Kevin R.

I have used many a Suunto products in diving and work and many Garmins with work. when it came time to find a new general GPS watch and one which I could use running I spent weeks reading reviews, gear testing friend's products and pursuing information. And It all led to the Ambit. There is not a finer GPS watch and Fitness watch out there. All the old issues with Suunto watches as far as poor reception and battery life are a thing of the past. I pick up the signal in the thickest wooded areas and never loose it on a trail run, and I even pick ip up indoors in all but the most interior rooms. Something some of my handheld units can't even claim. It handles any and all formats from MGRS to Lat/Long and UTM. It tracks perfectly with speed and distance and the ability to customize screen and info layout on Movescount.com is fantastic. The battery lasts longer then any other watch I have tested and providing the rare combination of full featured GPS and fitness device is amazing. Don't be misled, the Ambit will always be able to do heart rate, the only difference is the $550 model has the heart rate strap and the $500 allows you to buy it separately later. I highly recommend this to anyone, I use it biking, running, swimming, and the unique requirements of my job. This winter you can bet it will be on every backcountry trip and every climb all year with me.

While not as light as the Evo or as packable (but then again, what shoe is), these are fantastic. I have put uncountable miles on these in many boots and they fit them all. The heel lifter and aggressive edges make going up the steeps as easy as can be and the HUGE well allows a great natural movement of the boot at any angle. When the snow is to deep or steep for skins and too soft for crampons or you are just trying to hike it out to the falls for an ice climbing day, this shoe is more then you could ever ask for and will never let you down.

I have used literally tons of shoes over the last few years. Hiking in the backcountry, getting to the falls for an ice climb day, military use, and all over the deeps in AK. These shoes while not the most technical or "shiny" fit perfectly for my intended use. They are by far the easiest shoes to pack in any shoe out there and as light as any shoe I have ever used. I am about 190 at 6'2" and often have 45+ pounded on me for work and with the tails these shoes still float me. Don't' be fooled by the plastic construction, they hold up to tons of abuse and while usually used hiking in, I and my friends have used these successfully with both ski and snowboard boots as well.

I have bigger feet, anywhere from a size 12.5-13.5 in regular running and hiking shoes. This makes it hard to find a climbing shoe that fits well, especially with a larger forefoot. And even more difficult to find an aggressive or high performance shoe. I have played in many different shoes and recently climbed a few sessions in the Shaman's from Evolv, and while I loved the shoe and its features, it just wasn't fitting, even when I tracked down the 13.5. Now, this shoe is as comfortable as any shoe I have ever worn, its fit is like a glove and the new material in the upper stretches perfectly for a nice snug fit without becoming misshapen or sloppy. The SciFri 3.0 rubber is like glue for your foot and despite its softer sole it sticks to everything and holds on the smallest of edges. They are snug but easy on and off at the gym and the crag with the pull loops and three strap side entry set up. And the heel hooks and toe jams are as good as any shoe out there. Highly recommended for the hard to fit crowd and anyone looking to find comfort and preference in the same shoe for once.

This was the first climbing shoe I bought many years ago now. It climbs and fits like a beginners shoe should. That is, it is comfortable for all day wear (I often feel like I could drive my car home in this shoe after the gym days) and the leather and rubber hold up well. Not a stiff shoe for hooking and dime edging your way up but it smears well and sticks to all but the smallest nubs. Would I recommend these to someone with a few years or who is sending moderately difficult routes or tech problems.. no. But, they would be among my first recommendation for someone just starting out or someone looking for a shoe to compliment their aggressive technical shoe with a comfortable shoe for long pitches or gym sessions.

These are not a highly technical shoe, nor do they fit like one or climb like one. But thats exactly why I got them. These shoes are quite comfortable and perfect for long days of mid grade climbs and boulder problems and I really enjoy the comfort on long multi pitch days. That being said, these aren't the shoes I would choose to heel hook my way thru an overhang or send a long crack. I choose them for long gym workouts and any other day where long comfort is more important than technical ability. The rubber has lasted without issue thru 2 years and while they do stretch a bit it is not enough to make the shoe unusable.

I spend a lot of time on a BDEL Chaos and while the padding in the BDEL make it extremely comfortable you can' treat this harness for lightweight and its resistance to soaking up moisture. Especially nice when you have thicker warming layers on but certainly still a good harness even in the summer months. It is and has been for many years my go to ice, alpine, and back country skiing harness.

I use Arc's 300 for backcountry and ice climbing but this is without a doubt the most comfortable harness I have ever owned. I have hung in it for extremely extended periods of time and hauled good loads on the gear loops and this harness has never let me down or disappointed me in any way.

Climbed on the Grigri for a couple years, liked it, small learning curve but it was good. The Grigri 2 tho... Great. Love the larger range for rope size, and even on crimped up larger top ropes at the gym it still feeds relatively smoothly. Definitely my go to piece for top roping and holding my hang-dogging partner while he works a section.

I use my GriGri2 and my ATC-Guide for different aspects of climbing and work, but in the end this is as simple and easy as it gets and I will always have it in my bag. doesn't wear out on the long raps, the grooves really do help, especially for locking off while your partner works section of the route or on wet and icy ropes.

I have draws and biners in both large and small and am very happy with them both. I must say tho, if you are a true gram counter, go with the smalls and just put up with it while you are hooking, but if you don't mind a few grams the L is just about perfect. They clip positive, feel solid in every way and I find the opening on the larges to be perfect for clipping bolts and running the rope. I have used them in the gym, real rock, and ice, absolutely in love and while I still pre clip using some of my other draws, you can be sure I won't be buying and others but these for the forseeable future.

I have draws and biners in both large and small and am very happy with them both. I must say tho, if you are a true gram counter, go with the smalls and just put up with it while you are hooking, but if you don't mind a few grams the L is just about perfect. They clip positive, feel solid in every way and I find the opening on the larges to be perfect for clipping bolts and running the rope. I have used them in the gym, real rock, and ice, absolutely in love and while I still pre clip using some of my other draws, you can be sure I won't be buying and others but these for the forseeable future.

I now have 2 beacons and had a third until I sold it off to my friend. Without a doubt this is the simplest to learn and use beacon I have ever used and will not be giving it up for any other model. All the other antennas and user interfaces are nice but you can't beat the simple to use and speed of use of this beacon.

3 seasons of backcountry skiing, ice climbing, and winter hiking and these pants just keep going. They did take a cut in the reenforced panels in season 2 due to a ski edge but given the circumstances I can hardly be upset since the cut has never spread further and didn't make it thru to the inner layer. I have ridden them in deep Utah days, freezing icy AK days, touring uphill and riding inbounds down as well. Great pants, well thought out side zips and and pockets that don't interfere with my harness.

Everything I could want in a lightweight glove. These gloves have served me well down below freezing and on warmer, wet spring days. I have used these running, working, flipping tires, climbing ropes, and hiking. After 2 years of use they show little wear and have no stretched or started to fail in anyway. Highly recommended for anyone needing an inexpensive glove that will protect them and still allow the hands to be used as needed.

I am usually one to avoid thing that are a) new and untested and b) a gimmick that isn't really needed... And yet this is one of my favorite pieces of climbing kit in years, really, what took so long. A great biner with the ATC, but I think it truly shines when using the grigri2. No cross loading, no fuss. And I even Munter'ed off of it this past fall just to see if I could. As usual BDEL got it right.