Last year Petzl released the RAD (Rescue And Decent) system which is basically a lightweight rope kit. The idea is that skiers and mountaineers can take it with them into mountains to deal potential issues such as rappelling cliff bands, undertaking crevasse or cliff rescue and for roping up when crossing glaciers. While light-weight kits of this nature have been available to Guides for some time Petzl … Continue reading Petzl RAD Kit Review
Designed as a technical mid-layer, Black Diamond’s new Deployment Hybrid Hoody utilizes a mixture of different materials and fabrics in different locations in an effort to provide warmth where it’s needed and breath-ability where it’s not. The result is a nice fitting mid-layer with some great features though it still has it’s flaws. The light green panels are insulated Shoeller and the dark green a thinner … Continue reading Review: Black Diamond Deployment Hybrid Hoodie
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
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
