Good Design In Backpacks

Dale Matson

One thing I have learned in decades of backpacking is that to a point, the weight of an empty backpack should not be as important in pack selection as the suspension of the pack. I am an ounce counter but know that the lightest packs are generally not the best packs for carrying heavier loads. I still see folks on the trail with an old external pack frame with gear mounted to it. They stick to it and swear by it.

I think the heart of a good pack is the pack frame more even than the capacity and increasingly, I am coming to the same conclusion as two quality U.S. pack manufacturers. Both Kifaru (Colorado) https://store.kifaru.net/bikini-platform-frame-and-suspension-p116.aspx and Mystery Ranch (Montana) http://www.mysteryranch.com/Packs/Hunting/frame/NICE-Frame sell pack frames separate from a selection of various sized packs that attach to the frames. Each company has more than one frame to offer. I would rather carry 40 pounds in a heavier pack with good suspension than 25 pounds in a flimsy ultralight pack.

This comes to my second point of flexibility. This means that a person could have a single pack frame with several different sized packs that attach to it depending on the mission. Are you out for an overnight, three days or two weeks? A second feature of these packs is the Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS) webbing which allows for attaching external pouches pods and pockets using Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (MOLLE), For example this allows for specialized items like a telescopic camera lens being externally attached, protected, and providing quick access to it.

An example of this is my Kifaru Express pack that is a 2,300 Cubic Inch pack but because it has several attachment points, I added a zippered top pocket and two side pockets. With these additions, it is closer to 2,700 Cubic Inches. (It has been discontinued and is a stand-alone pack with it’s own harness and belt). You might argue that I should just buy a larger pack but I often use this pack as a daypack, by removing the added pockets and pouches.

This flexibility is important for search and rescue (SAR) folks like me that need to have an overnight pack and a three day bag packed and ready to go 24/7.

Another factor is durability. My Kifaru pack is made of 1,000d Cordura. 500d Cordura is available as a lighter option. I have owned my Express pack for about seven years and gone on scores of missions with it. Many searches were off trail and involved traveling through and crawling under Manzanita and Buckbrush. This would have torn other packs to shreds. The Kifaru and Mystery Ranch packs are expensive but over the lifespan of the pack, they are cost effective. Navigate on on EBay and see what kinds of price used packs from these companies are still worth.

Fit/Sizing is the final issue. Many packs come in only one size. These companies build the packs individually based on the measurements of the buyer. This assures proper fit and comfort.   

I recently had some email correspondence with Patrick Smith (formerly owner of Mountainsmith Packs) who is uncompromising and innovative with his newer Kifaru Company. He has some exciting plans for the future and many will be watching.

In sum then, think about pack suspension, flexibility, durability and fit/sizing in addition to capacity when selecting a backpack. My next pack will start with a pack frame first.

Behaviors That Vex Me At The Fitness Center

Dale Matson

I have trained with weights for over 40 years both at home and at various fitness centers. I’m sure some of the things I do vex others including not wiping off equipment after I use it or clustering to shoot the breeze with the old guys around a piece of equipment. Perhaps, occasionally looking a little too long at a comely female doing stretching exercises. Anyway, as a 70 year old that has attained the curmudgeon status of the late Andy Rooney with none of the notoriety, I want to offer a rant on the behaviors I see in the fitness center that diminish my experience. I believe I am speaking for others here also.

1.                    Loud grunting and banging of weights. The two behaviors usually go together and I believe the idea is to attract glances from others. Most folks don't hear these things since they have ear buds in. this brings me to the second issue.

2.                    These folks are in their own world and engaged with the sounds from their mp3 players. They may or may not be singing along with their music. Or, they are in a conversation with someone on their cell phone. Or they are texting someone. At any rate, they are not using the exercise equipment on which they are seated and they are not aware of others waiting to use the equipment also.

3.                    Young men with big chests who wear tank tops that show their nipples and a newspaper worth of ink in the form of questionable tattoos. This may be all the rage in Corcoran Prison but is not civil otherwise at the fitness center.

4.                    Not cleaning the weights after you have used the bar. When you are done, the 45-pound plates are not fun to remove for women and old men. These are usually the same dudes that carry around a one-gallon, water bottle and pose in the mirror.

5.                    Staking out territory. This is done by placing the cell phone, car keys, wallet, gym bag, towel and water bottle on more than one piece of equipment and then leaving the area to…. do whatever. One step beyond this would be for the young male to simply urinate on the equipment to mark it as his.

6.                    Trainers. Are you folks serious? Rubber bands, balls and kettle bells?

In spite of this I like to go to the fitness center. But…the main reason I go is not for the burn. I reward myself with tasty caffeinated energy gels as I go through my one-hour routine. It's my no guilt treat trip.

The Palisades in Kings Canyon National Park

Dale Matson

Click On Photographs To Enlarge

The name “Palisades” means posts or pickets but in the case of the Palisades of the Sierras, they form a jagged high ridge along the Sierra Nevada crest between Fresno and Inyo Counties. Water on the east side flows to the Owens Valley and on the west side, the water flows to the great Central Valley.

Three years ago I headed out for four days and three nights from Florence Lake to Road’s End in Kings Canyon. I was completing one of my last sections of the John Muir Trail. I picked up the JMT where it intersected with the Florence Lake trail as the JMT dropped down from the Sallie Keyes Lakes. Not far from there the JMT enters the north end of Kings Canyon Park, follows the San Joaquin River and then climbs up to Evolution Valley following Evolution Creek. My first day out was quite a push. I spent the first night camped at Evolution Lake. The next day I climbed again and topped out at Muir Pass. I then descended to a campsite in Deer Meadow along Palisade Creek. There was some rain overnight and I could hear distant thunder.

