I am down in the dumps! and it stinks!
The reasons for my current downedness are as follows:
1. My Advanced Dynamics Class final is next Wednesday and it will be Brutal
2. Texas looms
3. The next nine days are already scheduled to the brim with mandatory activities.
Sander comments that I really can’t complain because the classes and such are my own decision. He has a good point and I’ll do what I can to limit my whining.
< whining >
Didn’t we all complain about undergrad though? we didn’t really have to take those classes either.
< /whining >
Basically what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve decided to buy a full rack of rockclimbing traditional equipment. What better way to lighten my mood then to buy hundreds of dollars worth of climbing equipment?
click more for the plan…
Mike, the manager at the gym, has put together this list of essentials:
Metolius Power Cams:
Blue #1 x 2 or 3
Yellow #2 x 2 or 3 Each with a separate carabiner.
Orange # 3 x 1
Red # 4 x 1Black Diamond Camalots:
.5, .75, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 3.5 one of each. Each with a separate carabiner.
Camp tri-cams:
.5, .75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, one of each grouped together with two carabiners.
Five shoulder length dyneema slings each with 1 “D†carabiner.
Two double length dyneema slings each with 2 “D†carabiners.
Seven 8 inch quickdraws each with 2 “D†carabiners.
One ergonomic gear sling with four separate gear loops.
Two spectra Web-O-Lettes or two 21 foot tech cord cordelettes.
One three foot daisy chain.
Four locking pear shaped carabiners
Of course, in order to carry this monster up a face I’m going to have to start training on the walls with a weight belt. By next summer I will be a traditional fiend! If you have any additional equipment suggestions, I would love to hear them.
Cheer up, Mike. It could always be worse.
I don’t know anything about climbing equipment, but I wish I had hundreds of dollars to spend on myself. Then again, I probably wouldn’t spend it on myself. I’m kinda cheap.
A Jet pack?
That would make climbing wicked easy.
since I know you are cheap, you can make slings yourself, just need webbing and thread.
I respect Cheapness. There’s a 30% off sale at the gym right now for the goods which is part of my motivation to buy now.
Every once in awhile I spend a solid chunk of change on something that I think will have a significant benefit to my life. I have the hardest time in the world rationalizing the purchase of a $1.50 ice cream cone, but I can easily agree to a few hundred dollars of climbing equipment.
I am a strange bird. this, I admit.
Ha ha ha! awesome.
I will investigate this.
No no, gas propelled grappling hook gun!
That would be much less hassle than a jet pack.
When you say Monster, how much does this monster weigh?
Probably between 6 and 10 pounds.
This may not seem like a lot, but on the wall any additional weight is noticable.
I’ve always been interested in doing Trad climbing. So maybe over the summer we can set up a climbing fiesta? That would be fun. Have a bunch of people together to go climb!
Yes, spend this money on yourself. In the name of all of us cheapskates and bankrupters who cannot or will not do the same. We shall live vicariously through you. Long live Mike D and his rock climbing wall!
Seeing as how i normally carry about 10 lbs of gear every day with laptop, lunch, book and other accouterments, I can safely tell you that the additional weight is noticeable when you walk/stand for your commute.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STAY AWAY FROM METOLIUS CAMS!!!
They really don’t work well in the wierd small cam placements that are abundant in CT/NY
TRUST ME. Get wiregate carabiners for everything too, BD neutrinos or Trango Classic Wiregates(I have those) I wouldn’t bother with the larger sizes of tricams either, just the pink and red.
I would get more slings and less quickdraws. Buy the mammut skinny slings too, really. Trust me on this stuff.
But Trust me on the small cams, go with the new BD C3s or Wild Country Zeros, or….if you have a strong stomach, Aliens.
Unless you really like the wide stuff, you won’t need any cams bigger than #3 Camalot.
We should really talk this over before you make any rash purchases.
Mike, I can totally sympathize with you today! In some weird way, opening your page just now to see your title of “down in the dumps” cheered me up a little, just b/c it was ironic and thus, entertaining (but not b/c you are down too!). I just took my last engineering undergrad test forever more (i still have some other finals and a presentation though…) and I went into it feeling ready to rock, and came out feeling pretty much beat up. So yea…I want to be happy it’s done…but I’d rather have gone out on a higher note. I’m pretty sure I’m getting a cold too. And unfortunately, I’m still a poor college student, so I don’t really hvae lots of money to spend. So in other words, I’m with Anita – spend that money and get that gear!
I hope you cheer up soon! I’m going to go…..do advanced calc hw.
I will share the joy of this purchase through pictures!
Devin! i would never buy anything related to climbing without getting your approval and sign off.
Once we’re fully geared up, we are going to be unstoppable my friend. Unstoppable.
UUIG, this is a sign. Perhaps our lives are parallel. You and I are connected via something stronger than we understand. Leave Patrick and move to CT. We can rock climb together into the sunset.
Fairfield, CT is one of the best places to live, probably because it’s so close to Mike D and so far away from me. So, UUIG, I think Mike D’s plan is a step up for you. Plus, he lives at the House of Rock, which has steel drums, guitars, weird-angled closets, and a blowgun. I live at the Pink House, which has a rodent(s) living in the crawl space.
But, he makes false promises! How can you climb into the sunset? You’re climbing up, not west! That’s just another advantage of orienteering over climbing. You can orienteer into the sunset and use it as a navigational aid.
hmmm…..good points. I’m just not quite sure Mike D. can “measure up” compared you, Patrick. Plus, you have the advantage of being in the city I love, near mountains and ocean and family.
Count me in Kurt!
hmm. maybe I should move to Seattle.
I’m just not quite sure Mike D. can “measure upâ€
Mike D, how’re those stilt skills coming along?
Also, by moving to Seattle, you’ll have to put up with 26 more cloudy days a year (201 vs. 175). Source.
that stilt MSPaint was pretty awesome.