Camp, Hike, Backpack Theme Day on SAC

My kids have theme days at school. Green day, crazy hair day (their favorite), different shoe day, hat day, pajama day, anything the principal can come up with day.

In keeping with my kids school of regular theme days, tomorrow is another theme day from the kids over there at SteepAndCheap.com. (They actually occupy a few desks in the corner so they aren't that far away).

The theme is Camp Hike Backpack. You know the drill: 24 Hours of Backpacking and Hiking Deals so good you'll have no reason why at the end of Wednesday you're not geared up for summer adventure.

Want to know how long 24 hours is. Last weekend it took me and a few crazy friends 23 hours to go from Badwater, Death Valley at -248' below sea level to the top of Telescope Peak at 11,049' in order to ski down it. We covered over 18 miles one way and thanks to some poor beta on the location of a flowing stream we added a few more thousand feet to the adventure, coming up with just over 13,000' gained when we hit the summit. It was a sufferfest.

(That shirt was a SAC score)

I have a feeling watching 24 hours of SAC deals will be much more enjoyable and painless no matter how much you light up your credit card.

Go ahead, take the day off. Kick back with a cool frosty beverage and nab yourself a pile of camp, hike and backpack deals. You've got my permission.

If you can't take the day off get yourself one of the desktop alerts set up so you don't miss a deal.

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Backcountry.com Receiving Department Quotes

Working at Backcountry.com is like any other place to work, but at the same time it's not like any other place to work. It's pretty crazy sometimes and now that I think about it a whole lot different from the rest of the places I've ever worked. If you're looking for something out of the norm, check us out.

Aside from the standard "Dog for adoption" or the infamous "Save Gas" e-mail threads, one of the more interesting (to me at least) things that rolls into the inbox every couple of weeks is a list of quotes from the receiving department at the warehouse.

Some of the quotes I question if they are for real. But when you consider the thousands of boxes of stuff that rolls through that little department it's certain to make your, and their, heads spin. Add to that the stifling heat in the summer and the quotes don't seem so loopy.

As a tribute to the great receiving team, I'm going to start publishing these quotes as they roll in...at least until the lawyers send me a cease and desist.

From the Receiving Team:

"CHICKENBOY!"

"Is it more fun than a barrel of monkeys?"

"person 1: im looking for those things that are round, and they bend, and they have a bungee thing in the middle.... person 2: you mean tent poles Person 1: yah yah thats what i mean...." gearhead special quote

"I have no sympathy! Strap it back on!"

"why" person 1 "cause it's the most ballin thing you could possibly do" person 2

"Rappenin is what's happenin"

"I'm on it like bubonic"

"Well it's cause we're dirtbags"

"it only hurts until the pain goes away"

"Well my mom try to kill me with exhaust when i was little so i'm immune."

Not to be repetitive but it just feels right, it might not be exactly how it was said but it went along these lines... "I mean we work for backcountry, but you'd think it was the congress or something"

And in addition to metal Mondays and funky Fridays there is now a "Thug Thursday"

We'd like to thank the academy for making this happen, all our beloved fans, and beer. word up keep your game high backcountry. keep it up

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Cookies for Randy...and 20% off at Backcountry.com for You

This blog post comes from Connie Garrett of Bozeman, Montana. Connie is a Backcountry.com customer who we've teamed up with to help support as she heads to Nepal this October. But it's not her climbing that we're most stoked about. Read on...
One birthday particularly stands out in my memory when my grandma and I made cookies for Randy, the disabled son of one of her friend’s. It is odd to make a Christmas present for someone else on your birthday, but shortly after Christmas I received my birthday gift – a “thank you” card in Randy’s handwriting, which I still have displayed on a shelf in my office over 25 years later.

Flash forward to this coming October when I depart on an adventure of a lifetime. Half way around the world is our climbing objective – Kyajo Ri (pictured here to the right). Nestled along the line of magnificent peaks of the Khumbu Himal region, Kyajo Ri rises to 20,290 feet from the Thame valley to the west and the Gokyo valley to the east. Just 26 days and 10,990 feet of climbing will bring our team to the sharp defined summit just about on Halloween!

So what does this have to do with cookies? Giving back.

Through climbing I’ve overcome some of life’s biggest obstacles and healed life’s biggest pains. For the expedition to Nepal, Vertical Realty (my company) has teamed with Backcountry.com to collect at least 200 pounds of clothing for delivery to Nepali porters and high altitude workers. All clothing collected will benefit the Khumbu Climbing School, part of the Alex Lowe Foundation.

Clothing items need to be non-cotton and can include hats, scarfs, fleece jackets, fleece pullovers, waterproof jacketes and pants, and sweaters. For each person that donates 5 pieces of clothing or outerwear, you'll receive a 20% off coupon code from Connie that is valid through Feb 1, 2008 at Backcountry.com.

Please e-mail Connie - connie@bozemanmontanaproperties.com - to coordinate mailing your donation if you don't live in the Bozeman, Montana area.

