Blister

The Edelrid Mega Jul is an innovative belay device. When used properly and paired with an appropriate rope system, the Mega Jul offers good assisted braking capability in a lightweight package. However, the Mega Jul is certainly not the perfect all-around belay device, which is why I continue to use other belay devices for certain situations. As with any piece of equipment, it is imperative to fully understand the strengths and limitations of the Mega Jul. For most users looking for an..." go to full review

The Evolv Supra offers a nice blend of performance and comfort, perfect for intermediate sport climbers (those looking to progress through the 5.10 to 5.11+/5.12- grades), or advanced climbers who want a more comfortable shoe for the gym or casual cragging. The Supra’s shape strikes a nice balance between precision and comfort, and the new TRAX XE rubber seems to be able to handle granite and limestone as well as other medium-firm rubbers on the market. That said, the Supra isn’t for..." go to full review

The Mammut Zephir Altitude harness is a great piece of gear for those who often find themselves on glaciers or on easy alpine climbs. It is light, packs small, is simple, and it’s incredibly easy to put on. As long as your objective doesn’t involve vertical, pitched-out climbing or rappels numbering in the double digits, the Zephir Altitude is definitely worth a look.go to full review

The Boreal Mutant is a soft, sensitive, face-climbing shoe that blends the edging power of the Five Ten Hiangle with the greater versatility and precision of the Sportiva Miura Lace. It is slightly higher-volume than both of those options, so the Mutant performs well while maintaining an extremely comfortable fit. The Mutant isn’t the most aggressive shoe on the market in terms of either downturn or asymmetry, and the lack of reinforcement under the toe box shows a clear emphasis on..." go to full review

The Five Ten Hiangle is a fantastic, high-performance sport and bouldering shoe, providing an unusual combination of edging power, sensitivity, and comfort. If you‘re looking for powerful edging with little regard for sensitivity, you’ll probably be better off with something like the Scarpa Instinct VS, Evolv Agro, or Sportiva Miura VS. Additionally, sport climbers whose projects mostly consist of pocketed limestone may find themselves a little underwhelmed by the rounded toe shape of the..." go to full review

The La Sportiva Otaki works really well as a single shoe to use both for technical face climbing and the occasional crack. It’s comfortable enough to wear when belaying and on moderate crack climbs, making it a pretty strong one-shoe-quiver contender, though hard core crack climbers might want something with a little less downturn and asymmetry.

Another way to think about this is that the Otaki is ideally suited for the hard, cryptic combination of face and crack holds on vertical..." go to full review

Overall, the new Five Ten Quantum works quite well as an all-arounder, though it’s probably best to think of it as a high-achieving, all-day granite shoe. Climbs that range from slab to vertical granite with lots of edging play to the strengths of the Quantum. For Indian Creek splitters where you are often going straight in on difficult cracks, I personally prefer a flatter last and lower-profile toe box than the Quantum offers, but bigger routes on granite walls are almost universally much..." go to full review

The Mammut Wall Rider is an excellent lightweight climbing helmet that is more durable than a traditional foam helmet. The EPP foam protects the head well, and it’s comfortable to wear. Although the Wall Rider is slightly more expensive than a traditional hybrid plastic/foam helmet, I think the increase in durability and head coverage is worth the extra money.

Given the marginal price difference, significant increase in durability, and zero trade off in protection, I don’t see any..." go to full review

The Sum’Tec is a bit of a mixed bag for me. It performs excellently and it inspires confidence on most terrain. I grab it without hesitation on all of my ski mountaineering projects. However, in the back of my mind there is this nagging voice saying, This could be better. Unless you are confident that you won’t ever need to buy a technical ice tool, I have a hard time recommending the Sum’Tec. Even though it performs exactly as advertised and I have been quite happy with it, I think there..." go to full review

The FL-365 packs a lot of great features and comfort into a somewhat lightweight package, but all that comes at the price. A price only equaled by a handful of other harnesses out there. If you climb a lot, spend a lot of time in your harness, and need the level of racking storage the the FL-356 provides for trad, aid, or ice, I’d say it’s worth the price. However, you could buy a sixer of nice draws and a brand new harness for the same coin. Or lunch and a day of skiing at Whistler. Or gas..." go to full review