How it works:

1. Snap some photos during #SOIceFest2. The subject matter doesn’t necessarily have to include climbing, as long as you feel it represents the spirit of the festival.

2. Post the photos to social media (we’ll review Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) with the hashtag #outlandphotocontest! Just make sure the photos are public so we can view them – tagging @outland_adventure_gear and @soicefest will help us find it too!

3. Do this as many times as you’d like

4. When the festival is over, we’ll go through the photos and pick our favourites! The winners will be announced on Facebook, and contacted for delivery and shipping information

That’s it! Go out and have fun!

Help support the festival by sharing this poster and bringing your other ice buddies – things are gonna be sweet!

Shareable link: https://goo.gl/ZP2FjF

Click to enlarge

Special thanks to:

• Arc’teryx, for providing us with a baller set of clothing, helping to add some colour and character
• Alan Tom Photography, for providing the strobe equipment to light things up
• Julia Cetnar Physiotherapy & Acupuncture, for donning the gear and being our wonderful subject

Did you say ‘GRAND PRIZE‘?!?!

Sure did! One of our amazing headline sponsors – Arc’teryx – has provided us with a pretty sexy grand prize!

This year’s grand prize includes…… drum roll….

The Alpha LT & Atom LT jackets!

The combo will be available onsite in both Men’s and Women’s, in the full size line-up for the winner to take home right away!

Learn all about them here, and why they’re the perfect match for each other!

Alpha LT: goo.gl/cYITEI

Atom LT: goo.gl/S3CXrL

Show up Saturday evening, get some raffle tickets to support the festival, and have a chance at winning some dope gear :D!

See you there!

Help support the festival by sharing this poster and bringing your other ice buddies – things are gonna be sweet!

Shareable link: https://goo.gl/ZP2FjF

Click to enlarge

Special thanks to:

• Arc’teryx, for providing us with a baller set of clothing, helping to add some colour and character
• Alan Tom Photography, for providing the strobe equipment to light things up
• Julia Cetnar Physiotherapy & Acupuncture, for donning the gear and being our wonderful subject

Did you say ‘GRAND PRIZE‘?!?!

Sure did! One of our amazing headline sponsors – Arc’teryx – has provided us with a pretty sexy grand prize!

This year’s grand prize includes…… drum roll….

The Alpha LT & Atom LT jackets!

The combo will be available onsite in both Men’s and Women’s, in the full size line-up for the winner to take home right away!

Learn all about them here, and why they’re the perfect match for each other!

Alpha LT: goo.gl/cYITEI

Atom LT: goo.gl/S3CXrL

Show up Saturday evening, get some raffle tickets to support the festival, and have a chance at winning some dope gear :D!

See you there!

Unsure about what to wear for a day of ice climbing? Has it been a friction point for getting into the sport? Let us help you out!

We’ve broken down clothing system to 3 stages: approach, climbing, and belaying. The clothing systems have been outlined for each, with added some notes. Along with that, we’ve also provided some product suggestions from one of our headline sponsors, MEC!

Let us first note that there’s no hard and fast rules to layering, just guidelines. How warm/cold you can get depends on your metabolism, what you ate that day, body-type, fitness level, etc. Being properly hydrated can go a long way though!

1. APPROACH

This is where you’ll likely build up the most heat, and where proper laying can arguably the most important part for a fun day at the cliff. If you over-layer, you’ll be a sweaty mess, risking hypothermia when sweat cools down. If you under-layer, you don’t risk as much, but you’ll be jone’sing to work harder on the approach to build up heat.

• For wooded areas, you can likely ditch the windbreaker, but for open lakes (most of Ontario ice approaches), a windbreaker can be crucial
• If you just want to sweat it out on the approach, you can also bring a second set of clothing to change into at the cliff
• Account for terrain and weather conditions. Flat and packed out trails mean you’ll be working less than a steep uphills in waist deep snow
• Your back will likely be insulated and protected by your pack, so if you have any paneled clothing that has an open back (some winter running jackets), that’ll work great
• If the approach is short, you can wear your full climbing setup, as you likely won’t build up enough heat to worry about sweating
• If you’ve decided to wear a shell jacket to cut wind on the approach, most will have pit-zips to dump heat if you need to
• Doesn’t hurt to keep your puffy jacket on while you wait for anyone to pack their bags at the parking lot – ask for a puffy warning before packing yours away!

