GearFlogger

Finally the screw itself is lighter, presumably from the reduced hanger weight. A 16cm weighs in at 5.2oz compared to the old model at 5.5oz. Not too significant: 17 of the old screws weigh as much as 18 of the new ones, to put it in perspective. BD's web site also notes that "all sizes of screws are now CE-certified," although their own comparison table still lists the shorty 10cm without the CE logo...." go to full review

The new HotWire is in our humble opinion the best BD draw for all-around climbing. It's got a Positron keylock solid gate biner on the bolt end for snag-free cleaning, a non-icing, non-lashing HotWire wire gate biner on the rope end. A generous basket will take even our fat German sausage fingers with a rope attached. The price is a buck or two more than the lower-end non-keylock QuickWire and non-wiregate Quicksilver models, but worth it when the going gets tough and the tough get..." go to full review

Four beefy gear loops are molded to stick out from the harness, making racking and releasing gear a breeze. The loops hang low so they don't interfere with a pack hip belt. There are six ice clipper slots, with one three on each side located where the gear loops meet the waist belt. This is a good location to minimize interference with loop-racked gear. The haul loop on back is bomber, rated at 12kN. The whole enchilada weighs in at 18oz, and even though that's twice as heavy as..." go to full review

Gone are the old optional screw-in anti balling plates; the new tool-free dual density ABS plates are standard. Both bails are redesigned. The toe bail is slightly wider, and down to two adjustment holes per side from three. The Sabretooth has always been one of the best crampons for fitting around fat toe rands on boots, especially with overboots, which some crampons simply won't fit around. The heel bail is actually a tad narrower, although it still fit on a pair of Oly Mons, if..." go to full review

The Vapor features an EPS foam liner molded into a polycarbonate shell. You'd expect a featherweight helmet like this to sacrifice something, but we're still searching. The fit is perfect, low-profile and over the ears. A ratcheting crown band has these very cool pinch-grips that allow you to tighten or loosen with no screwing around - seriously, you have to try it. Once on the Vapor has the best feel of any climbing helmet we've ever worn, more like a very expensive biking..." go to full review

After that it's all gravy: two lie-flat gear loops, four ice clipper slots, offset buckle, haul and belay loops, and a reasonable price. All check. Oh, and one more thing: it only weighs freaking eight ounces! There are lighter harnesses out there - we've used most of them, and for race day or single day outings on vertical ice or rock we'll grab a specialty harness - but we only have eyes for the Couloir when it comes to expedition use. It really is that good. This holiday..." go to full review

Crack sizes the C4 is designed for range from roughly half an inch to seven and a half inches over the ten different cams, and thanks in part to the double axel design there is a comfortable overlap between adjacent sizes to plug those long even splitter routes.go to full review

At just over 12 ounces you really can't beat the Tour 350... except you can! The Race 290 crampon is basically the Tour 350 with a special heel bail for Dynafit compatible boots, and the metal spreader bar is replaced with Dyneema for an overall two ounce savings. The Race 290 even has different colors for hte left and right feet for those of you in a hurry - you know who you are, rando-freaks. I haven't tried the Race 290 and probably won't, but the design did give me the..." go to full review

Only 3.5oz., the Toucan can be used as a belay device, an autoblock and to rappel. It does not appear to offer a high-friction/low-friction choice, as does the ATC, but it does feature a rotating handle to release the load when used in autoblock mode.go to full review

The color coded heads make it easier to grab the right size with a little experience, and anything that helps with efficiency of placement on the sharp end is allright by me. At under a Benjamin for a full set #1 to 10 you just can't go wrong. As with all nuts, make sure you have a nut tool to extract after loading...." go to full review