DoItYourself (DIY) Gear Projects

[TallGrass]

While most any piece of gear can be purchased, sometimes improvisation is needed, and other times it's just fun to do-it-yourself with materials already on hand.

Case in point: pick adze tip guard for an ice axe. There are several on the market for $5 to $15, clever Grivel even incorporates a spike guard into its leash.

IceAxePickGuards.JPG (24.88 KiB) Viewed 2522 times

In a pinch, you can fashion one out of a scrap of leather and some duct tape as Dancesatmoonrise describes, as well as an UL leash. Thought I'd try making one at of materials I already had on hand, as most DIYers have various (s)crap on hand. First thought was using black radiator and fuel hose, but settled on cleaner looking clear vinyl tubing and some shock cord. Found the nicest way to get a clean straight cut outside of using the stores tubing cutter was to clamp it in a vise then pull a razor blade across the top of the closed jaws. A small tip soldering iron made holes for the shock cords (wipe off iron while hot with multi-fold paper towel, then brush clean when cool), and can even weld an end closed but it doesn't look as nice. Make sure there's enough cord for it to stretch to get the pick or adze end on -- don't use a short loop spanning a couple inches, rather four or so.

Here's the first I made. The I.D. of the vinyl tubing was 1-1/4" for the adze, think 1/2" or 5/8" for the pick, and 1" for the spike. There are two holes each for the adze and pick covers. The 1" I.D. is a perfect fit on this shaft and almost doesn't need a stop. A key ring works great for this. If you cut some grooves and used the lower rivet hole to put a stop through, 1" I.D. could also make a nice non-metal grip.

IceAxePickGuard1.JPG (79.65 KiB) Viewed 2522 times

Made a second one. Again, 1" I.D. with a key ring worked great on the shaft, and the angle makes it a little easier to slide on. If stuck when removing, give it a twist. Adze and pick covers have a single hole and I tried using the iron to weld the end closed for the pick, though it made more of a mess. Regardless, the 3/4" I.D. still jams before the pick tip comes close, Grivel's being bigger than BD's.

IceAxePickGuard2.JPG (29.72 KiB) Viewed 2522 times

Slip Fit versus Stretch Fit: Haven't tested them by tossing them in the freezer, but rubber or vinyl aren't as pliable when cold, so there's a chance a stretch fit could be stuck hours into a winter hike. Leave it outside the night before to test. If too snug, simply remove it before you leave your car. Guards are mainly for storage and transport any how.

Sizing Tip: Not sure which I.D. to use on your axe? If you can't take your axe into the hardware store, wrap a strip of paper around the widest part and mark with a pencil where the start to overlap to find the circumference. Measure in inches and divide by 3.14159 to find the minimum, though you'll likely go up to the next size as stretched tubing wants to return to round and thus will "grip" smaller flat circumferences. The BD adze was wider than the Grivel and I had to stretch using a couple long, parallel screwdrivers and light torch heat -- DON'T inhale any vinyl fumes nor rubber. Singe the ends of the shock cord after knotted and dyked to keep sheath from fraying.

Lastly with a Friend: Hardware stores usually sell tubing by the foot (call ahead for sizes and pricing) which is enough to make two to four guards. Have a friend or three come by with their axes and make it a social DIY.

Who else has DIYed some gear stuff? Photos?

[14erFred]

Sweet! Thanks for sharing this.

[Rollie Free]

Good idea for a thread. I hope there are some more entries.

I know its all that to buy the latest marketed gear but there must be some tough guys out there who can do it on their own.

I was looking into building some show shoes last year but after assessing my skills, decided it would not be in anyone's best interest.

[Cruiser]

Made some really nice whoopie slings out of 7/64" Amsteel blue that I picked up at West Marine. I used some paracord to hang my hammock a few years back only to have it fail, injuring me in the resulting fall. So the Amsteel with it's 1600# break strength seemed like cheap insurance. It's crazy light too so it's super easy to carry in my pack.

http://www.teufelberger.com/fileadmin/T ... _Sling.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TallGrass]

Made some really nice whoopie slings

Photos? How do you use them?