Gear Institute
The Organic Simple pad excelled in comparative testing with the other pads. Most testers liked the combination of foam and EVA as well as the hybrid hinge design. However some testers did not like the lack of small pockets for items like keys, guidebooks, and water bottles. Despite having the testers favorite foam combination, some testers remarked that the foam needed a short break in period to soften the landings.go to full review
The Black Diamond Vapor is a lightweight molded foam helmet featuring great ventilation and a comfortable fit. The Vapor is a popular option for rock climbers seeking out a super light helmet that can be worn all day and not weigh down their packs on long approaches while mountaineers will appreciate the great ventilation.go to full review
The Mammut Wall Rider is a lightweight, comfortable molded foam helmet with good ventilation and increased durability from the partial capping of the helmet with a hard plastic shell. The thin chin straps and comfortable padding make it an attractive option for a wide range of climbers.go to full review
The Singing Rock Penta is a comfortable, lightweight molded foam helmet with good ventilation, making it a well-rounded and versatile helmet for rock and ice climbers. The soft, nylon chinstrap and suspension system makes this unisex helmet attractive for both male and female climbers as it allows long hair to fit comfortably in the rear. Low profile headlamp attachment clips are effective and stay out of the way of slings and clothing while keeping your light in place. go to full review
The Fixe Alien Revolution cams are a lightweight cam with a super flexible stem and narrow profile that make them ideal for small, shallow placements as well as horizontal placements. A contoured trigger bar and spacious thumb loop make them easy to place. Available with a single or extendable sling provides a lot of options for buyers along with offset or hybrid versions that excel in flared placements such as pin scars. With six sizes available they are limited in their versatility beyond..." go to full review
The Black Diamond Camalot Ultralights are the lightest double axle cam on the market and cut 25% weight from their popular C4 predecessors. A spacious, featured thumb loop and wide trigger bar make them easy to place and remove. The traditional metal cable stem is replaced with lightweight Dyneema while other elements of the cam have been pared down to shed grams. With those weight savings come some concern about durability and a 10 year lifespan for the cam along with a stiffer stem and..." go to full review
The DMM Dragon Cams are a stable double axle cam with an extendable sling built into the thumb piece that doesn’t sacrifice strength when extended. The TripleGrip cam lobes are the widest cam lobes out of the cams tested and feature square cut edges and a non-anodized surface to increase stability and holding power. While the extendable sling was harder to use than others the Dragon Cams are built with durability in mind but that also made them the heaviest cams tested.go to full review
The Metolius Ultralight Master Cams are a lightweight cam with ten sizes to put on your rack, from cams smaller than your fingertips to fist size. Durability is good with solid cam lobe and stem construction and tough Kevlar trigger wires. The Range Finder system provides color coding to help new climbers find the right fit for cam placements. They are less stable than the other double axle cams tested, particularly in the larger sizes, and their ease of use and ergonomics scored lower with..." go to full review
The Wild Country Friends offer great ergonomics, stability and popular features with testers. Friends stood out for ergonomics and ease of use with their spacious, contoured and featured thumb loop and curved trigger bar. Great stability was provided by the double axle design, non-anodized and square cut cam lobe teeth and patented hollow axles for stiffer axles. The extendable double slings were easy to use and helped add stability and give versatility. While not the lightest cams tested,..." go to full review
The La Sportiva Miura, aka the “Bananas,” is a perennial favorite among climbers, so much so that if Sportiva ever stopped producing them, their Chiquita-brand colors would have to have to be retired in some kind of climbing shoe hall of fame. I’ve been through numerous pairs of the Miura, and they’ve been with me on everything from sport to trad, boulders to big-wall. I have a hard time imagining a better-fitting, better-performing do-it-all-well shoe.go to full review