Petzl first announced the new, upgraded Tibloc at the Outdoor Retailer show in 2015. I was impressed and so after the show I tried to get my hands on one to test out. Unfortunately Petzl had ran into some manufacturing issues and, as time went by, it was starting to look like upgraded Tibloc would never make it to market. But that’s not where the … Continue reading First Look Review: New Petzl Tibloc 2
The Icefall Down Jacket from Helly Hansen has been around for quite a while. And while it’s undergone some small changes and improvements over this time the core jacket remains the same. Quite a testament to it’s versatility and popularity. But what’s contributed to this ongoing success? Only one way to find out: take it into mountains for some use and abuse. So that’s what … Continue reading Review: Helly Hansen Icefall Down Jacket
Beal has really been setting the standard for superlight and safe climbing ropes lately and the new(ish) Gully is no exception. Amazingly light and dry the Gully half/twin ropes excel at alpine and ice climbing. The biggest selling feature for me is the Unicore technology that bonds the sheath to the core and in doing so drastically increases safety (not to mention durability). After a … Continue reading First Look Review: Beal Gully Half/Twin Ropes
Since its release, Petzl’s GriGri has been the standard against which all other assisted braking belay devices are compared. With the release of the new GriGri+, Petzl has once again set the bar a little higher. By utilizing their expertise in both recreational climbing and industrial / rope access Petzl was able to improve both the safety and performance of the GriGri+. And while there … Continue reading Review: Petzl GriGri+
Arc’teryx followed up the popular Acrux SL approach shoe with an urban looking leather version. But don’t let the sleek appearance fool you, this is a very technical shoe that’s equally at home on the rock or in the alpine as it is on the sidewalk. The leather may add weight and reduce breathability but it also increases durability. When combined with technical soles and … Continue reading Review: Arc’teryx Acrux SL Leather Approach Shoe
The newest addition to La Sportiva’s Trango line is the Trango Tower. A 3-season mountaineering boot that replaces the aging Trango S Evo, a long-time favorite of alpinists and mountaineers worldwide. This new generation boot improves on the Evo by shedding weight while providing better grip and water resistance. However, as it’s built on the same Trango last the fit is similar and should be … Continue reading Review: La Sportiva Trango Tower Boots
Sure the new MSR WindBurner Stove is compact, efficient and fast but its performance in strong winds is what sets it apart. In creating the WindBurner, MSR blended some of the best design features of the iconic Reactor and the Jetboil to create a versatile stove system that’s practically windproof. The perfect stove for an alpine mission or just brewing coffee in the parking lot. Features of the MSR … Continue reading Long-Term Review: MSR WindBurner Stove
This is the third installment of a multi-part series covering light mountaineering and ski harnesses. The first review covered the Mammut Zephyr Altitude followed by the Camp Alp Mountain and of course this one covers the Petzl Altitude. I’ll continue the series if there’s a good response and I’m able to get some more test samples. Petzl Altitude At less than half the weight of a standard climbing harness, the … Continue reading Mountaineering / Ski Harness Review Part 3: Petzl Altitude
This is the second installment of a multi-part series covering light mountaineering and ski harnesses. The first review covered the Mammut Zephyr Altitude, this one will look at the Camp Alp Mountain and will be followed by the Petzl Altitude. I’ll continue the series if there’s a good response and I’m able to get some more test samples. Camp Alp Mountain The Alp Mountain harness from Camp is lightweight … Continue reading Mountaineering / Ski Harness Review Part 2: Camp Alp Mountain
This is the first part of a series on light mountaineering and ski harnesses. The plan is to cover the Mammut Zephyr Altitude in this review followed by the Camp Alp Mountain and the Petzl Altitude. I’ll continue the series if there’s a good response and I’m able to get some more test samples. I hope to get out a new review every 4-5 days and will add a link to … Continue reading Mountaineering / Ski Harness Review Part 1: Mammut Zephyr Altitude
