When Arc’teryx released the Lithic Comp pant (well actually they’re technically bibs) last fall I was a bit skeptical as I’m not a big fan of bibs; I find that they tend to be hot on the up-track. However the promise offered by the combination of hardshell and shoftshell fabrics drew me in. The idea behind the pants is simple, waterproof breathable fabric where you need … Continue reading Review: Arc’teryx Lithic Comp pant
Black Diamond, like many companies that make avalanche rescue equipment, has an avalanche shovel that can be set-up either as a hoe or shovel. However, the elegant design of the BD Evac 7 make the conversion between the two modes simple and intuitive on a shovel that is still light and extremely effective at moving a lot of snow quickly. Before looking at this particular … Continue reading Review: Black Diamond Evac 7 Shovel
Since arriving on the market a few years ago Adidas’ new Outdoor line has been making a big impact with impeccably cut, well-fitting jackets made from cutting edge materials. The Terrex Climaheat Agravic Down Hoodie is no exception, a very light-weight and warm down jacket that feels great to wear and has a flattering cut. I received the jacket last fall and have spent the … Continue reading Adidas Terrex Climaheat Agravic Down Hoodie
I’ve done a lot of pack reviews over the years though but traditionally focused on ice, rock or alpine oriented packs. This year I decided to take this expertise and apply it to a comparison review of some newer mid-size ski packs. I chose this size of pack as it’s so versatile: great for hut-based overnight trips, hut-to-hut ski tours, ski/snowboard mountaineering trips or even … Continue reading Comparison Review: Ski Packs
Like many outdoor companies Patagonia has come out with a new hybrid pant and jacket that combines 3-layer waterproof-breathable fabric with stretchy soft-shell material into one piece of clothing. The idea of course is to create a garment that benefits from the advantages of both fabric types through their strategic placement. Due to this amalgamation of fabrics the resultant garments are not technically a soft-shell or … Continue reading Review: Patagonia Reconnaissance pants
So your ice climb is a little off the beaten path. Literally, as no one else has yet beaten a path in! You put your head down and start to post hole through the rotten snow. After a few steps the crust is wearing at your shins, after a few hundred feet you’re starting to bleed. You’ll be down to the bone before getting anywhere … Continue reading Review: G3 Stinger Skis
The Terrex Agravic Primaloft Jacket is, simply put, a really nice jacket. The name is a bit of a mouthful though so I’ll refer to as the TAP jacket for the rest of the review. Since getting a sample to test I have taken this jacket with me everywhere, used it rock climbing in the desert, ice climbing in the Rockies, skiing on the north … Continue reading Review: Adidas Terrex Agravic Primaloft Jacket
Cots have the reputation of being heavy, bulky and not always all that comfortable. Not really something that you want to take into the backcountry, right? But wait, Helinox, a company that’s been creating some amazingly light and comfortable camping gear such as the Chair One, has created a matching cot, the Cot One. Lightweight, portable and comfortable, I’m going to miss having this unit … Continue reading Review: Helinox Cot Lite
The 2015 version of the Vapor V has been on the market since the spring giving me the opportunity to really put them to the test. The original Vapor V shoes were my go-to shoes for the gym and outdoor face climbing, both cragging and shorter multi-pitch climbs. They performed like the Muira but fit my foot much better. The only complaint that I had with the … Continue reading Review: Scarpa Vapor V
I was recently at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City and had a chance to sit down with one of Fixe’s designers to discuss some of the issues that have been cropping up with their new cams and get a few answers to some questions I had regarding the trigger wires and the absent black Alien Evolution cam. As you may or may … Continue reading Update: Alien Evolution Issues
