I have two problems in poor, cold windy conditions. The first problem is when I wear a buff or gorilla balaclava with my julbo zebra goggles my breath causes ice to build inside my goggles. On two separate occasions this happen once on Mt. Katahdin and once on Mt. Shasta. The wind ranged from 40-70, windchill between -20 to -40, one time with snow the other in the clouds. The other problem is when taking gear out of my pack (Gregory Whitney) in these conditions everything is frozen stiff, clips and straps become a pain to adjust. I was wondering if there is a spray for my pack to keep it functional in these conditions ? If I duct tape my balaclava to my face will that keep my goggles from freezing inside, even when breathing through my nose vapor still worms its way up and freezes them if I have to look up. Since these problems only happen on really crappy days its hard to find solutions by trial and failure. Any advice or ideas would be great.

i don't have any advice for you, but here is a funny anecdote - i happen to have a very large beard - on aconcagua a few years ago, i was also wearing julbo goggles and a balaclava, or perhaps a neck gator, i don't recall - anyway, my goggles keep fogging up with ice - i tried to take off my balaclava to prevent this, but it was frozen solid to my beard - i took off my goggles for awhile, but then i bumped into a fellow climber i knew who instructed me to put my goggles back on so i wouldn't go snowblind - i ultimately had to tear big chunks of my beard out in order to remove the balaclava so that i could deice my goggles and keep them functional - good times, good times

I expect there are better ideas than this but I would suspect if you can prevent the build up of moisture in the goggles to start with then it will not be able to freeze. I have more experience with this from diving than climbing so some suggestions are here: http://scuba.about.com/od/equipment/p/F ... ention.htm.

paisajeroamericano wrote:i don't have any advice for you, but here is a funny anecdote - i happen to have a very large beard - on aconcagua a few years ago, i was also wearing julbo goggles and a balaclava, or perhaps a neck gator, i don't recall - anyway, my goggles keep fogging up with ice - i tried to take off my balaclava to prevent this, but it was frozen solid to my beard - i took off my goggles for awhile, but then i bumped into a fellow climber i knew who instructed me to put my goggles back on so i wouldn't go snowblind - i ultimately had to tear big chunks of my beard out in order to remove the balaclava so that i could deice my goggles and keep them functional - good times, good times

Hope Mullah Omar and the taliban don't hear about this beard damage!

Beard popsicles make a tasty snack for the trip back.

I don't think there are any magical tricks for preventing frost build-up on goggles. Just make sure the balaclava fits correctly and is aligned properly. You obviously have to exhale through the mouth/nose openings to direct air away from your goggles. If the openings are not aligned right and you exhale inside the balaclava, then the moisture from your breath will seep out under and into your goggles. Make sure you readjust your balaclava throughout the day if it moves out of alignment. Keep it tight to prevent it from moving out of position.

Also, be sure that you have a good pair of breathe-able goggles. I have the A-Frame goggles by Oakley and they breathe pretty well.

Better to have fogged goggles then eyes frozen shut. (not fun)
I have had similar problems, but with enough adjusting and moving things around, it became minimal.

Some balaclavas (the cheaper ones) will freeze up around the mouth from the moisture being exhaled. This will make breathing extremely hard, I kept having to "defrost" the mouth peace so I could breath, the defrosting eventually gave me mild frostbite on my right cheek from having it exposed to the cold wind. ( that balaclava found its way to the garbage fast!)

As far as buckles and straps, I usually try not to adjust anything after I'm off and climbing. It is difficult when they are stiff, and fingers are cold. The bigger buckles are generally easier, so I resort to only using the main compartment from my top end loading backpack. The attachments are larger and easier to handle when stiff. compression sacks should only be used for sleeping bag and parka, everything else can go in an easy draw sting stuff sack (food, spare gloves, water, etc.)

Either get a pair of goggles with a built-in fan, or carry a second pair of goggles.

You could spray everything with a road salt solution, but that probably wouldn't be good in the long run.

If it's not too cold, grasping the entire buckle with your bare hand for 10-15 seconds makes them more pliable. Crumple/bend straps (while free of tension) to make them more pliable... but it doesn't always work.

Wind chill does not affect inanimate objects. They only "feel" the actual temperature. We feel wind chill because moisture evaporates from our skin. Riming can definitely be a problem with anything exposed to the wind though.

I've rarely worn goggles, so I can't help you there. But duct taping your face probably isn't a good idea. If you decide to do it, please post the "after" photos for our amusement.

I've had some success by cutting a few larger holes in the mouth section and trying to not breathe as much through my nose. I know this allows colder air into the lungs, but it keeps the moisture from escaping up into the goggles.