Skinny canyons gear?

[moab mark]

I was just going to email a few of the big dogs for suggestions but thought others may be interested in the replies.


I am venturing out to the north wash in a couple of weeks and have been giving some thought as to what I was going to take.

So my question is, if doing skinny canyons ie (north wash) what are most of you haulin to keep your packs light and small? I have always hauled ropes in Imlay silo's but in these skinny canyons are most of you just coiling the rope to keep the volume down?
Seems like when I head out I usually have a kolob pack pretty full so whats the trick?

Thanks

Mark

[Brian in SLC]

So my question is, if doing skinny canyons ie (north wash) what are most of you haulin to keep your packs light and small? I have always hauled ropes in Imlay silo's but in these skinny canyonsually have a kolob pack pretty full so whats the trick?

As someone who just went for the first time a couple of weeks ago...

Take a small pack, preferably one without zippers (certainly not exposed zippers). Those small vinyl Metolius packs are nice and durable, with no exposed zippers. I had a pretty small cordura pack which worked well, but, could have used something as small as a BD bullet pack (or the like, size wise). Really didn't have much besides a small possibles bag, tiny bit of food, liter of water, camera, and a warm hat and a spare warm shirt. Harness, short 85' rope, couple of slings, rappel device/biner. Hardly any volume.

I noted that the cool chicks doing middle Lep didn't carry packs at all. Couple had water bottles on slings over their shoulders, but, they suited up for battle right in camp, ate, drank, and headed out, no packs. Pretty neat.

You could probably rig your Imlay silo as your pack. Take a short rope, based on the length you need for the canyon. Strip your harness down to essentials. Take few slings/biners as needed. Maybe a bottle of water. Hydrate prior to the hike. Take a small snack. And, stuff everything in the silo.

In those canyons, depending on venue, the "day" or time out can be fairly short (ie, 3-5 hours). You can really get by without much food or water if you eat and drink a bunch prior. Take a few small essentials (duct tape, small knife, TP, etc). This time of year especially you'll not need much more than the long pants/shirt that you'll be wearing on the approach.

Way less is way more in "those" type of canyons...ha ha.

Another way to drop weight is on some of the canyons, if you have to travel back by the drop in point, leave your pack at the top and pick it up on the return.

-Brian in SLC

[Rob L]

We took a rope bag through the Main Fork of Leprachaun, and it was a hassle....but I would imagine that a coiled/over-the-shoulder rope would be worse.

At least the bag allowed us to store a harness or two to protect them from the rough walls.

[Iceaxe]

Probably just as important as what you carry is the knowledge that whatever you take will probably get destroyed.

I do NOT carry a nice pack or rope bag. Whatever pack or rope bag you bring will probably end up with a few new drain holes at the end of the day. Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants, and plan on tossing most the clothes you wear when you get home. When doing the skinnies I usually hit the K-Mart closeout rack for my clothing and the bargain bin at Recreational Outlet for a pack. Don't wear a nice harness, it will be destroyed after a couple of long skinny slots. Destruction of clothing is why I originally wanted to name Slideanide as "Thong"....

You will want a bunny strap for the skinnies. To save your harness you can wear a sling over your shoulder and clip you bunny strap to that. If rappels are far between you might want to remove your harness to save wear and tear. Many times I just tie a swami for a harness in the skinnies because the raps are short and far apart. I then wear the swami sling over my shoulder between raps, this saves my harness.

To get your pack size down.... Carry only as much rope as you need, most the skinny slots have very short rappels. Sometimes I'll just carry a short piece of webbing to rap on if I don't have a short rope.

When it comes to the skinnies.... size matters...

I hope that helps some....

[Cirrus2000]

Yup. Here are a pair of pants after one trip through Boss Hog. Fortunately, they had the red mesh liner, or my skin would have been in a similar state:

[Scott Card]

Yup. Here are a pair of pants after one trip through Boss Hog. Fortunately, they had the red mesh liner, or my skin would have been in a similar state:

Hey! I have a couple of pairs of shorts just like that. We must shop in the same place. My wife was not too amused when I asked her if she could sew up the holes. IT WAS A JOKE. . .

[Scott Card]

Oh ya, and for gear, the Leprechaun Pack that Mr. Jones sells. Best skinny slot pack out there IMHO. Eat before the canyon, drink before the canyon and go light. NO NEW anything because all clothing will shred to one degree or another.

[ratagonia]

Bring less stuff!

It helps to have practice out there, so you can know exactly what clothes to bring. A Leprechaun or Mystery Pack work fine, the deal is to not stuff them full (well, the Lep, OK; the Myst, not so good). Good to bring water and food.

Bringing the exact right ropes is an excellent idea. Bring a good selection of shortish ropes. Generally 2 x 60 feet and 2 x 100 feet will get you through the canyon. Bring two pieces (rather than 1 long piece) so two people can each carry half.

