Mediocre Mountaineering

Welcome to Mediocre Mountaineering

These are my Mountaineering, Climbing, Skiing, and Outdoor Pages (with some camera and gadget stuff thrown in for good measure.)

Why the title, “Mediocre Mountaineering?” Because these pages aren’t about the extreme, hardcore, or difficult. The focus of these pages is on moderate climbs by a mediocre climber, backpacker and outdoor person.

Although I really love climbing, I am a mediocre mountaineer at best. The best evidence of this is that I’ve climbed for 30+ years, and I’m still not climbing anything truly difficult. I have a desk job, where I mostly sit all day long. If I’m lucky, I can get out and climb on the week-ends, and maybe take a multi-day trip every so often. I’m not a guide, not an expert, and not a very good climber. I’m just a guy who’s been climbing for a while, who has figured out a few things that work, (and some that don’t work) for the mediocre stuff that I do.

This web site is for mediocre folks like me; people who just like to get out and climb in the mountains every so often, and are looking for a few tips and (possibly) useful advice.

Posts are listed below in chronological order. You can use the Search function or the category listing above or at the bottom of the page to find specific posts.

Hunt Gear Checklist Part 1: Introduction and Clothing

Hunting Gear and Clothing: Intro and Context This is part 1 of my post on hunting gear and clothing. A few notes about this list to provide some context: I hunt deer and elk. My hunts are all self guided. I tend to backpack hunt, generally 3-8 miles from my vehicle. I don’t have pack animals. […]

March 28, 2018
Optics for Backpack Hunting in the Western Mountains

I hunt public lands in the Western states. I’m not a particularly skilled hunter, so I look for an edge by using my legs to travel far enough from roads and access points that I can minimize competition from other, more experienced hunters. Because I’m usually backpacking, carrying all of my gear for multiple nights […]

March 27, 2018
Lightweight Tripods for Backpack Hunting

Choosing equipment for backpack hunting is difficult. Hunting is a gear-intensive activity, but carrying all of that gear into the mountains can be way too strenuous, so it is important to assess the weight of every piece of gear you carry. Hunting optics are one of the heavier categories of hunting equipment. I have tried to […]

March 19, 2018
My Quest for the Perfect Elk Hunting Pack. The McHale Critical Mass INEX

Review of the McHale Critical Mass Backpack McHale Website I’ve pretty much abandoned large backpacks for backpacking and climbing. With modern, ultralight gear, I very seldom carry more than 30 pounds, and usually my pack weight is much less, generally less than 20 pounds fully loaded. However, backpack hunting is one endeavor when I still […]

October 1, 2017
Review of the Leica Geovid 10 x 42 HD-B EDITION 2200 Binoculars

These binoculars are marketed as the Leica Geovid 10 x 42 HD-B EDITION 2200 model. Leica’s “Geovid” range of binoculars all feature integrated laser rangefinding. The “10×42” indicates that they are 10 power magnification, with a 42mm objective lens. The “B” in “HD-B” means that they have on board ballistics software. (I assume that the HD […]

October 1, 2017
Review: Primary Arms 4-14x44mm First Focal Plane Rifle Scope (ACSS R-Grid Reticle)

The Primary Arms 4-14 x 44mm rifle scope is something of an anomaly. It retails for less than $300, but it has a number of features that are typically found only on more expensive scopes. Its zoom range is not exceptional. It has a minimum of 4x and a maximum of 14x. It has milradian […]

March 3, 2017
Utah General Season Elk Hunt

This is the tale of my recent elk hunting trip to the Uintas. Spoiler alert! I did not get an elk. This story does not have a happy ending. There will be no delicious elk bourguignon; no bacon wrapped elk tenderloin; no elk burgers; no elk stew. I am a bad hunter. If I were […]

October 20, 2016
Two New Knives: Rod Garcia Skookum Bush Tool and Chris Reeve One Piece Tanto 1

Since I wrote my last knife review, I’ve picked up a couple of new knives. Both are fixed blade knives, but they are somewhat different in their design. Chris Reeve Once Piece Range, Tanto 1 The Chris Reeve one piece range has been around since the 1980’s, but this style of knife was discontinued in 2009. […]

June 5, 2015
Backcountry Boiler

The Backcountry Boiler is an updated version of a very old design, often referred to as a Storm Kettle, Chimney Kettle, Shepherd’s Kettle, or a Kelly Kettle. A chimney kettle consists of two parts, a bowl where you build a small fire, and an upper portion that is a chimney surrounded by a hollow vessel where […]

May 24, 2015
Climbing Knives

It’s good to have a knife with you when you’re climbing. I use a knife for making V-Threads, cutting away old rap tat, cutting slings, and various other tasks. I keep a knife in the pocket of my Tufa chalk bag, so I’ve always got a knife with me if I’m carrying my chalk […]

May 24, 2015

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