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[Florence Rocle]

Themost common setup I saw was what I call the Death Clip. People bought two carabiners and a length of climbing webbing and clipped one carabiner to either their backpack strap or waist belt and the other went around the actual cable. There are so many problems with this setup that I barely know where to begin. As a rock climber, I would never trust that system and it gives me the chills seeing people use it on Half Dome, thinking they have somehow improved their safety.

On this last trip, I did not see anyone with a genuine climbing harness, but I have seen that on other trips. A genuine climbing harness is better, but still potentially dangerous the way most people use it. A harness and a simple tether are not designed for this use any more than it is designed for taking the place of the seat belt in your car.

Imagine systems like the ones I saw on Half Dome that to me appear very unlikely to hold a fall. So now the person has no *actual* safety equipment (so no risk reduction), but has two factors that now increase risk:

Again, most people do not use any safety gear on Half Dome. But, again, people have fallen and died, albeit very rarely. Whether you use a safety system is entirely up to you (more on that in a minute). If you do feel you want one, however, the only safety system that is actually approved for this usage is a via ferrata system that includes the necessary energy-absorbing components such as:

This is one question I cannot answer for you. Personally, I have been up and down the Cables Route many times, with the cables both up and down and have never used any particular safety equipment aside from my hands and my brain. That said, I also have spent pretty much my entire life rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering and otherwise doing ill-advised things in the mountains.

Royal Robbins, who bagged the first ascent of the steep side of Half Dome in 1957, famously walked down the slabs outside the cables, with a heavy haul bag on his back, Converse All Stars on his feet and his hands in his pockets. Not recommended for most people.

The approaches and descents from many, many climbing routes are much harder and more dangerous than the Half Dome Cables. Anyone who has spent much time rock climbing in Yosemite has encountered things much more serious than this.

Or it could just exceed the design load and break. If you have it clipped to your backpack, it will exceed the design load. If you pick up any speed at all and stop quickly, you could exceed the max force your body can sustain or the maximum load the equipment can hold.

Now imagine that you have a 2-foot lanyard made of climbing webbing and you fall 10 feet down a vertical cable before it catches on a stanchion (not on Half Dome, obviously, but on, say a European via ferrata). That is a factor 5 fall. No climbing rope or human body is made to sustain that.

So if I am recommending equipment, the only equipment I can recommend in good conscience is equipment designed and certified by the UIAA for this usage, which is to say an actual via ferrata system. That is by far the safest option. Anything you use other than that will reduce your safety.

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One of the things I like about testing gear that I receive from various outfitters is the testing process. If its clothes, I put them on, and find ways to run into things - rocks, tree branches, bushes, icefields, or anything else I can find. I then take the clothes off, and again, find things to throw on them or at them. If its actual gear - tents, backpacks, or other, I tinker with it. I find ways to take it apart; put it back together; and also find ways to test all of the zippers, straps, and various items that comprise whichever piece of equipment I'm looking at. And, even though it should go without saying, whether it is clothes or gear, I seek out storms to test just how durable the material is in actual wet or wintery conditions. Finally, I also have the benefit of over thirty years of experience in the field. Even when I wasn't testing gear over that period of time, I was testing gear. I know what works; and what doesn't.

Correspondingly, when I was offered the opportunity to test out the TETON Sports Mountain Ultra 1 a few months ago, I was slightly concerned. The Mountain Ultra 1 was billed as an ultralight backpacking tent; and in my experience, such products were not durable; or not breathable. Nevertheless, I was intrigued as to what innovations TETON had brought to the field as there had been a lot of social media buzz about the tent, so with an open mind I accepted the tent and began the testing process. Several months later, what I can say is this: this is a product that lives up to the hype it generated, and then some. Even further, I can honestly say that this tent is the best one-man backpacking tent on the market in 2014; and perhaps the best one-man backpacking tent that I have used in the last five years.

Although there are many things that I like about the Mountain Ultra 1, let me highlight a couple of non-obvious points. First, the tent comes with everything you need for wilderness use. What that means is that the tent comes with rainfly, footprint, poles, stakes, and cord - everything you need to use the tent in a variety of conditions. This may seem like a simple point, but trust me - it is not. Many competitors of TETON that sell comparable products will package things separately - the tent for example, is one purchase; and the footprint another. To me, the joint packaging of all of the products was a great - and welcome change. Second, even though the tent is a lightweight backpacking tent, it has a number of durable features, including the extra high "bathtub" floor. This is a great feature, because it prevents items on the floor of the tent from getting wet from either external condensation (rain, floods, sleet, etc.) or internal condensation. Third, the seamless design of the tent and rainfly compliment each other greatly. The mesh inner tent allows a unique view of the wilderness for clear days; and the rainfly serves as a great insulating layer for days with cooler temperatures or weather.

The best part of the design is the ease in which the tent assembles: there is one interlocking pole; and a number of easy to use (and yet durable) clips to attach the rainfly. On my first assembly of the tent, I did not even have a need to consult the instructions as it was that simple and intuitive to assemble. Again, this contrasts with a number of the competing products on the market which require a number of poles, or a particular stake-out assembly to work effectively. Finally, the tent is both lightweight (4 pounds) and durable - through thunderstorms, various terrain issues and other items, my tent withstood everything I could throw at it.

All of these factors and more left me highly impressed; and will leave anyone impressed after one use, or multiples uses as I had; which is why I call this tent the best one man backpacking tent of 2014. As the Holiday season is fast approaching, it would be a great addition for any outdoor enthusiast, or for an outdoor novice that is looking to experience the great outdoors. More information about the Mountain Ultra 1 can be found here, as well as where to purchase it.

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