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The Unparallel Up Lace resemble the well-known Five Ten Anasazi Lace in design and performance. [Photo] Chris Kalman

Unparallel Up Lace: A new company presents a new take on a familiar shoe

Chris Kalman checks out a little-known shoe company named Unparallel that makes climbing shoes eerily similar to the well-known designs made by Five Ten. He found that even Unparallel’s proprietary rubber is similar to the famous Stealth C4 rubber that Kalman has loved for many years. The fit and sizing of the Up Lace felt slightly different to him compared to the Anasazi, however. Four stars.

Whitney Clark treks to the Torre Valley in Patagonia with the Mystery Ranch Scepter 50 backpack. [Photo] Rhiannon Klee

Mystery Ranch Scepter 50: a comfortable pack for hauling loads in the mountains

Whitney Clark tested the Mystery Ranch Scepter 50 backpack in Patagonia and in the Sierra Nevada Range. She reports that the pack provides a comfortable suspension system and is great for hauling loads. “I think that the Scepter 50 does really well if you have just the perfect amount of gear, but it does not adjust well to smaller or bigger loads,” she writes. Four stars.

Chris Kalman climbing Up In Smoke (5.12) at The Peaks Crag in Flagstaff, Arizona. The pitch has a little bit of everything, from thin face, to stemming, to corner crack climbing, and even some delicate toe-tapping through a panel of small shallow pockets. The Scarpa Maestro excelled on all counts. [Photo] James Q Martin

Scarpa Maestro Mid: A worthy all-around shoe that rivals the TC Pro

Chris Kalman put the Scarpa Maestro Mid through the paces on different styles of climbs to see how they compared to his La Sportiva TC Pros, which have set the standard for this type of shoe for several years. Kalman notes some differences between the shoes, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and concludes that the Scarpa Maestros are a solid alternative, especially for people who have not found an ideal fit in the TC Pros. Four stars.

Chip Powell relishing the clean wide hand crack that marked the start of the headwall. [Photo] Chris Kalman

Maxim Personal Escape Rope: A tag line made for alpinists

Chris Kalman recently took the 7mm Maxim Personal Escape Rope to the big wall jungle of Cochamo, Chile, where he used the tag line to haul gear and rappel while exploring new routes. The Maxim PER is designed to be strong, light, water-resistant and its stiffness makes it less prone to getting snagged. Kalman reports that the rope is a great tool for alpinists, though they should be careful hauling with it to avoid core shots. Four stars.

Arne wearing his crack gloves in Yosemite, 2008. [Photo] Derek Franz

Ocun Crack Gloves: Save your skin as well as time and tape

Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz used to make fun of people who used rubber gloves to protect their hands while crack climbing, but now he’s become a convert with the Ocun Crack Gloves. He likes that he can easily take them on or off, as opposed to wearing a pair of tape gloves all day, and no time or materials are wasted by making tape gloves that often expire after a day. Four Stars.

The author places a Black Diamond Ultralight Express screw in Hyalite Canyon, Montana. [Photo] Jim Menkol

Black Diamond Ultralight Express screws: A versatile screw for a more refined audience

Hyalite Canyon local Todd Preston tested out the new Black Diamond Ultralight Express screws on some of Montana’s classic ice climbs. He concluded, “For…pursuits where weight savings can be critical, the Ultralights are clearly the new gold standard and I would rate them 5 stars. However, several days of climbing frozen waterfalls using both Ultralights and traditional Express screws revealed some design limitations….” Four stars.