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If we receive more donations that are needed for the Khumbu Climbing School, additional donations will be delivered to the International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC). IMEC promotes responsible and sustainable connections between travelers and the people of developing mountain regions through education, assistance, and cross-cultural experiences.

About the Khumbu Climbing School

The climbing school is an annual vocational training and instructional program designed to teach technical climbing skills, English, wilderness first aide, and basic rescue scenarios to those working in the these high regions. We need your donations to help make this program an on going success.

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Back from the Himalayan Health Exchange

I was very nervous as I boarded the plane to Delhi, India to begin my medical trip in Northern India. Although the Himalayan Health Exchange had planned everything, I felt nervous and excited about the impending adventure. The night before I had my gear laid out one more time. I felt confident in what I was bringing and was ready to begin the trip.

After 17 hours of plane rides I was in India. I met with my group and everyone was very much like myself. There were several doctors, many medical students, one optometrist, and one dentist. There were three days of traveling before we got to the trailhead and we were all very ready to hike. With monsoon season upon us, we ended up hiking before we had intended because our trucks got stuck in the mud. As we hiked to the first campsite, the views were unbelievable. Despite the often downpours we encountered, nothing in my bag got wet. I was using the Arc’teryx M40. Even though I was at no time skiing, the bag was chosen because of being waterproof, small, and very affordable. This was one of the best pieces of equipment I brought on the trip. The small top pocket got damp, but nothing inside the main compartment got wet.


That night we camped and I began falling in love with my Big Agnes sleeping bag and pad. I was apprehensive about this bag because of its size and it is a few ounces heavier than my old sleeping bag, but it ended up being wonderful. It will be hard for me to ever go back to using another sleeping bag. Despite a leaky tent, the inside of the sleeping bag never got wet. That alone was worth the extra weight.


The next day we had our first clinic day. This reminded me of why I was there. Although I love being outdoors, my passion is medicine. As a nurse and a medical student, this experience taught me more about medicine and myself than I could have imagined. By far, this clinic day was our slowest day. Not only did we have to get used to each other, we had to learn how to practice medicine in such a remote area. Without lights, I had to use my Petzl headlamp to interview my patients.

The entire three weeks were just like the first few days. We would trek hard then set up clinic. The trekking was very difficult at times. While I trained before the trip, it was hard to compensate for the altitude. The trail was very steep with recent rockslides due to the heavy rains. It made for a tough, but rewarding hike.


The temperatures were in the 70’s during the day and dipped into the high 40’s to low 50’s at night. I had a soft-shell jacket from backcountry that really was the only jacket I needed. It was warm enough to wear when it was in the 40’s and wet, but it was also light enough to be comfortable in 70-degree weather and wet. Although it is not waterproof, it was as close as a jacket can get without being a rain jacket. A few times I would only wear this jacket during a downpour and I only got wet at the seams. This jacket is an ace in the hole for outdoor use.


By the end of the three weeks, we had seen some amazing medical cases and proved we could trek into the different regions of the Himalayas. This was very rewarding in many different ways. We ended up seeing over 2500 patients. Not only was this trip able to teach us about clinical cases we may never see again such as poliomyelitis, it showed us the beauty of this mountain range that so few get to see in their lifetime. I feel lucky in that I never got sick and the group I was with was one the best groups of people I have ever worked with. They will always be labeled friends to me.

-Jennifer Guthrie

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Headed to India's Himachal Pradesh to Climb

This pre-trip report comes from Pat Goodman who along with climbing partners Dave Sharratt and Freddie Wilkinson will be some of if not the first American climbers to attempt big walls and 6000m peaks in the Miyar Valley of Northern India. Backcountry.com is stoked to help these guys in their effort. Stay tuned for more updates and a post trip report.
It's 6:00 am, I can’t sleep. If I do doze off I have hectic dreams revolving around incomplete trip-check-lists and wacky, if not nightmarish traveling scenarios. This sort of behavior is something that has become standard fare before my big trips, a prerequisite if you will. I may be rather obsessive; after all, I am a rock climber that has a chalk bag with a used tooth brush in it for cleaning hand holds.

India’s Hymachal Pradesh is the most recent addition to my obsession and the current cause of my insomnia. David Sharratt, Freddie Wilkinson and Myself, have been planning a climbing trip to the Miyar Valley since last fall. All this planning has culminated into this final few weeks prior to our departure and I must admit my apprehension. Hindi, I can speak Hindi – Nameste, well at least I can say hello and good by. After all it’s not like we have to travel hundreds of miles through small towns and mountain villages, or wait, yep, we do. Honestly though, I can not think of anything more stunning.

Our expedition will begin in New Delhi with a bus ride to Manali where we plan to stock up on food and last minute items. From there with the assistance of Jeeps and mules we will travel through small villages laden with green fields of barley, potato and peas huddled under the gaze of rugged mountains. I suppose the crux of our “approach” will be crossing the 13,050ft / 3978m high Rohtang Pass, apparently depending on snow fall, it can be impassable. Our route will take us by the famous Trilokinath temple revered by both Buddhists and Hindus and the Mrikula Devi Temple, will make this journey even more outstanding. The village of Chimrat (2090m) marks the beginning of the Miyar Valley; our climbing destination and home to some of the Himalayas best kept secrets.

