I published more material in the past week than I have in a long time, on the Sigma 70mm macro for Sony mirrorless and the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art on Nikon and the Zeiss Milvus 15mm f/2.8 and the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 APO-Planar, as well as the Proto Machines LED8 and the new Apple MacBook Pro as well as health and safety and Gear for the Mountains topics and reader comments.
Seems like after 4 months I am finally getting my mojo back after my concussion. Hopefully that doesn’t mean an overdrawn brain account (so to speak)—has happened both of the two prior months—sets me back an entire week and can involve post concussion syndrome (PCS) issues.
Working in the field
Below is where I did all my work on Friday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Right in my Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 photography adventure van/office, with electricity a non-issue what with a 10 kW battery system and dual 2000W power inverters. I used cheap methods to stay cool in the hot sun.
Nice spot and with a 4G LTE signal so I can publish just like at home—when it was working well. But at times it was problematic in losing the signal entirely (clouds seem to cause serious problems), so I ordered the weBoost Drive 4G-X 470510 Cell Phone Signal Booster. If it works, it’s worth every penny—last Friday I spent a a sweltering 2 hours pushing half a gigabyte to my web server from my van way down in the flatlands in 100°F heat while idling the engine, all because of a weak cell signal. It should have taken 5 minutes.
Beautiful wildflowers... and wildfire smoke blown by northwest wind moving into Carson River valley, near Topaz Lake while higher elevations as yet are clean and clear
f1.8 @ 1/1000 sec, ISO 64; 2018-07-15 19:26:01 [panorama]
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8
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Death Ride
2018 Death Ride big with stickers
In between (Saturday the 14th of July), I completed the Death Ride. It’s a shorter and easier version of Alta Alpina 8 Pass Challenge, which I completed two weeks ago.
What’s that logo at upper right? OWC / MacSales.com has sponsored me for cycling this year, which involves a fantastic new bike. See all sorts of cool computing products at owcdigital.com.
Cycling takes energy, but more than gives it back, with increased mental clarity and stamina, so I consider it mandatory, like eating and sleeping.
Recent research is showing that cycling is terrific for general health, boosting the immune system, and recovering from a concussion, just as I asserted as irrefutable based on meticulous self-observation in my concussion recovery log. I’ve been saying all of these sorts things for years, and I am heartened to see that the science is finally catching up. Vascular therapy is the latest advance that works exceedingly well for me also, which is a new thing for me as of April 2018.
Lloyd in early morning near top of Monitor Pass
f1.8 @ 1/2100 sec, ISO 20; 2018-07-14 06:51:46 [selfie]
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8
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A long train of riders ascending the lower portion of Monitor Pass east
f1.8 @ 1/1300 sec, ISO 20; 2018-07-14 07:30:00
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8
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It’s a long way up to the summit from behind and below them thar hills at left. And the Ebbetts Pass climb is greater and tops out 500 feet higher altitude.
View of Monitor Pass east side, about half the way to the summit
f1.8 @ 1/3200 sec, ISO 20; 2018-07-14 07:50:27
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8
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Ebbetts Pass Summit “party” / “zoo” (rest stop), 2018 Death Ride
f1.8 @ 1/1400 sec, ISO 20; 2018-07-14 09:35:42
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8
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Too much (24 oz) of ice cold fluid at Turtle Rock Park not long before the Carson Pass climb caused my diaphragm to spasm and left me able to take only shallow breaths. No fun at all, but I ground through it and got it done. Never again on that much cold fluid—first and last time.
Lloyd at Carson Pass official finish sign—tired after diaphragm spams entire climb
f1.8 @ 1/1250 sec, ISO 20; 2018-07-14 13:59:05
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8
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Lloyd enjoying a icy cold ice cream sandwich at the finish at Carson Pass
f1.8 @ 1/1900 sec, ISO 20; 2018-07-14 14:17:33
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8
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2018 Death Ride big with stickers
f1.8 @ 1/520 sec, ISO 20; 2018-07-14 15:29:19
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8
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2018-07-17 - SEND FEEDBACK
Search for:
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gearThis is the best gear I’ve been able to find for what I do out in the mountains.
Over the past five years or so, this is the best gear I’ve been able to find for what I do out in the mountains—the stuff I use every time, the stuff that just works great, the stuff that lasts a long, long time and I would simply never go without, not even in summer (it can snow in summer!).
Five Ten 'Camp Four GTX' Super Grippy Waterproof Hiking Shoe.
Get the Camp Four GTX mid at Amazon.
