whipperj

[whipperj]

Well I told everyone I would be climbing by February, I didn’t say how well I would be climbing. Last Thursday I was able to sneak into the climbing gym well the grew was setting and fight my way up three easy auto belay routes. My hand is still along way from recovery but it’s not going to stop me from the joys of climbing! I can’t use my left hand to hold an ice tool yet but that’s no excuse not to train. -20c, only one good limb, and the only shoes my broken foot will fit in are winter crocs, so what are your excuses for not training? . . . . . . . . . . . #grivel #eachtotheirown #rabusa #wearerab #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #mixedclimbing https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4UTzKD1i6/?igshid=142nfrws4pr5x

[whipperj]

Well getting close to the end of the van build posts. It took me 5 months to build out the van and a great deal of that time was spent waiting on parts during shutdown. After living in vehicles for so many years I have learned keeping things simple and easily repairable is important in van life. I have seen some amazing van builds that look more like a work of art then a home. A lot of the new van builds use a lot of wood planks and hard woods which adds a ton of weight which cuts in to gas mileage. So I chose to use a nice cabinet plywood for wall panels and cabinets. I white washed and sealed all the wood to make for easy clean up from every day spills. For cabinet hardware I used old bolt hangers recycled form rebolting projects. Having a work space and a place to eat on bad weather days required a simple table. But this is the one time in the build I used a heavy peace of wood but I think it was well worth it. I finally got around to doing something about that hideous coloured couch / futon. I’m not sure if this is my final solution. Buying a simple cover made a huge difference. The big benefits are the cost and the biggest selling point for me was the ability to take it off and wash it easily. I’m still thinking of recovering the the couch but still debating that. Next post I’ll cover some of the specific features I added to make life as a climber easier on the road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifemovement #vanlifediaries #vanlifecanada #tasc #tasclife #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #wearerab #grivel #noplacetoofar https://www.instagram.com/p/CItFzvXjZbI/?igshid=1k3ar5qi2sotm

[whipperj]

This van post may not be that exciting for some but it was a huge improvement to the van. Refinishing the roof and installing solar panels. Laying out where the solar panels would be installed I pressure washed the roof but it hardly made a dent in the crud growing on it. So I sanded down spots to fibreglass on mounts for the solar panels. Had to take into account of the chimney that I had not yet installed. Then the real fun began, scrubbing the roof with a wire brush and pressure washing over a whole week. Once in was crud free I was able to refinish the roof with a RV fibreglass roofing sealant. It will help keep the roof cooler in the summers and protect and seal the fibreglass. Once the roof was cleaned and refinished the 2 100 watt solar panels were installed and wiring run. . . . . . . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifemovement #vanlifediaries #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #tasclife #wearerab #noplacetoofar #grivel https://www.instagram.com/p/CIoBr_6DyPg/?igshid=jo0lr5qoarj3

[whipperj]

Let there be heat! After a living though a winter in the bus chasing ice I learned that having reliable consistent heat in the coldest part of winter was a must. The only thing I found that would work well was a woodstove. So like the bus I decided to upgrade the heating system in the van to wood heat. The propane heater that was in the van actually ended up weighing more than this new woodstove by @cubicminiwoodstoves . Of course the hardest part about installing a woodstove was finding the clearances needed to keep it safe. I had to manufacture a custom bracket to hold a heat reflecting shield that only required 1 inch clearance. I spent days second-guessing everything and re-measuring again and again in order to get the installation safe and secure. The most nerve-wracking part of the installation was having to cut a hole through the roof! In addition I opted to order the stove insert for the top of the wood stove so those of you who are still expecting to stop by for fresh chocolate chip cookies after a long day of ice climbing they’ll be here waiting for you! After a few fires in it I’m confident in saying that it’ll be plenty warm enough come those cosy nights when it hits -40 on a Canadian ice climbing adventure! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifemovement #vanlifediaries #noplacetoofar #wearerab #rabusa #tasc #tasclife #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador https://www.instagram.com/p/CIikkSMjlyW/?igshid=1svwn117g144l

[whipperj]

Today’s van post covers some of the finishing touches of the kitchen cabinets. Replaced all the propane lines in the van with new lines and added a quick disconnect outside to hook up a bbq. Looking back into the van you can see the gold 1970’s futon. Don’t worry I did deal with that. Also I was planning on redoing the curtains but not sure I can sew one handed. Lighting is one of the most important design considerations when building a camper van. I used @goalzero Light-A-Life mini USB lights in my bus build and loved them. So they were my first choice to improve the lighting over the kitchen counter and they ended up working perfect! The end of the countertop got a little pizzazz with a sheet of copper being moulded in place for what is about be set on in! Wait till next post to see. Last part of the kitchen counter was to add a back splash. I found thin cut limestone I glued on the wall. It was light weight, easy to install and made a huge difference to the look of the whole van! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wearerab #grivel #noplacetoofar #tasc #tasclife #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #vanlife #vanlifemovement #vanlifediaries #vanlifers https://www.instagram.com/p/CIdfKz0DYMF/?igshid=4puc14tvr9jy

