High-performance bargain tool

“You get what you pay for” didn’t become an overused consumer cliché for nothing, but the Raptor will have you backtracking. “This tool competes with my go-to tools that cost almost twice as much as these,” one tester said after two weeks of ice and mixed climbing in the Northeast. “Now I feel silly for shelling out so much dough!” Testers loved the simple, streamlined design with a small curve in the shaft and an offset handle (meaning it’s angled slightly backward), which offered a solid amount of sticking power with each moderate swing. The pinky rest made the tools comfortable and easy to use without over-gripping, and the ergonomic double handle made matching hands and technical movement a breeze. Important update from last year: Designers made the main handle slightly larger so big-pawed ice climbers will fall in love with these, too. Nitpick: The removable head weights have Phillips- head screws; testers would have preferred the more standard, field-friendly, dime-size flathead.