John Ross

These babies look cute, feel good, and stay smelling fresh longer.

I don't think it is a stretch to say this is the standard belay device for belaying sport climbers. There are other belay devices but this is what many climbers use at the gym and crag.

Pros:
- Does the job as a solid belay device (follow the device instructions)
- Smoother lowering
- Feeds "thinner" ropes very nicely
- Lighter and smaller than the first Grigri

Cons:
- Thicker ropes (10mm+) and fuzzed ropes are a little difficult to feed, especially with the new method
- A lead climber might feel "shorted" as the belayer tries to feed enough rope from thicker or fuzzed ropes

Be sure to read the instructions for use (http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/grigri-experience).

For an active life style, this adds a nice layer of warmth. A three-season shirt for me: fall, winter, spring.

This beanie fits nicely under a climbing helmet. Keeps your ears warm and looks great. The amazing thing is you can still HEAR your climbing partner!

The SteriPEN JourneyLCD requires 2 rechargeable or disposable CR123 batteries

Disposable Lithium Batteries:
- Expect about 50 cycles (1 liter treatments) before needing to replace the batteries
- Name brand batteries work best: Energizer Lithium Photo, Sanyo, Panasonic, Kodak, Duracell

Rechargeable Lithium Batteries:
- Expect about 30 cycles (1 liter treatments) before needing to recharge the batteries
- Recommend AW brand (http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=53&products_id=201)
- My personal tests with AW brand rechargeable batteries were 40 cycles before needing to be recharged

SteriPEN Community Blog:
Video: Battery Recommendations for SteriPEN Products
http://community.steripen.com/blog/video-battery-recommendations-for-steripen-products

Note: SteriPEN models that use four (4) AA batteries average twice the number of cycles as those that use two (2) CR123 batteries. Carrying an extra set of CR123 batteries will provide a comparable number of cycles to those models.

The SteriPEN Classic requires 4 rechargeable or disposable AA batteries

Disposable Lithium Batteries:
- Expect about 100 cycles (1 liter treatments) before needing to replace the batteries
- Name brand batteries work best: Energizer Ultimate, Sanyo, Panasonic, Kodak, Duracell

Rechargeable Batteries:
- Expect about 80 cycles (1 liter treatments) before needing to recharge the batteries
- Recommended: Energizer Recharge NiMH 2300
- My personal tests with these batteries were right on

SteriPEN Community Blog:
Video: Battery Recommendations for SteriPEN Products
http://community.steripen.com/blog/video-battery-recommendations-for-steripen-products

Note: SteriPEN models that use four (4) AA batteries average twice the number of cycles as those that use two (2) CR123 batteries. Carrying an extra set of CR123 batteries will provide a comparable number of cycles for those models.

Nice fragrance and soothing on the skin after spending a hot day in the sun. Stock up before you need it.

Whenever I go to the sock drawer I'm HOPING to find these. Out of all the wool/wool-blend socks I own, these are most comfortable, durable, and odor-free. Have had no shrinkage issues with normal laundering either. Doesn't get any better.

MUCH easier to unclip with the clean nose design. I use this for the top biner on all of my quick draws.

Sturdy, stretchy, and comfortable.

Take to the hills with this pack and don't look back. This baby can take the abuse and still protect the goods. Supports a full pack with well built straps and supports. A bladder is the way to go with this pack as the side pockets are a bit shallow for quart bottles. The trade-off for all of the sturdiness is that it is a bit weighty.

The laptop storage space has some nice protective padding at the bottom. This space will accommodate up to a 15" laptop with no problem.

The water bottle holders on the outside hold bottles securely (unlike some similar packs). There is a good selection of pockets and spaces for pens, calculators, keys, and books. I like the compression straps, the sternum strap, and non-removable waist belt. The mesh padding helps keep your back dry. The zippers are nice and beefy.

Identical to TNF Recon (item# TNF5572) which sports front mesh pocket.

Separate bottom zipper compartment for smelly stuff? Cool!

Well built and designed pack. The laptop compartment has a "small" bit of padding at the bottom (better than nothing).

Good padding, straps, and bottle holders. The front pouch would easily hold a helmet or large coat. Lots of pockets in the medium zippered compartment. Good beefy zippers to boot!

The stiff plastic back support is light and works well with the mesh/foam back padding. Nice sized main compartment with three other good storage compartments. The smaller compartment has useful pockets for pens and calculator, and a clip for keys. The side pockets hold small to medium water bottles securely.