[whipperj]

So today we continue with the camper van rebuild series of posts. We’re up to two parts of the build that took the greatest part of my time and sanity on this build. Cabinet and electrical. I’m very confident with the electrical side but I am no cabinet maker so it took great deal of time to build the cabinets. I wanted really focus on get the electrical 100% and future proof if I ever wanted to upgrade components. I spent the extra money on higher marine grade electrical components and wiring. Which made up a considerable amount of my budget for the van rebuild. Solar panels and a shore power battery charging system installed. 12 volt and 110 volt wiring was installed throughout the van. With the electrical installed it was time to deal with the rest of the cabinets. Again this is something that is not my strongest skill set. So I took a considerable amount of time to measure, remeasure and measure again before plotting out the best solution for the build. Even though it took a considerable amount of time I was happy with the outcome of the cabinets. The countertop ended up being a very simple sheet of plywood. For a couple of reasons one I needed the clearance in the back corner of the van where the air conditioning meets the counter top. But after living in vehicles for many years I realize the abuse that counters take. So putting in an expensive butcher block or live edge counter would only add to the considerable amount of weight and cost to the build. I tried to reuse anything that was in good shape in the van and that included the sink. It was in great shape and there’s no reason to spend the money to replace it. The stove top was another issue the old one just needed to be replaced. So luckily I was able to find a new replacement stove top with a glass top which will increase counter space. It was incredibly difficult to locate one for during this pandemic it seems everybody was building vans out! I’m loving the new counter space and find a very functional. . . . . . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifediaries #vanlifemovement #vanlifestyle #tasc #tasclife #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #grivel #noplacetoofar #rabusa #wearerab https://www.instagram.com/p/CIYceyPDXVu/?igshid=1na25pbrvngh0

[whipperj]

So today I’m continuing my posts on my camper van rebuild and upgrades. One of the biggest problems with the camper van I wanted to deal was the lack of insulation on the floor of the van. All that was in the original construction was a 1/2” of plywood over the metal floor. I didn’t want to lose to much head room but wanted to improve on the insulation for winter camping. So added 1/2” of ridged insulation and topped it with another 1/2” of plywood subfloor. I did not remove the original subfloor for it was in great shape and I would of had to welded all the screws holes up and paint. It wasn’t worth the extra work plus it gave me something to screw the new subfloor into. I then tackled the wall insulation. It was old fibreglass insulation. It was full of dust from all the years of road travel and wasn’t very well fit it into the space lots of air gaps. I looked around a lot for suitable insulation and settled on a fibreglass rigid board that had some flex to it to match the contour of the van. I was able to cut it exactly to the shape and get a very tight seal. Wall panels came next I used a 6mm finish plywood. I white washed and Varathaned the panels before wrestling them into place. After all the panelling was in I lay down new flooring. I looked around a light for flooring and took all the experiences I had living in the bus full time to select flooring. Hardwood is great except it’s susceptible to water and I have had issues over the years in van built with hardwood. Carpet is warm and nice on the feet except horrible clean! I went with a final product that’s easy to clean and his water impervious. Plus is only 6mm thick so I don’t lose more head room. The minutes minutes of work that it took to put together this post is in reality over two months of work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifer #vanlifemovement #vanlifediaries #vanlifers #wearerab #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #tasclife #rabusa #noplacetoofar #climbinglife https://www.instagram.com/p/CITIOSSDN7K/?igshid=1m6z2scmmwvsh

[whipperj]

Well I think everyone’s had enough of me just posting of rehab and injuries. So I thought I’d post about what I was up to during shut down in March when I took a sabbatical from social media. After spending quite a bit of time on the road climbing last winter I realized that my old camper van needed some upgrades for winter camping. So I spent the time and tore out the entire interior of my camper van and started from scratch. So over the next few posts I’ll show you the transformation from I start to the finished product. Really spent a lot of time customizing it for my climbing needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #tasc #tasclife #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #rabusa #wearerab #vanlife #grivel (at Tunnel Mountain Banff) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIOlGeZjaD5/?igshid=1tf17qujal190

[whipperj]

