Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
| Messages 1 - 45 of total 45 in this topic |
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 12, 2007 - 11:16pm PT
|
Scored on ebay - an old, new Gregory "Big Wally"! I've been wondering what I'd do when mine finally gave up the ghost only to be saved by the bell. Halelluha! I was told this was the last of a batch that had been purchased for a special forces team back when they were still making them. I love these packs...
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 12, 2007 - 11:17pm PT
|
Nice. I designed that pack and the Black Crag when I worked there from like, 93-95.
There's a story behind it, of course.
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 12, 2007 - 11:23pm PT
|
Well, in that case I have to take my hat off to you as a designer. That has been the only pack I've been completely happy with ever since the day I bought the damn thing long ago - glad to have a replacement in the wings as the first one is finally giving out.
Do tell...
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 12, 2007 - 11:31pm PT
|
Climbing and Rock and Ice came out with similar favorable reviews for this product in the same month.
I'm really glad you like the pack.
Ray
(but that's not the story)
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 12, 2007 - 11:38pm PT
|
In fact, since discussing events regarding former employers is probably not in the best taste, I'm going to skip it.
Again, thanks for the compliment! I really appreciate it.
|
|
couchmaster
climber
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 12:20am PT
|
Did you ever come out with the Grade VI version?
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 12:26am PT
|
this is a really good question.
Michael Kennedy wanted one for one of his Alaskan adventures so I wanted to make sure the thing worked. I built it, took it to the valley and had a friend (bigger than me) use it on an ascent of the prow - I carried 2 Big Wallys. The pack worked great.
That's the end of the story.
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 12:34am PT
|
This one was a step towards Big Wally.
Major political drama here too - exhausting - even the color (now in vogue) created conniptions.
Also some basic confusion regarding the difference between mass and density (not knowing the difference?) by someone with the initials YC.
|
|
Hawkeye
climber
State of Mine
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 12:39am PT
|
raydog. WTF!
your political inability to kiss your bosses ass resulted in years, yes f*#kin years, of us climbers with substandard products?
you dont sound like a f*#k so it mite of been your bosses...
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 12:45am PT
|
I love my work and have always found it easy and you know - that alone might have been hard for them to take.
|
|
Hawkeye
climber
State of Mine
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 12:51am PT
|
well. ok. and not to diss on A5. they had some good sh#t. but paks was not one of them. i bought one of their first astro packs. great idea? NO! in order to haul the f*#ker you had to turn it inside out. so cruising up the NIAD i was supposed to turn it inside out when i wanted it in pack mode?
A5 had some great products and i supported them. but packs was not their strong point.
some designers were before their time. you sound like one of them. hope you are still at it....
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 12:53am PT
|
Thanks.
I'm still at it.
|
|
johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 01:17am PT
|
Healyje;
How much did you give for that on Ebay?
Very nice product raydog.
|
|
Jello
Social climber
No Ut
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 01:32am PT
|
Raydog, believe me, I resemble your pain! Keep on truckin', trucker...Great designs!
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 01:32am PT
|
Thanks jonboy (edit and Jello)
Below, the first utility pack I designed in 1979.
Note how the back of this completely frameless pack looks like the human back - it has the same shape.
Now, look around at what's out there today...are these packs really designed to fit, ya know, like a glove?
Remember this anatomic block was the product of a no-name geek in a garage in Imperial Beach.
|
|
Jello
Social climber
No Ut
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 01:40am PT
|
Looks like a form-fit to me, Ray.
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2007 - 01:45am PT
|
$51.00 - Deal of the Century as far as I'm concerned...
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 01:49am PT
|
Yeah that is a good price.
That Ballistics cloth is from a US mill and was pretty expensive
even then.
The name of this thread just floors me with it's irony - thanks.
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 02:10am PT
|
Wait - someone else deserves credit here.
That pack was built in Gregory's Temecula plant run By Bob Rudolph - the former production manager/construction engineer for Wilderness Experience in Chatsworth.
