Any experienced canyoneer knows there is a pretty large gap between comfort and durability for their gear. One of the toughest topics in a canyoneer’s gear quiver is their backpack, it must be small, lightweight, durable, comfortable, drain well, and…
The Evolv Supra is high-performance shoe for delicate footwork and aggressive climbing. While they’re not the most severely down-turned shoe in the product line, the Supra is designed to hold up in the face of your toughest climbs. Fit I…
A comfy all-day carry is the defining character of the Mountainsmith Mayhem 35L Pack. It has plenty of room for backpacking and enough support to carry a mountain of hardware to the base of the crag, with convenient pockets to…
The original Petzl ELIA was the first climbing helmet I bought for myself due to the great and simple fact that it was specific to females, particularly to allow for ponytails and other rat’s-nest hairdos that result from a hot…
Staying warm in the mountains and getting all my climbing stuff to the crag are VERY important to me. As a self-described skinny climber guy, I’m always cold. Enter the Bergans of Norway Bladet INS Jacket. It’s an amazing tool…
Last summer after dragging my heavy, half ropes up various multi-pitches in the Sawtooths, I began shopping around for something lighter and came across the Beal Gully 7.3 (the thinnest, lightest half rope on the market). My stars aligned! The…
New routing can be a thankless job. You toil up on the side of a cliff, cleaning, bolting and dreaming up the line you think is good, usually far from the seeing eyes of the masses. If the route is…
The Omega Pacific Vulcan Quickdraw is not just a standard lightweight quickdraw. I used these draws all winter in Alaska, clipping gear, ice screws and bolts, and now they are a welcomed addition to my rack for mixed, ice and…
The team over at Petzl have been making great products for years, that’s not a surprise to anyone. But what is a bit surprising, at least to my over caffeinated brain, is the level of craftsmanship built into the Sama…
I’ve used a GRIGRI before, in fact I had the very first GRIGRI and really enjoyed how it worked. But the GRIGRI 2, while not exactly new on the market, really is a huge step up in the belay device world. Updates: For…