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Mountain Standards

FiveTen VMile: A Truly Comfortable Enduro-shoe

I hate tight rock shoes. Don’t get me wrong–I realize the need for a precise, tight fit, though after nineteen pitches and almost eight hours, I will take comfort over anything else. My partner and I were nearing the top of Mt. Stuart’s classic north ridge when I realized something remarkable: my feet were totally comfortable. While this isn’t inconceivable in rock shoes, I wasn’t used to this kind of comfort in a shoe that climbed so well. I had cranked them down for the two crux gendarme pitches and was able to edge easily on small nubbins. When the climbing backed off again, a quick flick of the Velcro put me back into super-comfy mode.

Trango’s featherweight Superfly Wire Gate biners

Fast and light always took a backseat to cheap and available when it came to my rack. I justified this mentality by telling myself that the added weight translated into added durability. That attitude completely changed when I picked up a box of Trango’s Superfly Wire Gate biners.

Patagonia Chute To Thrill Pants are Thrillingly Perfect

I’ve been climbing and skiing in Schoeller autumn, winter and spring for six or seven years now, and have come to appreciate—OK, love—the quiet comfort of that miracle fabric for my pants and jackets. They breathe perfectly and wear like iron. There’s never a crinkly or rough moment, only a soft comfort you never notice on those long approaches,
thrutchy offwidths and swooshing descents.

Scarpa Vision V: One shoe for all types of crags

I admit it. I’m a shoe whore. When it comes to cragging, certain climbs require a very specific shoes. Currently my cragging quiver consists of about five shoes (that I can remember off the top of my head). Shoes range from super tight sporty edging shoes to finger-crack shoes to quick on-and-off bouldering shoes. I now have one shoe for just about everything. When I first tried out the Vision V at Blacktail Butte outside of Jackson I was a little skeptical. I felt a little weak but that is probably because I climbed too many moderates in the Bugaboos the two weeks before.

OR Zealot storm shell packs perfectly

This is an ultra light, incredibly compact and highly breathable storm shell that I found to be ideal for a variety of uses. Featuring Gore-Tex Paclite fabric with narrowly taped seams, one chest pocket and a hood perfectly cut to use with a helmet, it had everything I needed and nothing more.

Outdoor Research Exos Gaiters stand up to variable conditions in Pakistan

It was obvious as soon as I removed the OR Exos from their packaging and took one look at all the crucial features that I had never seen on gaiters before, that these were by far the most bomber gaiters imaginable. In the past, the instep strap on other gaiters has always been the first thing to go for me, rendering the gaiter useless, so I was particularly happy to see how reinforced these ones were.

Go Anywhere with Patagonia’s Stretch Element Jacket

We love this hardshell. This winter we wore the men’s and women’s Stretch Element in all conditions, from touring in Grand Teton National Park to competing in the Jackson Hole Freeskiing Open. It is one of the best all-around jackets out there, warm enough for cold days in the winter and light enough to wear during cool evenings in the spring and summer.

MSR XGK EX stove works wonders in Canadian Rockies, Karakorum

I was pretty psyched when the new MSR XGK EX recently showed up at my door for testing. Being well acquainted with its predecessor from a number of trips before, I was immediately impressed with its new looks and features. The first things I noticed were the flexible fuel line, which is definitely the biggest improvement, followed by the slick, ultra stable retractable legs and pot supports, which compact neatly to fit in a 1.5 Liter pot.

Marmot jacket makes any adventurer a Super Hero

Ever since I got the Marmot Super Hero Jacket, I’ve worn it every day on the hill, and quite often off the hill. I’ve gotten more compliments on the jacket than on any item of skiwear I’ve ever owned (except maybe my neon green Obermeyer pants, but that’s another story), and it’s by far one of the most practical pieces I’ve ever had.