Five Ten Grandstone Rock Shoes: Oldies, But Goodies
The generous coating of sticky rubber and a roomy toe box make the Grandstones perfect for chimneys and offwidths, but they flail on smaller cracks that require a sleeker profile.
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Aimee Barnes
Osprey Variant 37 Pack: Paragon of Versatility
While many packs boast functional versatility, it’s clear that the Osprey Variant 37 was designed with the influences of professional alpinists.
Gregory Z30 Pack: Superior Suspension
Because of its ability to hold up in the rugged, perform well on peaks and offer superior suspension in all conditions, this little pack gets an Alpinist Mountain Standards medal.
Arc’teryx Pali: The Thinking Man’s Rope Bag
the Pali looked innovative, and I was excited to see what possibly could be new in rope bag design.
DMM Shadow Quickdraws: Hot-Forged Goodness
With a huge rack in my pack and a bunch of loose ‘biners and runners for alpine draws, I sometimes overlook a fundamental piece of climbing gear: the standard quickdraw. New for spring 2008 DMM is introducing the Shadow Quickdraw. The Shadow is a desirable piece of gear for the discerning climber who wants full-sized carabiners yet appreciates that ultimate combination: light weight and super strong.
MSR 2-Liter DromLite Bag: Adaptable Functionality
This summer while wandering around Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, I had a new item in my backpack. Although the two-liter Mountain Safety Research DromLite bag may not have had the glamour or intrepidness associated with a rope or cams, it seemed functional–and I was curious. Many of my climbing partners have long sworn by their MSR hydration bags. Would the DromLite be a suitable “fast and light” successor to the time-tested black Dromedary Bag?
Metolius Logo Sock: Summer Style
A stylish–and useful–new accessory released this year is Metolius’ Logo Sock. The sock is considered the most important accessory, second to the shoe, in most circles. Who wouldn’t want a pair of high performance socks with Metolius’ iconic little climber dude on the cuff? For me, they were a wish-list must have! Not only would they enhance the most important fashion accessory–the shoe–the little dude would be accessorizing and performing alongside my most important piece of equipment: my feet on a summer climbing tour. I suppose, in this case, it would be a summer sock tour.
Metolius Monster Rope: Worth the Weight
When you hear the name “Monster,” it may conjure visions of a huge, ugly beast. Or for all you movie buffs it might bring a horrifying vision of Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci. Scary. Luckily, when I hear the name “Monster,” I associate it with Metolius’ climbing rope line–burly and strong.