The Instinct is a great all-arounder, with an aggressive shape to hold its own on steep terrain and a stiff sole that excels on small edges. These shoes are incredibly well-made and built to last, which adds to their overall value. They break in quickly, fit a wide foot comfortably, and have a heel cup that fits better than most shoes in this review. The XS Grip 2 rubber soles are sticky and soft - able to smear into small holds. These features place the Instinct up there with our award-..." go to full review

Overall the Petzl Verso fulfills its role as a basic tube-style belay device. These designs are great for new or experienced climbers that appreciate simplicity and a good deal. When compared with its direct competition in this class though, we noticed a few small drawbacks in lock-off strength and durability. Nevertheless, the Verso is a capable belay device and well worth your consideration.go to full review

The Wild Country Revo is in a class of its own, with no other belay devices offering similar function and features. We laud its innovation and think it is more than worthy of a Top Pick award because it offers a solid and proven emergency backup while still requiring standard belay technique. For beginners or experienced climbers alike, this is an excellent choice for use cragging or at the gym.go to full review

The Edelrid Giga Jul is a true "all in one" belay device. Being able to rappel double ropes and belay in auto-block mode is a necessity for any multi-pitch belay device, but also adding in assisted braking greatly increases its value. We know many people who commonly carry a tube and a GriGri up multi-pitch climbs, just for this same versatility. With the Giga Jul, this need disappears, and this level of versatility is what makes it an easy choice for our Top Pick award for Multi-..." go to full review

The Black Diamond MiniWire are the smallest and lightest quickdraws we have ever used. They are designed for long alpine single push missions, where saving weight really matters, and make for a poor draw for sport climbing due to their miniscule size.go to full review

For the time being, the HotForge Quickdraw represents the top end of Black Diamond's quickdraw lineup, although it doesn't offer the same high end performance as the highest scorers in this review. It is a good budget purchase for those who like to clip their rope to a bent gate on the bottom.go to full review

The Black Diamond HotForge Hybrid are a new quickdraw that present excellent value, which is why we gave them our Best Buy Award. If you want a solid draw that is easy to clip, very easy to see, and has an easy to remove keylocking upper gate, all at a reasonable price, then look no further.go to full review

After months of use the only damage to these is normal wear on the rubber. The uppers and lace holes are bomber. At nearly $200 it’s nice to have a shoe that lasts well beyond burning through the rand, with plenty of life left for a resole, if you’re into that kinda thing. Overall, I’m pleased with the new Testarossa, it’s a welcome and much-improved update to the classic. More power to the toe, more function in the heel, and a longer shelf life thanks to better materials. Yes, more of..." go to full review

The well tested toe rand is similar to the Drago and Furia and offers plenty of surface area for toe hooking and even the occasional crack. It has also kept the shoe profile as it should be without any stretch.There is also a grey power band (the PAF system) that encased the arch of your foot to help keep the shoe tensioned and offer some performance enhancement by giving the Veloce a slight down turn to help push the toe into the toe box. How tensioned the heel is is shown by how many holes..." go to full review

My first impressions of the harness were that it was going to be a bit clunky: at 420 grams this thing is at least a middleweight in any head-to-head match-up. But the more I wore it, the more I liked it. The waistbelt is wide and soft. The upper lip of the waist belt is rounded and cushioned—it dug into my hips perhaps less than any harness I’ve worn. This is the harness you want if you know you’re going to be doing a lot of hanging, but not necessarily climbing at your limit when weight is..." go to full review