Having a pack that fits right is a big deal, for me. When my well-loved and well-abused Black Diamond Sphynx 35 (the 2006 model) needed retirement (the bottom is reinforced by multiple layers of duct tape), I was totally psyched to try out all the women’s packs on the market. It was very disappointing to [...]
The rainy winter and spring have given way to a beautiful summer. All of a sudden things started getting warm, which means more time outside for Lizzy and I. This also means we have more opportunities to play with gear! I was excited when I heard La Sportiva was making a new approach shoe, the [...]
I always have too much stuff. I guess it’s because I like to tinker with things and climbing gear just tends to appeal to me. This does not always work out when I try to bring to whole kitchen sink to the crag with me. I want to have two pairs of climbing shoes, maybe [...]
In my mind a good backpack carries well, is easily filled with gear, and is durable enough to stand up to abuse. In recent years I have seen many climbers bring small haul bags or haul packs as a substitute for a crag pack. These packs are usually spacious and quite durable. However, most haul [...]
In 2008 Arc’teryx was first to market with a new way of building a climbing harness. Petzl had developed a similar technology with the Frame Harness, but it did not offer the weight savings present by the Arc’teryx’s Warp Technology. A few months after the release of the R320 and companion models, I heard a [...]
Back when I was learning to lead belay (and climb multipitch routes), one of my guides told my classmates and I that we needed to go get daisy chains and belay gloves before he’d let us lead belay: a daisy chain so that you can attach yourself to an anchor (although now I typically anchor [...]
After testing out the Acrteryx R320 I was interested in trying out the competition. Right now I am testing the Black Diamond Chaos with the Kinetic Core Construction. So far I’ve mainly been cragging but it went up the Freeblast twice back in October. After a bunch more pitches I will be doing a full [...]
Its been little over a year now that Lizzy and I have been using our Reverso3′s, Black Diamond C3′s and Oz carabiners. I wanted to check back in and give some follow up comments to add to my first review . Petzl Reverso 3 Looking back over the past year I’ve done over 300 pitches of [...]
Wow, its new and shiny, it must be amazing! I am a consumer, I must have it!! I try to keep thoughts like these at bay when I read through online reviews or the bi-annual OR gear show reports. Unfortunately I can’t help lusting after the latest and greatest in the outdoor industry. In my [...]
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