Blister

The Wild Country Helium Friends cams are a great option for any trad climbing application. The longer stem and sling make deeper placements possible, while the small, single-axle head keeps the bulk down on your rack. As stated above, even Camalot loyalists should think about outfitting with these so as to fill in the size gaps that exist between cams.

Because of the smaller cam angle, you need one extra cam to cover the same range when compared to C4s, a significant drawback from a..." go to full review

On the whole, the Sterling Evolution Duetto ropes have performed beautifully; they’ve lived up to their reputation, and I would have to really dig deep to come up with more gripes than the two minor ones listed above. Half ropes are wonderful in general, and these are better than most. Though it seems like a minor point, I thought that it spoke to the rope’s handling that it was so easy to slide clove hitches when adjusting a tie-in, as well as untie knots that had tightened during a fall...." go to full review

The Dragons hold their own against both the Wild Country Helium Friends and the Black Diamond C4s. The head design is almost a carbon copy of the Black Diamond C4, so if you like or are used to BD’s cams, you will likely enjoy the Dragons.

As mentioned earlier, almost all the meaningful innovation in the Dragons is located in the stem rather than the head. That is not necessarily a bad thing, however, and if you are a Wild Country Friends or Metolius devotee, the Dragons will fill in..." go to full review

So is the added safety worth it? Just as there’s never a good reason not to wear a helmet, there may be no good reason to avoid the GridLock. Although cross-loading is rarely a concern, the consequences of a failed carabiner are potentially catastrophic. And for climbers concerned with that possibility, the GridLock absolutely achieves what it sets out to do.

Personally, I think that other carabiners, like the Positron, are more multifunctional and therefore more practical than the..." go to full review

If you’re looking at the Demon as a possible addition to your rack, I would urge you to find a shop that sells them and play around with one in the store. The size range complements other brands nicely, especially if you’re among the many who have never placed anything that isn’t a C4. Rather than double up on the same cams, it adds value to diversify your rack with cams whose sizes are slightly offset from the ones you already own.go to full review

For rescue situations, however, having even one Revolver is nice. And while it’s still expensive for a carabiner, it’s the same price as the cheapest pulleys on the climbing market. So if you’re looking to add to your rescue gear, why not just buy a pulley that you can use as a full-strength carabiner also?go to full review

Overall, I really like the Flashed Shogun. Four hundred dollars might seem a bit steep, but the construction quality is great. And compared to other pads from Organic, Mad Rock, or Metolius, I felt it was more comfortable to carry and had better impact absorption. I also prefer the Shogun’s closure system.

If you’re looking for a bigger pad, I would highly recommend the Shogun. It’s big on the ground, easy to move around, and feels small on your back.go to full review

If you’re a single-pitch sport/gym climber and will likely never take your belay device off its carabiner, the Gatekeeper is a great option. Relative to its peers (the Black Diamond Gridlock, Rock Exotica Pirate Wire-eye, etc.) the Gatekeeper is light, effective, and has a low profile.

But if you’re a multi-pitch trad climber, or put a premium on versatility in your carabiners, you’re not going to like the Gatekeeper nearly as much as even garden-variety lockers.go to full review

I was extremely impressed by its handling and performance in all non-specialty scenarios and, from a durability standpoint, it still looked very good after a whole season of climbing. The Infinity sets the bar for the “one-rope quiver” pretty high, and it’ll be exciting to see if this new, thinner generation can top it.go to full review

The Master Cam has an extremely successful design—it’s built on the success of the CCH Alien with a few added Metolius’ trademark features (e.g. cam angle).

My size 0 Master Cam hasn’t left my rack since I bought it several years ago, and the black size 5 that I tested this season has seen steady use from day one. Those two cams have been placed on climbs ranging from local crags to alpine destinations and they continue to hold their own in the increasingly competitive small-cam..." go to full review