The Edelrid Salathe is a viable lightweight helmet that offers impact protection from the top, sides, and rear, making it one of the best and most versatile options. While it is nearly double the price of the least expensive helmets, we think you are far more likely to wear your helmet, and enjoy wearing it, with a lightweight foam option such as this one.go to full review

I love my Scarpa Vapor V’s. They perform almost as well as any style-specific shoe (with the exception of crack climbing), and are easily the most versatile pair I own. They’re comfortable, breathable, sticky, and durable. If I have to pick any one pair of shoes for a day at the crag, these are usually my first choice.go to full review

Designed as a ‘comfort performance shoe,’ the Scarpa Vapor Vs are ready to take on any challenge that you throw at them. These great all-around shoes are versatile enough to excel at everything from steep faces to crack climbing, while keeping your feet happy for those lengthy climbing sessions. A slightly wider-than-average toe box may lead to sizing issues for some users, but if you can dial in the sizing, the Scarpa Vapor V may just become your new favorite shoe.go to full review

Evolv’s Kronos (2019) are great all-around shoes that perform well across a wide range of rock and in the gym. I love the high level of comfort the Kronos has to offer as well as the ease of use when putting them on and taking off. My only wish would be for the slight downturn to hold its shape better, as it flattens out when the shoes are broken in. Overall, Evolv crushed it with the 2019 Kronos! I have already recommended the Kronos to others who have bought and are happy with them as well..." go to full review

First off they fitted brilliantly well to both my Scarpa Mont Blanc Pros (original version) and my Phantom 6000s, the slightly wider front piece putting the inside points in a very good position for ‘edging’. Packing them into my sac required a little re-arrangement compared to my usual system but no real issues although as I stated earlier a crampon bag of some for is nigh on mandatory. An ascent of Scabbard Chimney in SCNL gave a good introduction to thin slabby ice a great test for a..." go to full review

The action on the Reaction (see what I did there?) carabiners is remarkably smooth and responsive. The straight-gate Reaction carabiner—used on the bolt-end of the draw—has a small divot on the outside of the gate, which functions as a thumb catch would on any less-than-ideal hold on a route. It’s almost like those little raised bumps on the “F” and “J” on your keyboard, helping you to sightlessly orient the quickdraw perfectly in your hand based on the feel of it.go to full review

After over 50 pitches of use, the Zone’s molded rubber still looks crisp and edges well. The printed rubber accents across the top of the shoe have also survived nicely and continue to add confidence for hard toe-hooking moves. The knit upper and the Velcro straps are in better-than-expected condition. The only real wear to the straps occurred when testing the shoes in sandstone cracks, which is, admittedly, a big ask for these shoes. Not what they’re designed for.go to full review

The BOA dialing system on the Lowa Ice Rocket is as easy to adjust as a boot can get. The toe box felt a tad airy, and that roominess is accentuated because the lacing system ratchets at the top, so much of the squeezing goes on up there and not so much down by the toes. For a snug fit, I downsized a half size, not worrying about getting cold, as I only wear the Rockets for sending and don’t stand around in them to belay.go to full review

When you have to overcome the camming device to feed out several arm lengths of slack quickly, you press on the camming unit with your thumb. I found myself wishing there was some sort of finger catch on the side of the device for my index finger, so that I could more easily maintain my grip on the brake strand with a couple fingers and also apply apply counter pressure to steady my hand. Since there isn’t such a feature, the Birdie requires a bit more dexterity than other devices, but it..." go to full review

Bluesign-certified and made of up-cycled yarns (yarns left over from the manufacture of other ropes), the Boa Eco points to an exciting new direction: recycled/up-cycled done right, with no “greenwashing” or compromised performance. “The Boa Eco was stretchy enough for a soft catch, but not so much that I was a pissed-off toproper,” said one tester of the rope, which has an impact force of 8kN and weighs 62 g/m (same as the nonrecycled 9.8mm Boa Pro Dry). It’s your standard high-end 9.8mm,..." go to full review