Osprey’s new Kamber line of packs replaced the familiar Kode line and features a trio of pack packs specifically designed for the needs of the male ski touring or splitboarding crowd. The female version of the packs are found in the Kestra line. This review focuses on the largest of the Kamber packs, the Kamber 42. A cavernous pack that’s meant for multi-day trips but can still … Continue reading Review: Osprey Kamber 42
The new Patagonia R1 Techface Hoody is basically a marriage of the R1 Regulator® fleece insulation with a thin external facing fabric for wind resistance and durability. The hoody is lightweight in terms of insulating value, breaths very well and is quite stretchy. A fantastic summer alpine layer as it cuts the wind, moves well and isn’t overly warm. Specs: R1 Regulator fleece with DWR … Continue reading Review: Patagonia R1 Techface Hoody
Osprey expanded and updated the popular Mutant pack into a line of climbing and mountaineering packs for 2018. This included the introduction of a new Mutant 22, an update to the Mutant 38 and the inclusion of a new Mutant 52 to replace the Variant 52. For this review we’ll focus on the Mutant 38, a great pack size for one day alpine and mountaineering … Continue reading Review: Osprey Mutant 38 Pack (2018)
The 2018 version of the Black Diamond 9.4mm Dry Climbing Rope is a totally different animal than the previous version. Why? Well BD changed manufacturers for 2018 which has drastically improved the product. Now this review is not and an “old versus new” comparison but will rather focus on the features and performance of the new rope. However, that being said, I’ll still be commenting … Continue reading Review: Black Diamond 9.4mm Dry Climbing Rope
With the introduction of the new Windburner Stove System (Duo & Group versions), MSR has taken the popular and efficient Windburner system and made it compatible for larger groups. Similar in design to the original Windburner Personal Stove the new Duo & Group system have one huge difference, the burner isn’t attached to the canister. It’s still a portable, lightweight, weather-proof, high efficiency canister stove … Continue reading Review: MSR Windburner Group Stove
MSR’s new Dynalock Carbon Ascent poles are lightweight, sturdy and quite versatile. With a folding design they collapse down to a small package that can easily be stashed inside a pack when not needed. But when deployed the well thought out poles are a fantastic option for both winter and summer. Great for winter skiing, riding and snowshoeing with the powder basket but swap it out … Continue reading Review: MSR Dynalock Carbon Ascent Poles
There were some really cool alpine and mountaineering packs to check out at OR this summer though not as many as usual. Companies like Osprey, Deuter, Gregory, etc. seemed to have focused their efforts in other areas such as cycling and hiking this year. However I met up with the Arc’teryx crew in Vancouver before the show so I can include their new alpine climbing … Continue reading Summer OR 2018: Packs
There were a bunch of new bivy bags, tents and tarps to check out at OR Show this summer. A sic new line of ultralight Dyneema/Carbon Fiber based shelters from Big Agnes, new additions in the BD and MSR line-ups, a redesign of Mountain Hardware’s entire alpine/mountaineering line and an overhaul to OR’s bivy line. So in no particular order lets take a look. Big … Continue reading Summer OR 2018: Tents & Shelters
This Outdoor Retailer Show Report focuses mainly on equipment for mountaineering and alpine climbing. However, it also has a bit of a hodge-podge of gear that could fit into several categories or none. It’s all great gear though! So in no particular order… Mammut Glacier Cord Dry: Much like Petzl’s Rad line, Mammut’s new Glacier Cord is a high-strength, low-stretch glacier travel and crevasse rescue … Continue reading Summer OR 2018: Mountaineering & Alpine Equipment
There were quite a few new and updated helmets and harnesses to check out at the Outdoor Retailer show this year. And while the changes mainly followed innovations in materials and technology there’s also a new player in the market that has some really nice equipment. Lets start with helmets and move on from there. If you haven’t checked out the other OR Reports from this … Continue reading Summer OR 2018: Harnesses & Helmets
