Friday, March 26, 2010

The Gear Junkie Heads To The Himalaya


Syndicated outdoor writer Stephen Regenold, also known as the Gear Junkie, is headed to the Himalaya as part of the Hanesbrands Climb With Us Expedition. He's heading to Kathmandu this weekend and will begin blogging from Nepal next week, although he's post his first entry, a pre-expedition update, today as part of his Daily Dose Blog.

In that story, GJ discusses the trek to Everest Base Camp, which he'll be starting next week. He notes that it is roughly 40 miles from Lukla, the starting point of the trek, to BC, where he'll be spending the next few months hanging out with the Hanesbrand team of climbers while they make the long trip to the summit of the mountain. Regenold will chronicle the climb, sharing each phase with us back home.

The expedition, led by climber Jamie Clarke, will be testing out some revolutionary new mountaineering products while in the Himalaya, including the Champion Super Suit we've all been hearing so much about. The suit uses aerogel to make it incredibly thin and lightweight, but also super warm. The results of the expedition could potentially have a far reaching impact on the future of gear used on Everest.

Expect to hear a lot more from the Gear Junkie in the days ahead. The team is eyeing a summit bid sometime in May, but of course that is a fluid target at this point. How the suit performs will no doubt be of interest to the mountaineering community too.

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