I hike a lot of difficult terrain: granite slabs, boulder fields, loose dirt and rocks, class 3/4 climbing, wet and sometimes icy or snowy slopes, and so on. I almost always hike alone, so I take shoes and other gear very seriously—one slip from a shoe or boot and I could be spending my day photographing vultures at close range (see also the SPOT GPS Messenger). So I don’t mess around with my shoes; I get what minimizes risk of slippage under any conditions.
The Five Ten Camp Four GTX is now my preferred hiking shoe because they latch onto just about anything except glare ice and the deep lugs cut through stuff like moss and mud. I use the waterproof GTX version in both the regular and mid ankle version. The mid version is better for spring and late fall where water and mud are more common; the lower cut version is better for summer (lighter, cooler).
Five Ten 'Camp Four GTX' Super Grippy Waterproof Hiking Shoe.
2016 Five Ten Camp Four GTX
f2.2 @ 1/120 sec, ISO 25; 2016-10-28 12:01:58
iPhone 6s Plus + iPhone 6s Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 29mm (4.2mm)
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Arc Teryx ACRUX FL GTX Waterproof Hiking Shoes
I use these less often now, but they are a terrific shoe with terrific grip, and waterproof. They fit snugly with the wonderful liner inside.
Arc Teryx ACRUX FL GTX Waterproof Hiking Shoes
Arc Teryx ACRUX FL GTX Waterproof Approach Shoes
Five Ten Men's Guide Tennie Leather Approach Shoe
The Five Ten Men's Guide Tennie Leather Approach Shoe also the mid-ankle Guide Tennie Mid Hiking Shoe. The Stealth C4 rubber sticks to rocks like glue and does well even on wet slippery rocks. The lace design allows “shaping” the tightness from the forefoot on up (very tight for class 4 and harder climbing, a bit looser for normal wear). Great for boulder hopping or scrambling on granite slabs.
Not good for sharp pointy rocks and not waterproof—get the Five Ten Camp Four GTX for that kind of stuff as noted above.
Five Ten Men's Guide Tennie Leather Approach Shoe
Five Ten Men's Guide Tennie Leather Approach Shoe
North Face Recon daypack
The North Face Recon daypack is how I carry all my gear in the field: camera and lenses (in pouches), food, water, clothing. Current models also can fit a 15" laptop into a padded interior slot.
NOTE: the design keeps getting dumber and more oriented towards laptops and iPads, what shame: I like the older model (still available online, shown at left); the model being sold in late 2015 reduces the size of the outer stuff pocket, and the interor also balkanizes the space with pencil slots and similar while also reducing the size of the large slide-in pocket. It also loses the dual laptop/iPad slot in favor of a single slot. The model I do NOT like as much (the later one) is shown at right in tan.
North Face Recon daypack
North Face Recon: very old model at left, ~2014 model at right
Lupine Piko headlamp
Lupine Piko headlamp. I don’t leave for any hike that might approach dusk without this headlamp.
Lupine Piko headlamp
Revo Guide II sunglasses
For sunglasses, that varies by conditions but I always use polarized lenses, because these cut atmospheric haze, road glare and let me see my dinner (trout) through the water. I used to wear Revo Redpoint sunglasses but they fog too easily compard to the Revo Guide, and provide a little less coverage over the eyes, so I now ride Revo Guide S sunglasses exclusively (my 4 pairs are getting old and will have to be replaced after 6 years of heavy use—lenses are scratched with a nick here and there). See this photo for what they look like in the 'Open Road' tint, which is my go-to lens for cycling.
See my experience report with the Revo Guide S sunglasses at WindInMyFace.com. I do a lot of cycling, and the right sunglass is very important for the conditions. Driving and hiking are also considerations.
Revo Guide S 'Open Road' sunglasses—my preferred tint for cycling
Serko A ordered the Green Water Revo Guide S and writes:
The outside world looks so crisp and colorful. Impressive!
Ibexwear hoody
For moderate temps, an Ibexwear hoody (preferably with front pocket; models vary each year too). This is what I wear from spring to fall in the mountains. The hood protects head and sides of face and neck from sun; the front zip pocket (models that have it) is great for stowing a smaller lens, lens cap, etc.
Also terrific for bright snow and granite are the Revo Guide sunglasses which I am wearing below. I particularly like them because they tend to preclude getting sweat onto the lenses as most of my sunglasses do.
Your author in the field—IbexWear Hoody (model unknown) with Ibexwear cap
at Dana Glacier and Revo Guide S 'Blue Sea' sunglasses, Ansel Adams Wilderness
f10 @ 1/20 sec, ISO 100; 2015-08-13 14:35:18
Sony A7R II + Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 Distagon
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Western Mountaineering Sequoia GWS Sleeping Bag
Western Mountaineering Sequoia GWS Sleeping
The Western Mountaineering Sequoia GWS Sleeping Bag — the amazing thing about this bag is that it is good even into relatively warm temps, because its ultra high quality down “tents”. Or in really cold conditions (shoes freeze to floor mats inside the car), zip it up and stay warm.