He's the reason my design turned out so well - was so faithfully reproduced as a product.
Last I heard he was in Santa Barbara working for JANDD, hope he's doing well.
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 11:24am PT
|
Does anybody have the review of Big Wally published in Rock and Ice? This was around 93/4.
|
|
TopRopeGun
Trad climber
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 11:30am PT
|
Nice score on the big wally....you beat me for it!
I had one that got stolen years ago...loved that thing...GREAT design.
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2007 - 01:11pm PT
|
topropegun - I'm going to go over my old one and see about having it rework or refurbished. Everything is perfect on it except the bag is getting a bit thin in places. I can turn you on to one or the other once I do...
|
|
jbur
Trad climber
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 04:57pm PT
|
Great pack, I've got one like Healyje just bought. A friend of mine has one that is more like haulbag material. Mine still has alot of life left, but I probably need to get on the hunt for another before there to hard to find. Great design by the way.
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2007 - 05:24pm PT
|
I felt there were two little problems with using the Shelterite haul-bag type material on that pattern.
The bottom wrap will put tiny puckers in that type of material and it will wear prematurely right along the seam on the sides of the bottom. Your friends may have pin-holes there already.
I anticipated an eventual material change and fixed this on the Grade VI model. It was made of a material with "special attributes" but not a non-woven (haul bag type) material.
Also, tests revealed that the Ballistics padded back-panel was very reluctant to show any wear under any circumstances. The ballistics is much better as a back-panel material, the texture helps it transfer weight better and of course next to the skin there's no comparison.
I sent Wallys and Black Crags to Kurt Smith who used them for hauling bolting gear on his Mexico projects. The sharp rock destroyed the pack bags but the back-panels looked fine.
Also a light silver gray color is the best technical and aesthetic choice for a product of this nature I believe.
Enjoy your pack!
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2007 - 12:08pm PT
|
Ray, if I refurbish the old one I have, is that fabric still available or any suggestions on what I should use? Like I said, the bag is the only worn part, the rest of it is as good as the day I bought it.
----------------------
IndianClimber, what's with that link? I'm guessing no one really has these for sale, so how did it end up on that site????
|
|
ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2007 - 02:05pm PT
|
I had a Big Wally. Got at the old Boulder Mountaineering shop up on the Hill. Someone Ripped it off a long time ago. It was a pretty nice pack.
|
|
Indianclimber
climber
Las Vegas
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2007 - 02:38pm PT
|
healyje
Googled Big wally,and that popped up ,maybe old list pricing for a new one when they were being sold?
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2007 - 05:38pm PT
|
healyje,
check it out - the best way to patch an item like that, the best way I know of is to get some black tool dip (Plasti-Dip).
Also some small swatches of any lighweight coated nylon big enough to cover the holes w/ a good margin, a 2" margin is not too much.
Ok, Fish is reading so I gotta get this right...
W/ Keyston or 3M spray adhesive glue the lightweight nylon patches to the inside of the pack - you can turn it inside out and prep w/ damp paper towel, clean surface.
Let it dry, turn pack right side out and stuff the pack w/ like an old blanket or whatever. Stuff it good.
Now, in a well ventilated area, w/ an aspirator if you've got one - dude put gloves on too - "paint" the plasti-dip on w/ a paint scraper, press it into the fiber good, coat it, paint it and when it dries it's bomber.
If wear is not so bad (abrasions) the inner patches won't be needed.
Enjoy.
|
|
Indianclimber
climber
Las Vegas
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2007 - 06:08pm PT
|
Raydog resurrects a Big Wally ..Nice
|
|
Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2007 - 06:26pm PT
|
I'll add 'cause Ray is reading this.....
The thing with the dip is it will not adhere well to anything that is super smooth.... so lightly sand the area around your wound (ballistic cloth right?) to expose some fibers. The dip will take to this roughed up surface much better. If you are a thrillseeker, I've had some success on unsanded fabric by cutting the Dip with white gas to thin it.. on the can it has some other stuff you can use too (paint thinner?) to thin the product and get better absorption (is that a word?)
