2019 Guides Choice Award Winners

Weighing a mere 40 ounces (2.5 lbs), you wouldn’t think the pack could hold 70L of gear comfortably, but it’s pliable aluminum stays mold to your back making it the best carrying, ultralight pack out there. But that’s just the beginning. Updated from its first design, the Porter 4400 now boasts taped seams and Dyneema Composite Fabric (formally Cuben Fiber), which are stronger and more weatherproof than ever - which is essential in the Pacific Northwest where we guide a majority of our trips.

This pack can tackle any objective thanks to well-placed daisy chains and compression straps that make customizing it a breeze. All you need to carry an ice axe is an accessory cord loop and a Voile strap. While other packs have more bells and whistles, the Porter 4400 strikes the perfect balance between accessibility and minimalism. This is truly a Guide’s Choice award winner, and a piece of gear that no outdoors person should be without.

It’s worth noting that this pack also comes in three other sizes: 5400 (85L), 3400 (55L), and 2400 (40L).

Garmin inReach Mini:

Garmin has come out with one of the lightest and most compact satellite communication devices to date. You have all the benefits of global satellite coverage, two-way messaging via email or text to a phone or another inReach device, interactive SOS and weather updates in about half the weight and half the bulk of the Explorer+. The Mini comes in 4oz lighter than the Explorer+, but also 2.6” shorter and .66” narrower. For comparison sake, the Spot X device comes in at 6.8oz (vs 3.5oz for the Mini). The SOS is monitored worldwide and 24/7. While it does not display maps on the device, it does integrate beautifully with the Earthmate app on your cell phone for easy navigation. 

This has become the preferred choice of our Guides who live and preach the fast and light lifestyle. In tracking mode, the Mini delivers a solid 90 hours at 10 minute intervals and up to 24 days at 30 minute intervals! On top of connecting your phone to your inReach Mini, you can also connect compatible wrist watches. This allows you to receive and send messages, as well as initiate an SOS from your watch - which can can be crucial if your device is not accessible.

There’s no excuse NOT to have one.

Ortovox: Safety Academy

The Safety Academy was originally born in 2008 as an initiative by Ortovox, in conjunction with a number of renown international mountaineering schools. The goal was to educate practical orientated knowledge [regarding safety] in the fields of ski touring, freeriding, high alpine, and rock climbing. The Snow Lab portion of the Safety Academy accounts for the largest avalanche training initiative worldwide. Working with its mountain school partners, The Safety Academy sees well over 2,500 participants every year. The Snow Lab is a multimedia training initiative that uses videos and interactive content to teach valuable snow safety content at no cost to the user. The Safety Academy also created the SAM (Safety Academy Mountain 3D) which is an excellent tool for teaching avalanche courses and is used extensively by our guide service. In 2018, Ortovox launched The Safety Academy Lab Rock in cooperation with the German Mountain and Ski Guide Association (VDBS), numerous professional mountain guides, athletes, as well as experts from Petzl - Expanding their high-quality educational platform to the world of rock climbing. The Safety Academy offers over 40 video tutorials, comprehensive educational modules and four chapters for more safety in alpine climbing. Ortovox has even expanded into Alpine First Aid, which simply punctuates their immense collection of alpine training.

The Safety Academy is a Guide’s Choice award winner because it is a unique educational tool that has elevated the way we teach our avalanche courses. This level of accessible outdoor education by Ortovox strives to make everyone safer in the mountains, and that deserves to be recognized.

Tendon: 6mm Accessory Cord

Accessory cord can seem like an afterthought - something you just pickup last minute or grab a cheap roll of to tie low risk knots and hitches. It can also feel stiff and limiting to use  on friction hitches with specific diameter ratios. So when Tendon came out with a 6mm accessory cord that was both supple AND strong, we took notice. As a guide service, The American Alpine Institute runs more than 300 courses a year, a majority of which require prusiks made from accessory cord. The 6mm size has long been the sweet spot for prusik use on our mountaineering/climbing ropes, due to the fact that it both slides well and grips (keep features of all friction hitches). What Tendon did however, was make an accessory cord that is 12-28% stronger than it's competitors, while eliminating the stiffness that make racking/tying the cord difficult. These industry leading innovations result in a cord that is more versatile, so that you can shed weight and increase confidence. There are many cordalettes on the market today, but we believe the 6mm accessory cord by Tendon is the best.

Specifications:

Diameter (mm): 6

Weight (g/m): 23.2

Min. Strength (kN): 10

CE 1019 and EN 564 certified

Again, congratulations to all of this years winners for truly elevating what is possible in the outdoor industry! As a Guide Service, we are constantly on the lookout for products and innovations that change the way we look at mountains. Thank you to all the companies who have submitted products to our testing program. Have a great summer!