This Western Mountaineering Sequoia GWS is one of the best investments I’ve ever made in camping comfort.
Western Mountaineering Cypress GWS
As goos as the Western Mountaineering Sequoia GWS is, when I spotted the new Western Mountaineering Cypress GWS , I got excited: it has a very wide footprint including the feet area, and it can be unzipped like a blanket (I am not a fan of tight feet or “mummy bags” and I’ll use a sleeping bag like a comforter when temperatures allow).
That’s what caught my eye: the Western Mountaineering Sequoia GWS has the widest foot box I have ever seen in a down sleeping bag of this quality. Too hot in warmer temps—not really—it lofts so well that it can be “tented” and hold its shape for less cold nights, or used as a comforter (zipped open) and thrown partly aside. That skeptical may have their doubts, but years of using the GWS prove it out up to the 60°F range or so.
Needless to say, I pounced on the Cypress GWS and brought it along. It performed fantastically its first night. The down is incredible. I bought the 6' 6" model with right-hand zipper.
Western Mountaineering Cypress GWS down sleeping bag
Water resistant? Heck yes, this bag spent 30 minutes floating on Greenstone Lake for a photo shoot. Hardly a faint dimple in the fabric, what little there was dried out in 5 minutes and I stuffed it back into its back with no worries.
Western Mountaineering Cypress GWS down sleeping bag floating on Greenstone Lake
f14 @ 1/400 sec, ISO 200; 2017-10-14 15:18:07
NIKON D850 + Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8
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Western Mountaineering Cypress GWS down sleeping bag
Exped Downmat 9 DLX and Exped Megamat
Never sleep on hard cold ground again. Air mattress with down inside. If not backpacking, the Megamat absolutely rocks—just as comfortable as at home for me.
The only caveat with air mattresses in general: make sure they are deflated if going up substantially in altitude (e.g., near sear level to 10,000'). There is a risk of rupture if starting off with the mattress inflated at low elevation.
Exped Downmat 9 DLX
Exped Downmat camping mattresses
I use the Exped Megamat in my Sprinter photography adventure van.
Exped Megamat — the very best in camping comfort
Western Mountaineering Flash XR down jacket
Western Mountaineering Flash XR jacket
I would not leave for the mountains without it. Its XR fabric resists rain and slushy snow for hours, extremely light, perfect for hiking (stuffs small into bottom of pack, put camera gear on top.
Get the XR version if you want the rain resistance—the non XR is awesomely light, but does not resist rain/snow very well—and yes there are snowstorms in June and snowstorms in July and snowstorms in August in the Eastern Sierra and White Mountains. So I almost always carry the XR version when hiking at altitude.
Also, the Western Mountaineering Flash down pants are great for well below freezing stuff, or if you have to stand around in near freezing temps, photograph in cold nights, etc.
Western Mountaineering Flash XR jacket
Selfie Clones, Mt Dana,
(wearing Western Mountaineering Flash XR down jacket)
f8 @ 0.4 sec, ISO 100; 2016-08-20 06:20:04
Sony A7R II + ZEISS Batis 2.8/18
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IbexWear wool jacket
Another must have that I often wear over the Flash XR for times when I need even more warmth. Also, Ibex Shak Two Layer Wool Glove and Ibexwear NZM gloves (you need both, for cool and cold conditions). Ibex changes their product line every year—a bit annoying if you want a replacement for a favorite, so if you find a piece you love, buy two or three, at least during the early spring sale. I have jackets and pants for which I did not do this, and I regret it, because they're gone forever.
IbexWear wool jacket
IbexWear Europa jacket
Pearl Izumi Elite Thermafleece Cycling Tight
Great for hiking, keeps sun off legs, greaet as a layer under another pant, or by themselves under shorts.
Pearl Izumi Elite Thermafleece Cycling Tight
MSR Guardian Water filter
If everyone in hurricane-infested areas had one of these, many infections and deaths might be averted. It is a terrific disaster preparedness item. How much is your life worth?
While water is generally available in the Sierra Nevada, it is always a question of whether it is safe to drink: scat from rodents, deer and sheep, human campers and so on can all contaminate creeks and lakes. While the occasional seep or spring may be found, nearly all water in the Sierra Nevada is free-flowing and thus subject to nasties like giardia lamblia.
That said, higher elevations a are probably at little risk, but having had a majorly negative stomach issue with lasting nerve damage treating it, I don’t like to mess around.
MSR Guardian Water Filter
MSR Guardian water purifier