We have intentions to establish alpine rock routes – ideally all free in perfect, low impact alpine style. The possibilities appear to be endless for new routes as many of the peaks (most at or around 6000m) are untouched by climbers. With a bit of luck three weeks in this amazing mountain range will allow us time to climb and explore the vast potential the Miyar valley offers. Our equipment list is quite extensive due in part to the capricious weather and our desire to cover as much terrain as possible. Mountain Hardwear’s tents (EV 3 and Kiva Light), sleeping bags (Clouds Rest SL 0), packs and outerwear will undoubtedly play a huge role in the comfort and survival of this expedition.

As the rain falls outside my home in North Carolina - my head is slightly dizzy with anticipation, as the aches and pains from countless hours of running and climbing surge through my body. I grin big with anticipation of the up coming adventure.

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Mt. Hood PCT Ultramarathon

Mt. Hood from mile 24 of the 50 mile course

How would you like to run on this trail this weekend? Just an hour from Portland, Oregon trail runners will gather for the 9th Annual PCT Ultramarathon this Saturday at Timothy Lake. Backcountry.com is stoked to help sponsor this year's PCT Ultramarathon. This may not be your idea of getting in touch with the Pacific Crest Trail but if I was going to run 50 miles in the backcountry this place would be my first choice.

This year the Oregon Road Runners club have dedicated the race to Scott McQueeney who was a trail running legend. They plan to raise money to donate a foot bridge to Forest Park in his name. If you missed out for this year, catch up with these cats next July. That also gives you 365 days to train which may not be a bad idea.

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It's All About the Gear - Madagascar Update

Ross, who is part of the team that Backcountry.com sponsored to go to Madagascar, sent me this quick update on how the relief effort has gone. After reading it not only was I stoked about the work he and his team has done but it's great to hear that the gear he chose to pick up from us (with a bit of help on the costs) has made the trip. It's interesting to hear this from so many customers - the gear made all the difference.

Quick update for the blog. The pay-as-you-go dial up will never load the page and I've only got access to a computer briefly before we leave again.

Things here are going great, and the gear has worked out amazingly. We've spent the last month doing health outreach work in a large number of villages and as expected we've been on the move a ton. Our pattern has been to hike the few days into each village giving advanced notice so that people from nearby villages can come to see the health team while we're there, and we stay for a few days to do some educational work as well. This means that we're carrying a ton of gear a very long way over rough ground and through a surprising number of rice paddy's. As such, the words "wet" and "muddy" have come to define most of life.

On top of the distance, the research station we're based at and many of the villages are actually in the cloud forest, so we spend big chunks of time in the clouds where anything just exposed to air gets soaked. everything we own is pretty much covered in mud, but all of the waterproof gear has held out great and really made things much easier and more comfortable. It's also kept all of the more important supplies and medications dry in the rain and fog, which has been invaluable. Both the Mutha Hubba and Seedhouse SL 3 have turned out to be bulletproof, and the Naos and Bora packs have been lifesavers as well. The gear has really made all the difference in making us being out for so long possible. Thanks again to Backcountry for helping us out.

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Climbing for Kids

It was while winning the shopping cart race I bid farewell to two finger tips. So you can’t say I’ve no spirit of adventure. I like to play outside with the best of them. Snowboarding, skiing, kayaking, snow shoeing, biking (mountain and road), hiking and the like have made me happy for years. These passions are in part what drew me to settle in the beautiful mountains of Idaho. It’s just that peak bagging has not been in the repertoire in the past. So why would I start with the highest point in the lower 48 states? For the kids of course.

This June I will be climbing California’s 14,505 foot Mount Whitney. Though thousands of people climb Whitney every year, a small percentage do it via the “Mountaineer’s Route”. More importantly, fewer folks do it to raise money for at risk, urban youth.

I am participating in the Climbing for Kids event to help raise money for Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT). BAWT is a project of the Earth Island Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. The goal of BAWT is to take kids who are heading down the dangerous and destructive path that urban life can foster, into the mountains to learn about respect for oneself and our world. BAWT trains counselors and lends gear from its extensive library to make these life changing backpacking trips safe and enlightening. Generous support from Backcountry.com (where I feed my gear addiction) and my friends and family are helping to make this possible.

Perhaps some readers might be thinking “I climb Mount Whitney for breakfast”. That is not the case for me, and I assume I’m not alone. Prior to volunteering to raise money I was not someone who climbed mountains. I was inspired by the cause to help some of America’s less fortunate kids. Also having just turned 30, I realized it’s never too late to fulfill a dream. The training has been arduous and exhilarating, not to mention challenging with a full time job, two dogs, a nineteen month old son and a lovely, pregnant wife who seems to want my attention as well.

Donations for this cause are greatly appreciated. If you are interested in learning more and/or donating please visit climbingforkids.org. If you would like to help me reach my fundraising goal, please click on this link. All donations go directly to BAWT and are tax deductible. I will be periodically posting my training activities and will follow up with a climb recap.

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