Blister

As a total package, the Aquila is the best all-around harness that I’ve worn in quite some time. It’s not perfect, but if Petzl makes some minor adjustments to the stability of the leg straps, this could be a difficult harness to top. In its current incarnation, the Aquila is everything you need to climb year round, and nothing you don’t. On top of all that, it packs down easily and has held up well. If your climbing is summer-only, you could probably slim your harness down even further and..." go to full review

The Metolius Ultralight Master Cams are sleek, burly, and very slim. While they have a lot to offer, much of your opinion of the updated versions will depend on how strongly you feel about having a thumb loop on your cams. If you are an alpine climber for whom weight and size are primary concerns, or you are looking for a complementary set of cams, the Ultralight Master Cams offer a compelling choice in the weight and size department.go to full review

The updated DMM Dragon cams are a gently polished version of the older Dragon, which isn’t a bad thing when your first iteration is pretty strong. The new Dragon will feel very familiar for Camalot users, so integrating them into your rack is pretty straightforward.

Any assessment of the Dragon starts at the sling and how much that tradeoff does for you personally. If the sling isn’t a deal breaker for you, these cams are a very worthy first set, or make a great second set if you’re..." go to full review

At this point, I’m pretty comfortable stamping the RA as a top-tier, all-around shoe that’s a little biased toward cracks, comparing favorably to the La Sportiva Katana in many ways. Granted, getting a good fit is key, so the RA might not be ideal depending on how well your foot matches the last, but it’s a well executed, extremely capable shoe, particularly if you prefer more sensitive shoes.

If you’re really looking for a do-it-all shoe, particularly one that errs on the side of..." go to full review

While my initial fears about the claimed aggressiveness of the Tenaya IATI were, to some degree, confirmed, I still think that it is a great all-around shoe. The construction of the shoe is high quality, and while it is still on the aggressive end of the spectrum, I think that the IATI is definitely worth checking out for anyone who tends to prefer a high-performance shoe that can still do a bit of everything.go to full review

The Ethos is a lightweight, comfortable, and durable harness that excels at trad and sport climbing. Its versatility and high quality construction make it a good choice for advanced and expert climbers, as well as professionals who spend a great deal of time in their harness.go to full review

Any intermediate or advanced climber looking for a high performance shoe that could serve as a “one shoe quiver” should consider the La Sportiva Solution. However, climbers who prefer softer shoes should know that compared to most other drastically downturned, aggressive shoes on the market, the Solution is substantially stiffer.

While the Solution is a bit stiff for me, it is still a durable, high performance shoe that excels on a variety of terrain: from the world’s hardest boulder..." go to full review

The redesigned Petzl Attache is a nice addition to the Petzl line, but is not suited to every use. For top-rope anchors, or for casual cragging, larger round-stock carabiners are a better choice as they are more durable. But for multi-pitch climbing where space and weight are more important, the Attache is a good choice.go to full review

All of this paints a somewhat contradictory assessment for me. Ultimately, any reservations I have about the Corbie boil down to the niche for which the rope is made, rather than criticism of its quality. On one hand, it’s an awesome rope, to be sure, and most climbers would get a good season of steady use out of it—it sits near the top of the heap for lightning fast ropes that are as unobtrusive as possible while climbing.

On the other hand, you could argue that the Corbie is too..." go to full review

The SCARPA Furia is a well-constructed shoe that manages to be both sensitive and powerful. And given that combination, the Furia makes for a great all-around shoe for bouldering or hard sport climbing. It could also serve as a nice addition to a quiver of more ‘specific’ shoes, as it will become for me.go to full review