The Edelrid Skimmers are as about as specialised as ropes get. They aren't really aimed at British trad, and are certainly not a beginner's rope. However, take them to the big mountains and they would shine, their lightness making them perfect for the weight conscious user with the experience to know exactly what they're buying into. Their rating as both half ropes and twin ropes gives them versatility in a number of settings: Alpine ice and mixed; multi pitch sport routes with an abseil..." go to full review

The Oxi QC shines in a variety of climbing styles - particularly for sport climbing, indoor climbing and bouldering, for which they've proved an excellent all-round performance shoe. They'll also work on trad if the sizing isn't too tight, though they would not be my first choice for long easy routes. I particularly rate the heel!go to full review

Overall, we were very psyched on the Edelrid Bulletproof and would highly recommend them to our readers. First and foremost, these quickdraws will simple last longer than you aluminum draws because of the steel inset placed in the rope side carabiner. Secondly, the design of these quickdraws have been thoroughly tested and undoubtedly are one of the easiest draws to place and remove when sport climbing. Finally, we concluded that the weight (and extra cost!) of these draws are worth the..." go to full review

The Petzl Elia is a great choice for anyone looking for an ABS hardshell-style helmet that also has a lot of hair. In the future, we'd love to see the ponytail design option available on even lighter and more breathable EPS style models.go to full review

The Mammut Wall Rider is a lightweight, comfortable, well-ventilated helmet that should serve as a great alternative to the lightweight Petzl helmets for those who don't like the way they fit. Despite being made of EPP foam, it isn't the lightest choice, and for us, it doesn't fit quite as comfortably as some others, but we still feel it's a good lightweight option that isn't prohibitively expensive.go to full review

The Black Diamond Solution is the most comfortable and lightest harness that we tested for this review, and was also the highest overall scorer. As such, we feel like it is the absolute best choice for climbers who primarily sport or gym climb. We also liked that it comes at a relatively affordable price compared to most companies' "high end" versions, and thus wholeheartedly endorse it.go to full review

The updated Shaman takes an already established, high-end sport-climbing shoe and makes minor adjustments to improve comfort while not changing the nature of the shoe. The Shaman is competitive on it’s merits alone, and it’s an even more compelling shoe once price is considered. Climbers looking for a shoe for thin, vertical climbs with sustained edging might consider a shoe that is stiffer underfoot, but those climbers looking to graduate to steep / overhanging terrain or pursue projects on..." go to full review

The Sterling Fusion Nano IX was an excellent rope when it was first released two years ago, and it’s still near the top of the pack for skinny ropes. The new DryXP treatment in particular is excellent; I think when combined with the higher sheath-to-core proportion and inclusion of a middle mark, the new Nano IX is definitely an improvement over the previous version of the rope. That said, if you’re looking for a super durable rope, there are slightly burlier options out there, even at..." go to full review