Well I’m not going to lie it’s been a long month but the healing has begun! I have had some good surgeons and an amazing one! Can’t thank you enough Dr. Sims the fact I can move all my fingers again is amazing! And to all you who think my climbing days are over you better keep start training if you except to keep up to this old man! . . . . . . . . . . . . #wearerab #rabusa #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #tasclife #noplacetoofar #scarpana #alpineclimbing #iceclimbing #mixedclimbing #climbing #surgery #surgeryrecovery https://www.instagram.com/p/CHgcJIFDtC3/?igshid=10uw2dka9si93

[whipperj]

This weeks recovery goals! Step one, make it outside. Step two, must make the long walk to the climb wall / camper van. Step thee, nap in camper van for a couple hours to recoup strength. Step four,grope holds on climbing wall before long walk back to the house! So glad to be slowly on the mend! Thanks everyone for their support and help over the past three weeks! I could of made it this far with out so many amazing people! . . . . . . . . . . . . #climbing #tasc #tasclife #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #wearerab #rabusa #noplacetoofar #grivel https://www.instagram.com/p/CHO5zX5DOf8/?igshid=d04r88b18p3w

[whipperj]

Day 15 in hospital! First time I’ve seen my arm in two weeks. Finally out of a cast!! Had a great team of surgeons working on my hand but one that made the difference was Dr. Sims. She kept telling the the other surgeons in the operating room “he is going to climb again” & “we are going to make it that he can climb hard again”. I can’t thank her enough for her dedication and patience to put my hand back together! Now it’s time for me to start my part physiotherapy and rehab! May the training begin! . . . . . . . . #wearerab #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #noplacetoofar #alpineclimbing #iceclimbing #mixedclimbing #grivel https://www.instagram.com/p/CG8cllhjE5C/?igshid=uwt1f6wt6ur4

[whipperj]

So I wonder if the extra arm weight with help with my swing🤔 this ice climbing season could be amazing!! . . . . . . . . . . . . #iceclimbing #climbing #mixedclimbing #noplacetoofar #grivel #wearerab #rabusa #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador https://www.instagram.com/p/CG2rLNkDH5w/?igshid=1xqeog6pwld9w

[whipperj]

I must say I though @rab.equipment and @lowe.alpine just made great mountain gear but apparently they make amazing hospital transfer gear as well! Just arrived in my 2nd country, 3rd hospital, 5th ambulance ride, 2nd air transport and 5th Covid test in the past 10 days. Made it to the same city as my kids at least, hope to see them in the next couple of days! And huge thanks for everyone that has been a support and huge help during these past 10days. . . . . . . . #climbing #alpinclimbing #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #wearerab #rabusa #scarpana #noplacetoofar https://www.instagram.com/p/CGswcFPDntt/?igshid=15cmvuhir8igg

[whipperj]

Well one upgrade I got that I can’t wait to try out this ice season is my new mono point! . . . . . . . . . . . #iceclimbing #mixedclimbing #grivel #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #noplacetoofar #scarpana #wearerab #grivel (at Kalispell Regional Medical Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGq7bmuDR8C/?igshid=18rvwx38to9w7

[whipperj]

Well not all climbing trips end the same way. Hospital bed bound for a while. Go Fund Me https://gf.me/u/y5jb9t . . . . . . . . . #rockclimbing #iceclimbing #alpineclimbing #bouldering #tasc #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #rabusa #wearerab (at Kalispell Regional Medical Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGjBlRbjUwq/?igshid=8xvlann3zzsa

[whipperj]

Since March I have stayed pretty much silent on any social media for I have felt like there is so much noise out there that there didn’t need to be another voice added to the mix. Especially since I was ill informed to speak to what is happening in our world. I have seriously considered walking away from all social media for good. The only reason I have been on social media was to stay content with my friends and see what they are up to. With out social media of some sort there are several close friends I would not be able to stay in contact with. Plus I feel an obligation to the amazing companies I partner with in these challenging times we are all in. So I decided to give social media one more go. Thanks for two great friends @running_bum_ & @angela_vanwiemeersch for the conversion that made me want to stay connected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . #noplacetoofar #tasc #tascperformance #tasclife #tascperformanceambassador #wearerab #rabusa #grivel #scarpana (la Sleepy Bear Coffee Shop) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFti2-7Dnv-/?igshid=w73at7b4n0r1

[whipperj]

Forty-seven years on this planet today, 39 years since I first discovered the joy of climbing. If only these hands could recount the hours of fighting their way up to countless routes around this planet. Well, here’s to another year of battles and toils to come! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #tasclife #tascperformance #tascperformanceambassador #noplacetoofar #scarpana #rabusa #wearemountainpeople #rockclimbing #climbing https://www.instagram.com/p/CCojlHejJxy/?igshid=gwxnmr3b7l43