Rock and Ice
In our tests, the new Camalots (they were overhauled about a year ago) worked equally well in splitters, bottoming cracks, pods and horizontals. Their syringe trigger was easy to use and the cams could be quickly placed. Camalots are ergonomic. They fit well in the hand and are easier to place than wider U-stem designs. A clever design point allows the stem to rotate in the direction of pull, the only cam to do so, preventing a unit from being torqued sideways even when you clip directly..." go to full review
Climbing, ice climbing in particular, without a helmet is just dumb. All of the old excuses about helmets being heavy, ill-fitting and bulky don’t hold water anymore. Don’t leave home without one.
I gave this helmet five stars because it is light, fits well, adjusts easily and is priced about the same as other polystyrene-type helmets.go to full review
In short, the Sirocco is a ground-breaking helmet with new technology that I’ll wager (and hope) will trickle down to less pricey models. I’ve been a tough sell on helmets, finding just about every other lid lacking, usually because of weight. With the Sirocco, I’m out of excuses.
I gave the Sirocco four of five stars, deducting one star only because the helmet is bulky.go to full review
Atop Echo Tower’s exposed ridge summit, I found some dents in the Scarab’s exterior. The foam was completely intact, however, proving the helmet could take a fairly serious battering. The real test of any helmet, of course, is whether you will always tote and wear it—common excuses for not doing so include extra weight, the dork factor and lack of comfort. The Scarab invalidates such lame thinking.
This helmet got a low rating because there are numerous similar helmets that cost about..." go to full review
The lightweight Camp Armour helmet is affordable, functional and impeccably stylish. Weighing in at 11 ounces, this helmet doesn't make me look or feel like a top-heavy gumby, but it offers enough protection to make me feel safe while plundering choss in the Mexican outback. A molded thermoplastic shell, which comes in your choice of three cool styles and five different party-hearty colors, features multiple air vents to keep your head cool and cool looking...." go to full review
My concern is durability. At nearly $140, the Vapor is the most expensive helmet made, and the one most likely to get dinged up. Already, mine has a nice dent from when I tossed a pair of crampons on top of it. If you are rough on gear this probably isn’t the helmet for you. Lack of a UIAA certification is also something to think about. While the Vapor passes the CE tests, the UIAA requires that the maximum force transmitted to your head be 2 kN less. In the real world I don’t know if this..." go to full review
The Vision Sport is two ounces lighter and is the sportier, less bulky of the two Wild Country harnesses. It has four gear loops instead of five, has fixed leg loops, and lacks the rear full-strength haul loop and clip-in point, which no doubt contributes to the lower price tag. Although the waist-belt padding feels less substantial on the Vision Sport, the leg loops seemed more supportive and overall I thought the Vision Sport was as comfortable as the Elite. Like the Elite, the Vision..." go to full review
The Elite Men's isn't billed as a big-wall harness, but aid climbers will dig it as much as tradsters. Besides its copious racking room, the Elite has a 10 kN haul loop and an equally strong accessory loop. Suitable for all-day hang sessions, the contoured waist belt and leg loops are amply padded and mesh lined; although it is supportive, the waist belt doesn't feel hard. The leg loops are less padded and on the soft side - more firmness here would be even better. A 25 kN..." go to full review
The more I used this harness the more I liked it. I wanted to give it four stars, but the issue of the padding pulling away from the belt, leaving the belt to dig into my side, reduced the grade by a star. Wild Country says they are aware of the problem and is resolving it. When that happens this will be a solid four-star harness, and one of the more comfortable models out there right now.go to full review
As the women’s version of the Sama, the Selena has a more tapered waistbelt, longer rise and detachable, elasticized leg loops, though on me those are a little clutchy. And I have grown officially spoiled by the automatic DoubleBack buckle, being all too happy to eliminate any potential for my error. This rig, with its niched buckle, runs exceptionally smoothly...." go to full review