Pros:
- Fairly light weight but still durable
- Mesh back and shoulder straps for good venting
- Three zippered compartments: small, medium, large (plus a small internal compartment)
- Compression straps and sternum strap
- Stoable waist belt
- "okay" water bottle holders ("C" grade)
- Bladder compartment

Cons:
- Zippers are "okay"
- Little waist pockets are almost worthless

The laptop storage space has some nice protective padding at the bottom. This space will accommodate up to a 15" laptop with no problem.

The water bottle holders on the outside hold bottles securely (unlike some similar packs). There is a good selection of pockets and spaces for pens, calculators, keys, and books. I like the compression straps, the sternum strap, and non-removable waist belt. The mesh padding helps keep your back dry. The zippers are nice and beefy.

Identical to TNF Borealis (item# TNF5573) which sports front bungee shock cords.

Nice gift to score yourself some big points with the significant other. Soft yet durable enough to wear to the grocery store.

I use these for my everyday shoes and love them. They are sturdy without being clunky. I can hike in them and then wear them to work.

Everyone needs a basic beanie like this to keep their noggin warm.

This puppy is thick, warm, and styl'n at the same time.

+1 like!!!

Merino wool socks are the way to go! Warm without itchies!

...and dang comfy!

Keeps you warm and dry (ching! ching) while not being too heavy (ching!). The hood comes in handy when it's windy or wet (ching!). Looks good and feels great!

Cha ching!

Yeah baby . . . this is the good stuff!!!

The mother-in-law loved this gift for her b-day. Worked well for her wider sized foot.

Pros:
- Good compact size
- Amazing 9 ft. extension
- Pretty good design for use with the right carabiner

Cons:
- Will only work with certain / smaller carabiners and didn't work with mine (returned)
- Useless for clipping if you don't have just the right size carabiner

I love how light this sunscreen feels. It absorbs right into the skin and works great!

They were a big hit with the wife for Xmas.

Comfortable and styl'n. What more could you want?

Love these gloves for leading ice and dealing with gear (seconding). Bring a second pair of warmer gloves on really cold days for belays and recovering from screaming barfies. The Punisher kills it for dexterity and dryness.

I bought several different pair of similar pants of varying brands to compare. I returned all the rest and kept these. Love the fit and the strong yet stretchy fabric. Lots of nice features. After a few days of wearing these ordered two more pair. My favorite everyday, office-to-crag pants.

A great rope for lead climbing. I love how smooth it feeds through my belay device. Love the bi-pattern design making it easy to find the middle for a safe rappel.

I have no doubt I could give this rope five stars after longer use.

BTW, the tags that came with the Blue-Duodess indicates it is dry-treated, which is probably why it feeds so nicely.

After many years of abuse my old Tikka finally broke. There was no question but to replace it with the BD Spot. Love it! I'll never leave home w/o it.

My e+LITE stays in a zipper pouch of my chalk bag in case I need some light getting off the last route of the day. I also like how it clips to the bill of your hat.

Bought and compared this with the Brunton L3. The L3 beam is a little broader and the Icon's is a little more focused. But the brightness of the two is very comparable. Both are well built too, but for the cost savings I'm sticking with the BD Icon and taking it on my next Rainier trip.

Bought this headlamp along with two other less expensive headlamps to compare them. The Brunton L3 (3 watt) and the BD Icon (3 watt / 100 lumen) were comparable to each other. But the Petzl Ultra WAY outshined those two. What a solid headlamp too. I couldn't help but think that this is THE headlamp for search and rescue types who want LOTS of light! Simply amazing.

The other thing I love about the Petzl Ultra is the Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. It has to be the best headlamp battery anywhere. If this headlamp wasn't so dang expensive it would get 5 stars from me fer sure.

Pros: The support saved my wrist from a nasty sprain during a fall. So glad I was wearing these! A pretty warm / dry glove too.

Cons: Ripped a hole in the "not-so-Toughgrip" palm right after purchase (not so warm / dry now). Not impressed with it's strength at all. Also, snow easily gets into the wrist area as it is not a very long glove.

Nice features on these gloves, especially that they are warm.

My size 13 boots work fine in my 9-11 bindings. I use the convertible toe strap over the toe for the best response. Really a solid and quality binding.

Kept my head warm w/o a beanie today (32F). Just had to close the vents. Love the vents too...way better than most other helmets. Cool style with the visor/brim. Size adjustment could be made easier to change. A little more padding inside the helmet would be good too. Overall though it's pretty sweet!

This is such a quality unit. Very clear optics and ruggedly built.

Keep this bad boy in a front pocket for when you're on the move and need a quick clear look at a hawk or peak. Even comes with a nice case that can attach to your belt or to a carabiner.