![The author wears the Ortovox Col Becchei softshell jacket on the trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. [Photo] Chris Wood](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ortovox-col-becchei-1-1-930x620.jpg)
Mike Lewis finds that the Ortovox Col Becchei softshell jacket is well designed for alpine and rock climbing as well as backcountry skiing, but he has concerns about the $320 price tag.
![Mike Lewis carrying the Blue Ice Warthog 40L pack in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. [Photo] Chris Wood](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/blue-ice-warthog-backpack-1-1-930x620.jpg)
After lugging the Blue Ice Warthog 40L backpack around the mountains for several months, IFMGA/AMGA guide Mike Lewis came to some conclusions: the pack is ideal for ice, rock and alpine climbing (5 stars for that category), but the lack of a padded hip belt makes it less comfortable to carry long distances when you’re not wearing a harness and you want to load more of the pack weight onto the hips instead of the shoulders. “For someone who is specifically looking for a pack with an unpadded, removable hip belt for technical climbing, this pack is a slam-dunk,” Lewis writes.
![The author with the Blue Ice Yeti 50L backpack in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. [Photo] Chris Wood](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/blue-ice-yeti-backpack-1-1-930x620.jpg)
Blue Ice is a small, relatively new company that started in a garage in Europe and now has a presence in North America. IFMGA/AMGA guide Mike Lewis has been using the Blue Ice Yeti 50L backpack, and aside from a few details that didn’t comply with his exact personal preferences, he liked it well enough to award it five stars.
![Mike Lewis sits cross-legged as he pulls out the map on Mt. Rainier. [Photo] Mike Lewis collection](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/patagonia-850-down-sleeping-bag-1-1-930x620.jpg)
Mike Lewis spent 58 nights in the Patagonia 850 Down Sleeping Bag (19°F/-7°C) and slept well enough to award it five stars. He noted that there are some features that could be improved but he is otherwise impressed with the company’s first sleeping bag designs.
![Mike Lewis wearing the Stetinds with crampons on Flattop Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. [Photo] Mike Lewis collection](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/boreal-stetind-1-1-930x620.jpg)
Mike Lewis used the Boreal Stetind boots for six weeks of guiding on snowy mountains in the Pacific Northwest and reports that the boots have some significant shortcomings in technical terrain. In this review he explains in detail why he awarded them two stars out of five.
![Mike Lewis guides the North Face of Longs Peak (14,259'), Rocky Mountain National Park, in mixed conditions. [Photo] Eric Stoutenburg](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/petzl-irvis-hybrid-crampons-1-1-930x620.jpg)
Part steel, part aluminum, and with Dyneema cord in place of a metal bar to connect the two halves, Mike Lewis finds that the Petzl Irvis Hybrid Crampons hit a nice balance between durability and lightweight packability. He would have awarded them five stars if not for one shortcoming.
![Mike Lewis climbs Hidden Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park with the calf snaps closed on the Dynafit Yotei pants. Lewis reports that he liked the calf snaps because they adapted the fit of the cuffs better for ice climbing after he used the pants for ski touring. [Photo] Eric Stoutenburg](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/dynafit-yotei-pants-1-1-930x620.jpg)
The Dynafit Yotei GTX Pants proved to be a versatile piece of outerwear for Mike Lewis, an AMGA-certified alpine guide, who reports that the pants work well for ski-touring and ice climbing while accommodating comfortable space for avalanche beacons and field books. The pants became his go-to option after testing them in Chile, Wyoming’s Grand Tetons and Canada. He awards them five stars.
![Mike Lewis begins the roof pitch on Vertigo (5.11b) in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado. [Photo] Slava Lototskyy](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/tenaya-ra-1-1-930x620.jpg)
Mike Lewis finds that the Tenaya Ra has everything he looks for in a climbing shoe, including a great out-of-the-box fit that doesn’t require a break-in period. Five Stars!
![Mike Lewis nearing the summit of La Parva Peak (3630m), Chile. [Photo] Jack Klim](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/dynafit-yotei-gtx-jacket-review-2-1-930x620.jpg)
Mike Lewis awards the Dynafit Yotei GTX Jacket five stars for its light weight, versatility and thoughtful design. There was but one tiny flaw…
![The DMM Pivot is an assisted-braking belay device that works well for top-belaying a climber directly from the anchor, as shown here. [Photo] Peter Braam](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/dmm-pivot-1-1-930x620.jpg)
The DMM Pivot shines as a simple, all-around assisted-braking belay device.
![Tat removed from Recompense (5.9) at Cathedral Ledge, NH by the author in 2011. [Photo] Mike Lewis](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/trango-piranha-knife-mountain-standards-1-1-930x620.jpg)
As a guide, I’m often asked what I carry on my harness. In addition to standard climbing hardware, plus prussic cords, a Tibloc, and a Micro-Traxion for glacier travel, I carry a knife. Once my clients see the knife, they often reference Joe Simpson’s classic mountaineering epic, Touching the Void. Unlike the moment of decision in the book when Simon cuts the rope to free himself while letting Simpson fall into a crevasse, I carry a knife for other reasons: these include to cut tat, add cordage to existing anchors, and cut the free ends from a stuck rope.
Recently I added Patagonia’s Merino Air Hoody base layer to my collection. Unlike my other merino wool items, The Air Hoody, with its fluffy appearance, resembles a thin, non-itchy sweater more than a typical next-to-skin layer.
