Covet \’kə-vət\: to wish for earnestly ; to desire inordinately or culpably.
I know it's mid-September. It's not even officially autumn yet. The first snowflake won't fall where I am for another three or four months, if one falls at all this winter. But I've already got a growing list of toys I'm coveting. I blame the existence of this list on Petzl; their release of the newest, coolest ice tools for the upcoming season got me going, and then I couldn't stop! This list encompasses things that (a) exceed my budget, (b) I would use in activities I've still got a lot to learn about, or (c) are just darn good looking. |
| Photo from Petzl.com | |
Petzl QUARK Ice Axe I've ice climbed twice. Three times if you count the total number of days independently of the number of trips. But I absolutely love it, and have a
few friends to do it with this winter! Lucky for me, I had the opportunity to test out three different types of ice tools and the Petzl QUARKs were my favorite. Between the weight (it's the lightest of Petzl's ice climbing tools), the handle (not a huge fan of the
Black Diamond Fusion handle), and all of the interchangeable parts, it's a great piece of gear to covet. This year's model looks even better. According to Petzl's website, there are a couple of new and improved features on the QUARK this year. First, the modular head. The QUARK is designed to be both a technical ice took and mountaineering axe, and the modular head makes for super easy adjustments. Second, the modular handle, which allows for a many different grip combinations. I've climbed with leashes and without, and this grip looks perfect for leashless climbing.
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| Photo from LaSportiva.com |
La Sportiva Olympus Mon EVO Boots Now, I'm going to be honest. I covet these not because I'm an experienced high-altitude mountaineer, because they're $900, or because I have habits of being in places where it's mind-numbingly cold. I covet these because I dream about getting myself into a situation where I'd need them! These, for me, are like the golden chalice of cold weather sports. To progress far enough in mountaineering where these would be necessary is something I'm pretty sure I'd love to do someday. Of course, on Everest, it doesn't have to be winter for these to come in quite handy.They're incredibly light weight considering their size, and kevlar on the calves means gaiters aren't necessary. The inner lacing system, according to reviews on
Moosejaw, lets you leave your climbing partners in the dust getting ready in the morning. And if
Melissa Arnot uses them on Everest, they've got to be pretty great. She knows her stuff! Now all La Sportiva needs is a women's specific model...
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| Camp Muir on Rainier. Photo by Tiffany Royal. |
Mountain Hardwear Trango 3.1 Now if I'm going to covet hardcore mountaineering boots, I might as well pick a tent to go with them! The Trango tents have been long-standing favorites for mountaineers and I can certainly see why. I had the opportunity to sleep in one at Camp Muir on Rainier and found that, despite my past experience with 3-person tents barely fitting three people comfortably, the Trango 3.1 did. Tiffany, Sara and I did have to take turns spreading out all of our gear to pack for our summit bid, but that was the only time the tent felt cramped. I could kneel comfortably in it, and the vestibule provided plenty of room to store three packs and three pairs of boots. Mesh storage pockets run the length of both tent walls. Despite strong winds, the tent felt bomb proof, secure and warm, (which was thanks to our wonderful RMI guides who set it up for us).
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| Photo from Eddiebauer.com |
First Ascent Downlight Sweater I'm the proud owner of the First Ascent Peak XV Down Jacket and absolutely love it. It just fits, all of it. The hood stays where it's supposed to and everything's the right length. But winters around these parts aren't cold enough to warrant an 850 fill down parka, and I'd love to have something not quite as warm to wear around town, or as an insulating layer in place of fleece. I tried the Downlight Sweater on at Whittaker Mountaineering's gear shop and loved it. The best part - it comes in petite and tall sizes for those of us who don't meet standard specifications. The sleeves were almost too short for my arms in the standard sizes, but the torso fit perfectly. I never imagined a down jacket could be flattering! And the beautiful cyan blue one pictured to the left is particularly covet-worthy.
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| Photo from Piperlime.com |
Merrell Spire Peak Waterproof Boots Merrell makes some of the best shoes and boots, casual and functional, I've ever worn. For hiking shoes, they're my go to company. When I moved to Alaska in 2006, I bought a pair of ankle boots similar to the
Tetra Catch for walking around in Anchorage during the winter. They were the most comfortable, stylish winter boots I'd ever worn, and I finally retired them after I'd worn them to death and they fell apart three years later. They seem to have a nack for producing casual shoes that look good, feel good, and strike the perfect balance between the effort-free outdoorswoman and the girl in me who cares about looking cute. Every girl needs a good pair of tall boots, but not every girl needs to worry about whether or not she'll actually be able to walk in them. They even stretch a little to accommodate athletic calves. And they'll last for more than one winter!
What's on your wish list this winter? Anything good I left out?
