Really there was only one thing I didn’t love about the Technician. The leg loops are too big for me, and I have to wonder at some of these harnesses, where size medium is perfect for my waist, but the leg loops open up to gargantuan size. Who are these people with size 32 waists that have legs the size of tree trunks? Definitely not sport climbers. Even with the adjustable leg loops cinched all the way down, they felt a little baggy on my legs. They also would invariably loosen up a little..." go to full review
They were originally designed so they could rotate in a bolt hanger and they do that easily, they can be used with a clip stick with no problem, they are ideal on a first quickdraw where you want to be sure the carabiner gate can’t be compromised as you climb past and, if you don’t want to carry a screwgate for every situation that would normally warrant one, they offer a good in between choice and save around 10 grams on the weight of a screwgate (depending on screwgate model).go to full review
It’s strengths just like the standard Swift are in trad and winter/alpine use. Used as a double you get an extra margin of security and the versatility to use as a single on less technical routes. In winter and the Alps I can see me using it as a single for simplicity and light weight and perhaps pairing it with a tag line or a super light double/twin like the Skimmer we reviewed last year. Bear in mind that you would need to rig the Skimmer as a pull line rather than as a conventional..." go to full review
The Choucas Light is meant for ski touring, alpinism and ice climbing. I used it during 50+ ice and alpine outings. Fitting in the palm of your hand, the Choucas takes up almost no room in a pack. Once it’s on, you hardly notice it, and it is so slim it rides with no bother under a pack waist belt. I missed having a belay loop, but got used to clipping through the two tie-in loops, which have the unique benefit of keeping your knot out of the way of your pack waist belt. Two gear loops, one..." go to full review
In terms of catching falls, the Revo works like a tube-style device, letting a little slack slip through organically to give a dynamic catch, which means you don’t need to be that aggressive with the up or forward “soft catch” jump. And, of course, if you let too much slack slip through, it will lock up. To consider, however, is that if you properly catch a fall, the locking mechanism will not engage, meaning if your climber starts rage-batmanning back to their high point or wants to do an..." go to full review
The big news was the Shadow’s amazing sensitivity: With a 4.3mm printed outsole and a barely there midsole, you feel every hold, from the sparest ripple to a pea-sized pebble to a micro-spike jib—it’s so notable, you need to recalibrate your footwork. The shoes are super-grippy, most notably on smears and smear-edges (smedges). They just glom on.go to full review
The Vision has its limitations, though. It certainly shines for casual cragging and can work well for longer routes, depending on how light you're willing to go or if you supplement it with a gear sling and/or backpack. At some point, you'll probably want something a little more substantial. I won't be using this for any big walls, but it's a great option to have for that Grade III 5.9 with a two-hour approach.go to full review