Gear Review: Black Diamond Whippet Self-Arrest Poles

In a nutshell

They're super-duper tough poles with additional aggressive Cro-Moly which will serve as an ice-axe to get yourself out of awkward situations on the mountains.  They provide you with good grip and weigh just a pound.   Their R.R.P is £69.99 (each).

Do buy if... 

You love life on the mountains and enjoy tackling them in plenty of powder.  It's features are ideal for those of us who mountain ski in tough terrains and don't want to be caught without an axe but like to travel as light as possible.  Think about it skis + axe has to be more expensive than just buying these - cuts down on weight and cost.

Don't buy if....

You dig carbon poles (tougher than aluminium)

The Pro's

• As always with Black Diamond, perks are fit, durability and all round design.  Whilst these aren't carbon poles the balance of weight / durability is still good.
• Flick-Lock Pro - so much easier to adjust than the screw system, especially with gloves on,
• Cro-Moly for emergency grip
• Lifetime manufacturers warranty

The Cons

• Non carbon
• Not super light - but they've balanced light vs durable vs usefulness well.
• price £139.98 for a pair (they're sold separately) is not cheap.

The spiel...

For steep, icy boot-packs and added self-arrest security on mega-steep, no-fall terrain, the time-tested Black Diamond Whippet is the ultimate ski mountaineering tool. The Whippet features a chromoly pick embedded in the pole's grip that can help keep minor slips from turning into slides for life. FlickLock^® Pro adjustability dials in the perfect length with dramatically improved security and a low-profile design.

Features

• Aluminum shaft material keeps weight low without sacrificing durability
• 16mm upper and 14mm lower offer plenty of stiffness
• Touring Series grips have a fluted interior to shave weight and a longer strap tab for easy strap length adjustment with gloves on
• Grip extension extends down the shaft of the pole and below the grip so you can get a quick, secure hold on your pole when you choke up on steep slope
• FlickLock Pro allows you to adjust pole length with a simple flip of a tab which unlocks the lower shaft
• FlickLock Pro improves on the FlipLock design with a full stainless steel construction and lower profile shape, and the dual-axle design offers increased clamping leverage for security
• 100mm powder baskets help you easily push through deep days

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Gear Review: Mountain Equipment Tundra 2 Tent

In a nutshell

It's a good two person backpacking tent from Mountain Equipment, light (minimum 1150g each carry-weight) and with space to bung your packs.

Do buy if... 

You require a light tent that'll stand up to a fair amount of abuse.  Featherlite aluminium poles are strong but light enough not to weigh you down.  The overall tent design is good for ventilation and is easy to construct (fly sheet and inner pitch as one).

Ideal for those who love to backpack / long distance hikes in wet terrain and its good enough for most mountains.  It's features are ideal for those of us who have to pitch in the wet, dark and whatever else you might find yourselves in.

Don't buy if....

You want a hard-core tent for very windy / snow prone areas - this is a tunnel tent after all so isn't the best for high mountain weather.  It can of course be used in the wind but extra care will be needed when pitching (direction, pole placement etc.) to counteract the high velocity gusts.  Personally I'd pip for a geodesic design for super-hostile environments.

The Pro's

• As always with Mountain Equipment, much research has been done to produce a solid design, using high-end materials and it's well thought-out.
• Fully-taped ground sheet, hardy 40D Rip-Stop means when it says it's waterproof, it means it.
• Weight vs. Durability - this tent strikes a good balance between lightweight and long-lasting.
• The shape- tunnel tent designs generally mean you get better space (and a little extra for your gear)

The Cons

• The shape - whilst it supplies extra space compared to geodesic and may be perfectly okay in high winds if set up by a master, my physics mind suggests that it won't stand up to the wind as well as a geodesic design.  Going up high - into deep snow or expect high winds? pip for another tent.

The spiel...

Following on from Mountain Equipments very good Dragonfly Tent, the Tundra addresses the need for those whom space and low weight is a higher priority than extreme stability. That said, this is no slouch and the offset tunnel design ensures that when carefully pitched, the Tundra can still happily cope with unpredictable mountain weather in all but the worst of winter storms.

The result is a lightweight and extremely spacious 2 person tent. The offset tunnel uses Mountain Equipments now tried and tested simultaneous pitching system, the inner and flysheet going up as one, ensuring an extremely quick and straightforward pitch as well as guaranteeing that the inner canopy is never exposed to the elements.

Features

• 40D rip-stop nylon flysheet and inner tent with DWR coating
• 30D Nylon 6.6 groundsheet is fully taped with 8000HH Polyurethane / Silicone coating
• Duraflex® buckles and rings and colour-coded DAC® Featherlite® NSL 8.6mm aluminium alloy poles
• Lightweight and spacious 2 pole offset tunnel pole design
• Flysheet and inner pitch as one for hassle free pitching
• Continuous lightweight pole sleeves for rapid pitching
• Fully taped bathtub groundsheet
• Large single porch for gear storage with no-see-um mesh doors on inner keep bugs at bay
• Aerodynamic ventilation hoods, Internal mesh pockets
• Shock-cord pegging points and attachment rings for drying lines
• Glow-in-the-dark zip pullers and reflective guy-lines
• Supplied in strong and light compression sack
• Repair kit includes emergency pole sleeves, seam-sealant and fabric swatches

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Gear Reviews: Mammut Brisk Soft Shell Jacket

Mammut Brisk Soft Shell Jacket 8/10
This is the lightest Windstopper GTX Soft Shell on the market, brought out by Mammut (weighing in ast 360g) and for those reasons alone it's worthy of a look-in.  It's 100% windproof but very breathable too, with underarm ventilation for active use.  It's an ideal climber's soft shell since it packs down a lot smaller than most on the market, but cyclists / trail runners/ joggers will also be in the 'running'.  This jacket packs down small enough to be considered for long-distance trips / backpacking and as a useful midlayer for alpine use.  It has excellent stretch and 2 front zip pockets (which could do with sitting higher up the jacket for better pack / harness compatibility), and a wee chest pocket for a ski-pass. The waist and cuffs are elasticated to strip down the weight, but it does therefore ride up when used for climbing a little.  Overall though an excellent jacket of the 'just-in-case' variety, or 'ultralight crew'.  At £160 it's definitely not cheap, but that's reasonable for an ultralight Windstopper.  However if I were going to pick a jacket I'd take the Haglofs Cobra Jacket, it isn't a Winstopper but does a darn good job, it's Polartec Powershield, it's superlight with stretch under arms and side areas, has a drawcord hem, it has a fuller inner flap for better weather-protection.  It weighs in at 500g which isn't exactly heavy, but at £125 is certainly more reasonable a price.

 SPEC:

• Fabric GORE® WINDSTOPPER® Soft Shell
• Weight in 360g
• 2 front zip pockets
• Underarm ventilation
• Stretch material for freedom of movement
• GORE® WINDSTOPPER®, windproof and breathable
• Small packing volume, low weight
• chest pocket with zip
• Optimally suitable for Multipitch Rockclimbing, Backpacking, Classical Alpinism
• Suitable for Via Ferrata, Mountain Hiking, Trail Running