Another trick for holes that are small is to get shoe-goo or whatever and then honk a big blob into the hole... then use wax paper on the back side and wax paper on the front side to press it all flat and then let it dry like this... it will form a mushroom style "plug" in the hole.
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2007 - 06:28pm PT
|
There ya have it.
Thanks Russ!
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2007 - 06:42pm PT
|
Ray and Russ, thanks for those tips. I was thinking more along the lines of replacing either the front panel of the 'bag' part or the entire 'bag' itself and was curious what the material was or a substitute.
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2007 - 06:59pm PT
|
something like, 18oz "senior" ballistics cloth.
Source?
Gregory customer service might be able to help.
Often - if there's no other alternative, a shoe shop or similar can do the sewing.
The dip method as described above can in fact fix massive holes,
plus the dip is renewable.
I used to make canvas haul bags and painted the whole things w/ dip, yes I was that stupid - but it gives you an idea what can be dome w/ the methods described.
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2007 - 11:46pm PT
|
Thanks again, I'll check out the bag closer and see if the dip business might work for it. We do have a good shoe outfit here so I'll check in with them as well.
Great work though - what are you doing these days...?
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
|
Mar 14, 2007 - 11:52pm PT
|
Ya Ray,
Yer stuff always bore the mark of superior ergonomics, sleek no nonsense accoutrement, and pleasingly burly fit & finish.
Rock on Dude.
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 15, 2007 - 12:22am PT
|
Thanks a lot Roy.
Have a fun and safe trip!
|
|
couchmaster
climber
|
|
|
Aug 11, 2007 - 10:21pm PT
|
I read this thread (and having great respect for HealyJes opinion) I started looking for one for myself.
$25 I got a used one.
Holy sh*t Ray, I had no idea that this pack was so damn good. I can only describe it as Masterful.
You should be proud dude.
Now, if you could get Metolius or Fish to start making it again.....everyone can enjoy it.
|
|
marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
|
|
|
Aug 12, 2007 - 12:28am PT
|
And here I thought this'd be about Wally Barker. Hmmmph. Now back to huff some PlastiDip.
|
|
onyourleft
Social climber
SmogAngeles
|
|
|
Aug 12, 2007 - 01:09am PT
|
Raydog, I have a 10 year old Black Crag that continues to be my favorite daypack. I don't use it in hauling situations, so it's stayed in excellent condition. That was a great design. There's nothing on the market today that holds up as well. The ultralights are crap in my book.
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Aug 12, 2007 - 01:26am PT
|
You know
I think it was a couple of days ago I was watching some guy trying to fit a small sleeping bag into this "modern pack". With much effort could he shove that thing in there because those idiot designers narrow taper the top of almost every pack you see now-a-days.
Dumb ass sh'it.
And every pack has a million stupid little things built all over them. And don't get me started with those dumb ass zippers on packs on the bottom section or compartments.
Who designs this crap now-a-days?
Then there were those original Lowe packs that I could get the whole damn IMAX camera into it without any trouble. All 85 lbs of it.
|
|
BeeHay
Trad climber
San Diego CA
|
|
|
Aug 12, 2007 - 07:56pm PT
|
Ray, can you at least tell us who was Mass, and who was Density!?
|
|
T Moses
Trad climber
Paso Robles
|
|
|
Aug 12, 2007 - 10:44pm PT
|
Healyje,
I missed this thread previously. I have some Ballistics nylon I would be willing to send you if you still need it. I have some left over from my portaledge. Plenty of scraps for you to play with.
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
|
Sep 19, 2007 - 01:21am PT
|
Ray,
Roger Brown uses a Big Wally for rebolting work - he loads it full of a pile of ropes and various heavy steel items (hammer, drills, bolts, hangers, rings), then carts them all over. The good stuff!!
|
|
| Messages 1 - 45 of total 45 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!