black diamond hill like a ball for about 30 meters. The kneepads were obtained about 2 months ago, because I started to learn telemark skiing this season, and every telemark skier kept telling me “you need those.”

I’ve done some research on kneepads, mostly by reading the discussion threads on the Telemark Talk Forum, and reviews I located on line with Google.com.