BASE – The most important piece on the approach! You’ll want to prioritize moisture transport off your skin – tight fitting synthetics work best in this case.

MEN

Bottom: T2 Long Johns ($39)

Top: T3 Zip Top ($65)

WOMEN

Bottom: T2 Long Johns ($39)

 Top: T3 Zip T ($69)

OUTER – This layer is primarily to keep wind off your back and snow from getting inside. This piece be either heavier or lighter depending on the length of the approach. If you only had to pick one though, we recommend a light weight puffy or softshell.

MEN

Bottom: Highpoint Pants ($165)

Top: Obsession Hoody ($165), Slipstream Hoodie ($99)

WOMEN

Bottom: Ferrata Pants ($119)

Top: Obsession Hoodie ($155), Clarion Hoodie ($89)

2. CLIMBING

This is where it gets fun and the clothing can have pretty specific features. Generally for ice climbing, you’ll want to make sure that the sleeves don’t rise too much when you lift your arms, mid/outer layer pockets don’t get obstructed when you wear your harness, and the hood is helmet-compatible.

• Early and late season ice climbs are generally pretty drippy, so having a hard-shell outer layer is a definite luxury
• Make sure your gloves fit the sleeves of your jacket. It’s sometimes a hassle, as some gloves are meant to go over or under a sleeve, and some sleeves are meant to go over or under gloves.
• For scruffy mixed climbs where you’ll be rubbing your body against rock, we recommend a softshell outer to handle the abrasion

Base – The same as approach, this is layer’s primary job is to transport moisture from your skin.

Mid – This will be your main insulating piece. You’ll want it to be quite breathable, as the moisture from the baselayer will need low resistance to pass through. You can use as per your “Outer” layer on approach, but we do recommend that this piece not have a membrane when used as a layered insulating piece.

Shell/Outer – Your protection from the elements, and the one you’ll want to be built specifically for climbing (if possible). The primary purpose for this layer is to cut wind, and keep you dry from drippy climbs and precip. You’ll likely want this layer to have a wind/water proof membrane.

MEN

Bottom: Alpine Ally ($170)

Top: Synergy Jacket ($425)

WOMEN

Bottom: Alpine Ally Pants ($170)

Top: Alpine Ally Jacket ($250)

3. BELAY

This is the ace in your back pocket, and quite often the most moral boosting piece of gear. You’ll want it to be comfy, and as puffy as possible. This layer is the last piece that should go on, over top of everything else you’re wearing. Some helpful features include: a double zipper that allows you to sneak your belay loop out without riding up the jacket, and a stuff pocket/sack that allows you to put it away during multi-pitch routes.

•  Big and deep mesh pockets on the inside are great for drying out dedicated climbing gloves while you belay
• There’s a lot of puffy jackets out there that are better suited as mid-layer pieces or for warmer weather… just pick the biggest one you can for a winter belay jacket, you won’t regret it
• The technology for synthetics is getting good enough now that it’s matching some down products. Pick either one depending on the climate you’ll be climbing in. General rule of thumb: If you prioritize warmth and weight savings, pick down. If you prioritize cost and low maintenance, pick synthetic.
• For extra cold days, puffy pants are also an option too!

MEN

Top: Radiator Parka ($250)

WOMEN

Top: Hot Cocoa Parka ($329)

… that’s it – go climb!

We hope that our layering article leads to more enjoyable ice climbing days! See you out at #SOIceFest2!

– your pals at the Southern Ontario Ice Fest & MEC

Photography: Peter Hoang

Model: Alisha Nachma

Circulating rumours are true – the first 100 dinner ticket sales will come away with an awesome surprise. You’ll be the envy of all who missed out!

goo.gl/jFvX5r

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