For a harness, an Alpine Bod or a swiss seat work fine. Put it on for each rap, take it off afterwards. DO bring some webbing and a ring or two - last pass through, a week ago, the 2nd rap in Middle Lep (Main Lep ie Shimrock) did not have webbing on the chockstone (and it kind of needs it, the other 'anchor' is sketch).

Yes, a bunny strap is useful. Try tying 6' of 1" tubular around your waist, then two over-the-shoulder slings on your pack which then clip to your waist. That way you also have a 6' piece of 1" tubular to rig that anchor, too.

Gloves absolutely essential. Atlas ones work very well.

I know you, Mark, would never skimp on the helmets. Rescue here is slow and uncertain.

Tom

[Brian in SLC]

For a harness, an Alpine Bod or a swiss seat work fine. Put it on for each rap, take it off afterwards.

Gloves absolutely essential. Atlas ones work very well.

Really like the alpine bod m'self. I think Tom sells a Scuttlebutt, too, which might add some life to both your harness and your backside (!). Saw folks wear them with some success. My old, very retired Patagucci thin schoeller pants didn't fair so well (thank goodness for a bit of "modesty" tape to hold them together).

I'm not a glove wearer, and, I noted some folks get away with not wearing them. That said, had a pair of those cheap blue Atlas rigs and they were great. Weird but they hardly look worn.

Not a big fan of thick cotton, but, besides wearin' a thick vinyl suit, maybe a worn out pair of carhart type pants would be the ticket. Amazing how much stuff gets eatin' in those canyons, and, quickly.

-Brian in SLC

[CarpeyBiggs]

Knee Pads - I just found some $20 nike volleyball pads at Sports Authority. Shoe gooed the heck out of 'em, should last a long time, and I insist on knee pads, I use my knees constantly. (Same can be said for elbow pads as well, though I use elbows less... Some prefer to use elbows more to move...)

Tights- I wear tights to protect my skin, especially when wearing shorts, with really cheap thrift store shorts to protect the tights. I just found tights for 10 bucks at TJ maxx. Been wearing $3 basketball shorts for my outer layer. Tights are usually like under armor polyester or some similar sort...

Top - I have a thick $3 old navy polyester jacket. Can't remember where I found it, but it has lasted a long time, almost 3 seasons now. Shoulders and elbows seem to wear out fastest, if you can reinforce somehow.

Cotton does work well for pants or shorts, it is grippy, but it sucks to get wet. Whatever you wear on your behind, you can always shoe goo it or aqua seal it to try and extend the life...

I don't wear scuttlebutts in the skinny's because usually your harness isn't on that much. But that's just me.

Also, wear some socks that will protect your ankles (wool TEKO's from Tom is what I've got now...) Nothing sucks more than those ankle biting slots.

Atlas or Wells Lamont gloves are a MUST.

[CarpeyBiggs]

Oh yeah, alpine bod is the way to go!

[Don]

Josh, Cody and I took our big (full of lots of crap we didn't need) army surplus packs down there last year when we crashed freeze fest. We ended up doing Slidenide and Arscenic with a couple of the FF regulars and that night around the campfire Ram and his cohorts had plenty of jokes. Those canyons will beat up gear and clothing but big packs and lots of gear might also beat up your ego around the fire.


Actually, I think we might end up down there this weekend too! Talking about driving down black friday morning... Anyone going to be around?
(See Deans post here: http://www.bogley.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19389).

[Iceaxe]

An Alpine Bod is my GOOD harness....
That is the harness I don't want destroyed.

I use a Diaper Sling a lot in the skinny slots (not a swami)... Below is one old thread and a new thread that some might find helpful....

How to make a Diaper Sling
http://www.bogley.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=190624

How to Tie a Swiss Seat Harness
http://www.bogley.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19391

[errinevans]

Just sew some cordura over the back panel of your shorts or pants. I have worn my patch job in at least 10 canyons this season (since I put the patch on), three of them in the north wash with no noticeable wear. Hand sew it on with nylon thread. It adds a nice amount of friction for slides too. Excuse the butt shot, but that is wear the patch is.... I put the same patch on Ned's shorts too.

[stefan]

Bring less stuff!

It helps to have practice out there, so you can know exactly what clothes to bring. A Leprechaun or Mystery Pack work fine, the deal is to not stuff them full (well, the Lep, OK;

in a way, one nice aspect of the leprechaun pack itself is that since it's exactly the right size for the canyon, it pretty much makes it clear from the start whether or not you're carrying too much stuff. then unless you add gear from another source, it can only get smaller if you're putting on pads, harness, or other gear.

So my question is, if doing skinny canyons ie (north wash) what are most of you haulin to keep your packs light and small?

i know you're talking about stuff beyond the pack, but if you're stemming and maneuvering a pack through a slot, having a pack as durable and maneuverable as the leprechaun makes descending these wonderful narrow canyons a far more enjoyable experience.

[stefan]

Oh yeah, alpine bod is the way to go!

[Rob L]

After one trip through Middle Leprachaun, trousers not in very good shape:

[Pelon1]

Got duct tape?

[Cirrus2000]

Got duct tape?

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