Climbing

I’ve long wondered why wiregates always had two wires—wouldn’t they be even lighter if you removed one? The sleek, innovative “H-Profi le” (basically I-beam) Ange S is the fi rst to do so, with its unique MonoFil Keylock gate, which the company touts as lasting longer because the gate is more recessed; it also clicks into a unique see-through nose that lets you clear away ice and debris. Looking almost like a Transformer or robot’s pincer hand, the Ange S was a sheer pleasure to clip: The..." go to full review

Testers found the clipping action of both biners snappy and easy to perform. An increase in the surface area of the rope basket will reduce the erosion of that high-friction area, so it won’t turn into a rope-damaging sharp edge. Lastly, Petzl redesigned the dogbone (available in two lengths: 12cm and 17cm) by giving it an ergonomic grip shape (smaller at the top and wider at the bottom), making it easier to grab onto when working routes.go to full review

The name comes from the versatile design intention, to be used for any and all phases of climbing, whether it’s clipping bolts, fiddling micro-wires into granite seams, or leading a block of pitches on a High Sierra wall. Five inches of Dyneema link two ultralight wire-gate carabiners (just over 1 oz., rated to 24kN on the major axis). A raised rib along the spine made them easy to handle under pressure, giving a boost of friction in sweaty hands. After deploying this draw on rock climbs in..." go to full review

Replacing our old favorite Trango Smooth draw, the React has a similar build with reliable keylock carabiners, bent gate on the rope end, and a thick dogbone for easy grabbing when you need to do a quick clip or are looking at a sketchy fall. The React has two notable updates over the Smooth, though: a rubber carabiner keeper on the bottom that prevents it from flipping over when trying to clip the rope, and more notably, bar-tacking on the whole bone that stiffens the draw significantly for..." go to full review

As the heaviest pad in the review at 18 lbs., the Shogun also offers the largest landing space at 6.5 by 3.5 feet—nearly the square footage of a twin-size mattress. The full-suspension carry system includes a waistbelt with thick webbing and a burly buckle, which “carries like a champ.” The side-closure buckles were a bit futzy because of their small size, but the trifold design and large size allowed for hauling plenty of gear. (This means packing it in a car was a bit tricky.) Testers..." go to full review

“The Stealth is like the group’s goofy little brother: If you want to squeeze just one more pad in the car, the Misty does the trick,” said one Colorado tester. “This little guy is great for sit starts and leveling out landings.” This is the only pad in the review that separates into two parts, making it great for filling in small gaps and covering long traverses. The petite nature of the Stealth was great for shorter climbers, who tend to drag the bottoms of larger pads when descending..." go to full review

This pad has been around for several years, and it remains a favorite because of its value and durability. After owning his for four years, one tester has managed to only lose one buckle. He said he “feels much more confident falling from palm-sweating distances” onto this pad, thanks to a cushy five inches of foam (1-inch closed, 3-inch open, 1-inch closed). Landings are soft on your feet and ankles without running the risk of bottoming out, and despite the generous foam allotment, the Mad..." go to full review

Four testers couldn’t get enough of this high-quality and functional mat; three-plus months of testing put the Simple at the top of everyone’s list. Thought to have the best foam in the review, this pad’s closedcell top layer with open-cell foam underneath made for comfy landings from five to 20 feet. Each of the four testers gave the pad a solid 5 (out of 5) in durability, after all their dragging, hauling, packing, unpacking, and overall abuse didn’t manage to break a single strap, buckle..." go to full review

The Yose is Stonelick’s medium-sized pad (36” x 48” X 4.5”), and the foam is top-quality. (The company also makes the Boom and Flip pads.) The top inch of foam is hard enough to save your ankles, and the middle three-inch layer is soft enough to absorb a big fall; a half-inch of solid foam on the bottom protects the pad. “I fell sideways onto this pad from 15 feet and stood back up unfazed,” said one tester. The Yose is dressed with two flaps to keep your gear from falling out, and the..." go to full review

“When I needed this pad, I needed this pad,” said one tester who used it for a month in Hueco Tanks, Texas. “The separated tubes of foam wrapped around those hard-to-protect obstacles that tend to be right in the middle of your landing zone, so my ankles (and ass) were protected when I fell.” Although this pad is hefty at 18 lbs., it covers 55” x 35” x 4” (about half a foot longer than other mid-sized pads), and the weight came in handy when protecting angled landings: “It stayed in place..." go to full review