In the morning, I heated coffee and drank it in my tent to avoid the final raindrops of the light shower. I broke camp and headed up the trail in the mist following the overnight rain. As I began to climb the trail section called the Golden Staircase (a section added later to the JMT) I could see the Palisades begin to emerge above me to my left. It was a mystical view with the Palisades shrouded in fog. Although the climb to the lower Palisade Lake is over 1,500’, I had fresh legs, a cool morning and a wonderful view. The Palisades are in view all the way to Mather Pass (12,100’). When I arrived at Mather Pass, I sat for a bit and thought how nice it would be to see the Palisades from a closer perspective. I also thought about the fact that these mountains still towered above me even at Mather Pass.

 Lower Palisade Lake

 Looking Back To Upper Palisade Lake

Last summer, my older son Ben and I had an opportunity to do an overnight in Dusy Basin. This is less labor intensive with the trailhead coming in from the east side of the Sierras at South Lake west of Bishop. The trailhead is above 9,000’ and while there is a climb over Bishop Pass (just under 12,000’), It is an easy destination for one day to Dusy Basin. When you arrive at the Pass, there is not much of a view but following the trail south, the Palisades come into view east of the trail.

Mt. Agassiz (13,899’) is the northern end of the Palisades and comes into view first. There are four peaks above 14,000’ including Split Mountain, Middle Palisade and Mount Sill. North Palisade is the highest of the Palisades at 14,248’ and is the third highest of the Sierras behind Mt. Williamson (14’380’) and Mt. Whitney (14,508’).

According to Wikipedia, the Palisades “make up about six miles of the Sierra crest”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palisades_%28California_Sierra%29

There are other views one can get by going from Dusy Basin over Knapsack Pass or Thunderbolt Pass and dropping into Palisade Basin. Another route would be to take Glacier Lodge Road to the end and hike in to a view of the Palisades from the east. There are glaciers on the east side of the Palisades, including the Norman Clyde and Middle Palisade Glaciers. There are wonderful books about the legendary Norman Clyde and another mountaineer named Orland Bartholomew. Their stories are inspirational.

Mountaineers enjoy the challenges of bagging the peaks of the palisades. My hope for this coming summer is to have another opportunity to view this wonderful section of the Sierras from one of the latter perspectives.

Ben On Last Section Before Bishop Pass

Author At Bishop Pass

LTo R Agassiz, Winchell, Thunderbolt, North Palisade

Far Right Isosceles Peak

Columbine Peak To The Right Of  Isosceles Peak

  

See also http://midsierramusing.blogspot.com/2015/06/day-hike-from-glacier-lodge-road.html

Zeiss Distagon T* 18mm f/3.5 ZE Adapted To Sony A7R

Dale Matson

Click On Photographs To Enlarge

Sony A7R With Zeiss 18mm F3.5 lens and Viltrox Adapter

[Note: for the particulars on this lens, Ken Rockwell has an excellent review here: http://www.kenrockwell.com/zeiss/slr/18mm-f35.htm] This lens is also available in the Nikon mount.      

My lens arrived today and I already had my Tiffen 82mm UV filter and Viltrox EF-NEX II adapter waiting for it. When I mounted it on my A7R, it just seemed to be a good fit with nice balance. Should a camera lens be such a work of art? This was a lens I picked up on ebay and paid about half the price of a new one. I was so disappointed in having to sell the 21mm f2.8 lens but it was too big and heavy for my purposes. I did learn not to use a polarizing filter with an ultra-wide lens though.

I was surprised to see that there was no aperture adjustment even though there is a knurled ring with the apertures listed on it. There is a smooth functioning focus ring and with the Sony focus peaking, I was able to get my shots in focus. I set my camera to aperture priority mode and was able to set the apertures from the camera.

If I have one criticism of Sony, it’s that they have not come out with a really good full frame e-mount wide-angle prime lens. The rest of their offerings do a pretty good job everywhere else but they could also provide a 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverter for the full frame e-mount 70-200 f4 lens. Thankfully there are lots of good lenses that can be adapted to the A7R.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see that while this adapter does not allow for autofocus, it does provide the camera setting information about the shot in the photo file. For example it tells the shutter speed, aperture, ISO and focal length .

Today was a rather hazy day but I took some photographs in my back yard to see what kind of shots I would get. I was very happy with the quality and look forward to including this as my third backpacking lens for this coming summer. Perhaps someone with better eyes than mine can find fault with the photographs.

I have the 55mm 1.8 native Zeiss lens and the 70-200mm native G lens. Kings Canyon National Park is one of the most beautiful places on the planet so with these lenses and the photo opportunities, the only weak variable is me but I continue to learn how to compose the shots and now am more interested in good photographs than daily trail mileage.

I believe this will be a wonderful lens for mountain wide-angle shots. It looks like the high Sierra Nevada mountain passes will be free of snow even sooner this year unfortunately.

 ISO 6400 f3.5 1/80

 ISO 50 f4.5 1/250 

 ISO 64 f5.6 1/200

 ISO 64 f8 1/10

 ISO 100 f8 1/125

 ISO 64 f11 1/13

 ISO 64 f11 1/15

ISO 64 f5.6 1/20