Comments on: Snow Camping 101 — Denali Training

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:23:32 +0000

Gee Whiz info: I used a VBL inside of my Marmot Penguin Bag (Gortex shell) on Big Mac (aka Denali) in the 80s. There was no significant loss of loft and almost no icing issues with the Penguin. My two partners, experienced 8000 meter peak baggers, did not use VBLs, experienced significant loss of loft in their bags and generally slept much less comfortably than I did. Also, on the basis of a recommendation from one of the premier US alpinists at that time, we cut a piece of 1/8 inch, closed cell foam to fit the floor of our tent, in addition to our sleep pads. While a bit bulky, the foam doesn’t weigh much and it confers significant benefits: keeps your sleeping bag and other gear dry (dry floor), minimizes tent frost issues and seemed to keep our tent about 10 degrees warmer than other tents that we visited. The foam liner also works miracles in a snow cave. And, when the wind and snow are blowing, one will find that shell pants/bibs with a crotch zip rule! Good luck on Denali.

By: Camping Carooners

Camping Carooners — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:58:34 +0000

Wow, love the new and creative products. My wife and I are camping fanatics and some of these would be great tools to take along for the trip. Thanks!

By: Lou

Lou — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:49:31 +0000

Thomas, yep, pee bottles are always used…

I do use Denali mostly, but it’s still McKinley as well, so I use that name on occasion so Google can index, and for clarity. And yes, it’s fun to call it Denali. We called it McKinley when I climbed it in 73, does doing it as Denali count as a different mountain? :angel:

By: Thomas B

Thomas B — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:17:37 +0000

Lou, there’s a stack of sleds for your use at base camp, just your basic plastic sled.
Instead of pissing on the floor of your megamid, bring a pee bottle and empty it in the morning in the main pee hole at camp. Beware the cavernous pee hole at base camp.
If everyone pee’d outside their tent on Denali the west buttress would be very yellow indeed.

Lou, how about just using the name we all use , it’s Denali to us, none of this “Mt Mckinley” stuff.

By: harpo

harpo — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:13:02 +0000

Where do you get quinia flakes? My favorite backcountry staple is whole wheat cous cous. Just pour boiling water over it, and it is good to go in 10 minutes, though you might have to put the water/cous cous combi over a flame for a little while if it is very cold out or at altitude.