The bottom line is I love these shoes. When it comes time to buy a new pair or think about getting them resoled, I'm definitely going to consider these strongly and it's going to take a VERY good pair of shoes to get me to stray away from them. Indoor, outdoor, bouldering or sport climbing, these shoes really can tackle it all. What more could you really ask for in a pair of climbing shoes?go to full review
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Contact is that its price is not much higher than other Dyneema sewn runners. With pricing starting from just $6.95, the Contact 8.0 is impressively inexpensive. Not unlike other Dyneema runners, the Contact slings wear fairly well. They’re light, partly due to their 8mm width. In fact, I can’t think of any reason not to use Contact slings!go to full review
The Dyon overall has a great ergonomic feel to it. The gate is stiff and smooth (much stiffer than the Photon Wiregate) The size is nice, and the biner weighs a fairly impressive 33g (for comparison, the CAMP Photon weighs 29g and the Black Diamond Hotwire weighs 43g.) I loved the size of the nose—it felt great when unclipping it from bolts.go to full review
The PosiWire is a great middle of the road quickdraw. The dogbone isn’t as thick or stiff, nor do the biners have as ergonomic of a feel as more expensive draw such as the Petzl Spirit, but it also isn’t as flimsy as something like the old Posiwire or some of the lighter draws. At $16.95 per draw, these draws are a great medium.go to full review
Annalee from the climbing department gave me the rundown of what to look for in a shoe as far as fit and features. She said I should try them all on, and pick the ones that felt the best for my foot. She laughed when I chose these because they are a technical men's shoe. But, in the end, they were the best fit and most comfortable. The TC Pro fits perfectly, it wasn't even bad breaking them in because they are so comfortable. I love how the lace goes all the way to the toes, so I can get a..." go to full review
Quite honestly, the thing I love about the Photon locker is simply the way it feels. The gate action is soft, but not too soft. The twist lock (my preferred locking method) has a nice grip and has never once gotten stuck. Best of all, the photon has a very small nose, such that it fits through even the smallest hangers, or the back loops on my Edelrid Mega Jul.go to full review
We ended up climbing several routes in the Marsupials and a couple on the Red Wall the next day. As expected, the Ultralights performed just as well as the older Master Cams had. The action is smooth and the flexibility of the stem allowed me to place with more confidence in the jagged and meandering cracks in the Marps. Grooves are also cut into the face of the cam that are designed to seat well into softer rock, which is all too common here in Oregon. Overall, the cam has no real downsides..." go to full review
I often recommend at least two ropes: A workhorse and a racehorse. Ropes like the Revelation Dry 9.2 dry are awesome for light and fast routes or shedding the last necessary grams on a gnarly sport project, but a +/- 9.8mm rope is a good balance between weight and durability, and it’s what I reach for most days. But when I do grab the Revelation, I know it’s going to be a fun one!go to full review
Compared to the GriGri 2, the GriGri+ is overall a better suited device for all users across the board. As an expert who climbs with beginners frequently it has quickly become my assisted braking device of choice after only a week and a half of use. It’s weight of 200g compared to the 170g of the GriGri 2 is insignificant for the improvements in security.go to full review
In my opinion, the best multi-pitch rope out there is Sterling’s 9.5mm Evolution Helix. The Helix, and it’s smaller sister the 9.2mm Aero both have some unique qualities that set them apart from anything else on the market and make them our go-to ropes for multi-pitch adventures. I’ll break them down into the qualities I mentioned above; durability, light weight and hand.go to full review