Review: Mountain Hardware Exposure/2™ Jacket and Pants
Mountains are a place we go to get away from it all. No cell service, less people, just you and maybe a few close friends to get up to some adventure. Over the past few years, social media has had a large influence on what happens in the mountains. Not to get into that too much, but what we wear is something most people take … Continue reading Review: Mountain Hardware Exposure/2™ Jacket and Pants
Christmas Gift Guide for Backcountry Skiers: 2018
This final installment of our gift guide series for 2018 provides some great ideas for the backcountry skiers out there. This includes ski touring, ski mountaineering, split boarding and even the snowshoeing enthusiast—though I question their sanity. Be sure to check out our other gift guides as well and have a great Christmas season! 1. Arc’teryx Alpha SK Pack: The newest addition to the Arc’teryx … Continue reading Christmas Gift Guide for Backcountry Skiers: 2018
Black Sheep’s Christmas Guide for Climbers 2018
The 2018 version of our Annual Christmas Guide for Climbers. For me Christmas is always a bit of a mixed blessing. I have to put up with hearing Christmas carols everywhere, and there’s the stress of spending time with family, finding gifts for everyone and often lots driving on icy roads. On the other hand it’s great to catch up with friends and family and … Continue reading Black Sheep’s Christmas Guide for Climbers 2018
Climber’s Gift Guide 2018: Stocking Stuffers
Christmas is just around the corner yet again. But don’t worry if you’ve no idea what to get that hard-to-shop-for climber in the family. We’ve got you covered! In this first installment of the 2018 guide we’ll look at 10 great ideas for smaller “stocking stuffer” type gifts. Basically, cool stuff that won’t cost too much. Click here if you want to look at some … Continue reading Climber’s Gift Guide 2018: Stocking Stuffers
Christmas Stocking Stuffer Guide for Backcountry Touring 2018
Black Sheep Adventure Sports’ first annual guide to stocking stuffers for ski touring & splitboarding fanatics. We’ve compiled a list of 5 great stocking stuffer ideas for anyone that loves touring around in the hills come winter. Gifts that they likely won’t expect, but that will definitely put a smile on their face. Of course we’ve tried to keep prices low and the size down … Continue reading Christmas Stocking Stuffer Guide for Backcountry Touring 2018
Picking the Perfect Arc’teryx Puffy:
A head-to-head comparison review of synthetic Arc’teryx Puffy Jackets. Specifically the Quantum Series which includes the Proton, Atom & Nuclei. Walking around an outdoor gear store, or perusing one online for that matter, can be both fun and intimidating. There’s an absolute mountain of choice (yes, the pun was intended) when it comes to good quality kit! Now, a wide selection can be a great … Continue reading Picking the Perfect Arc’teryx Puffy:
Review: Petzl Nao+ Headlamp
The Petzl Nao+ is my lighting tool of choice for any mountain missions that start or end in the dim hours of the day. With 750 lumens, it’s so bright that Petzl had to include a warning label not to shine it in someone’s eyes up close! Using Reactive Lighting or Constant Lighting the burn time will vary from 6.5hrs (at 750 lumens) all the … Continue reading Review: Petzl Nao+ Headlamp
Long-Term Review: Patagonia Descensionist Pants
I can be picky when it comes to ski touring pants. I’ll spend countless hours trying on different pairs in different stores before ever getting close to that one pair with that seemingly elusive mixture of features I want: a good fit, a few functional pockets, vents and a fabric that breaths. I know, I’m asking for a lot! But it’s not always easy to … Continue reading Long-Term Review: Patagonia Descensionist Pants
First Look Review: Scarpa Zodiac Tech GTX
The new Zodiac Tech from Scarpa fits squarely into to uber popular scrambling / lightweight mountaineering boot category. Incredibly versatile, this boot’s a fantastic option for summers in the mountains. The soles are flexible enough to walk well but still stiff enough to take semi-auto crampons, kick steps up steep snow slopes and rock climb. They’re even warm and dry enough for shorter bouts on … Continue reading First Look Review: Scarpa Zodiac Tech GTX
Picking the Ideal Piton Rack:
Despite having fallen out of vogue for many climbers, pitons are an important part of an alpine climbing rack in many areas. Yes, many pitons have been replaced with their more reliable relative, bolts. Or simply removed for that matter. But there’s still tons of them around depending on the area. And of course the prevalence of pitons in a given area depends on an assortment … Continue reading Picking the Ideal Piton Rack: