Adam Riser

It's pretty hard to beat a C4. Big range, cam stops, thumb loop, and on and on. I didn't think the thumb loop would add anything, but it makes these cams so much easier to place than the old style Camalots. I've found myself on plenty of routes this spring, reaching for a piece, and being bummed whenever I grab an old Camalot instead of a new one. There is no reason to not have some C4's on your rack.

I use these for hauling with a Mini Traxion to keep from cross loading, and on my daisies when aiding to get the best of the oval (to prevent pant-soiling 'biner shift) and the locking mechanism (for jugging). The keylock is seriously nice when you really don't want to spend a whole pitch getting snagged on wires.

I just picked up this jacket yesterday and took it out this morning for a pre-work tour. It was challenging conditions for a jacket. Super cold, blasting wind, lots of snow, and I was out front breaking trail for most of it. Most hardshells would start off cold, then make you sweat like crazy during the trail breaking, then freeze you sold when you stop moving. This one started off cold (of course), warmed up just enough to keep me toasty and not make me sweat, and kept in that warmth when I stopped to strip my skins and wait for my buddies. The hood fit over my helmet and the front zipped up to leave only my nose exposed in the nasty weather. I would recommend this jacket to any backcountry skier or snowboarder.

This is my go-to harness when I want something super light but need to keep real gear loops and might have to deal with a hanging belay or two. I wore this one on the Direct South Buttress of Mt Moran (complete to the summit), and it never gave me any issues. I wouldn't wear it at the Creek or anywhere that required a massive rack or on sport climbs that I was still working, but for long alpine rock or redpoint efforts, it's a solid choice.

After years and years of use and abuse, my Vector was so worn and scratched that I could barely read the numbers, so I got the new standard. This watch feels much more durable and is just as lightweight as the old style. Arc'teryx made the face and numbers a bit bigger, so you can read them at a quick glance during approach. My only complaint is that the alarm is still pretty quite. I've slept through it a couple times (with the old watch) and was hoping it would change, bit that's not the case. Either way, if you don't want need a heart rate monitor in the same watch, this is the one to get.

Since buying this thing I've taken several diggers bad enough that I was convinced something was broken... except that I didn't have a single scratch. I'm amazed how well this thing protects the upper body. It's also very breathable (well, for full body armor) and incredibly comfortable. My only complaint is that the cumber-bund thing doesn't fit quite perfect with the chest protector, so you have to mess with it a bit, but that's a pretty small thing to whine about. Basically, get one if your ride anything with big-crash potential.

If you don't need a million bells and whistles on your heart rate monitor, this is an excellent choice. It works very well and is super easy to use.

These are the gloves I bust out for seriously hard ice and mixed pitches. My only complaint is that the leather palm comes in direct contact with your skin, so these gloves aren't quite as warm as they could be with just a think piece of fabric in there. However, they're still pretty warm and they grip like nothing else.

These thing work great for steep ice and even mixed climbing... and that's with leashless tools. Black Diamond seemed to find just the right mix of insulation and dexterity. They do get wet eventually, but the waterproof is pretty good. The only thing I don't like about these gloves is that I only have one pair. Time to do something about that...

Now don't get me wrong, I love my Quarks, but damn these picks wear out fast. One over-swing into some rock and they're done! Better pay more attention when carpenter arm sets in. Either way, I wouldn't trade those tools, so I just keep the pick stash stocked.

I sized these up so I could use them with a fleece liner for ice climbing belays. Basically, I'm tired of trashing my good gloves in only a few days. They've seen a season of iced-up ropes (which bare a striking resemblance to barbed wire) and they still look great. I can't imagine wearing out a pair of these in less than 5 seasons of regular rock belays.

This pack holds everything you could possibly need for a day of shuttle runs... including a full-size digital camera to shoot your friends riding the manky mank. I had a Nomad for a while and it always seemed stuffed to the gills. This thing has tons of room for everything. I'm not usually a super-pocket fan, but DAKINE gave this bag just the right amount to keep your tools and parts separate from everything else.

After you get this kit, add a few kickass pain killers, an epi pen, and a couple extra rolls of athletic tape and you're set for just about anything that you can fix in the field. I've had some friends end a trip with some pretty nasty stuff, and this kit had everything I needed to get them stabilized.

I was surprised how thick this shirt was. It's a bit on the warm side for the middle of summer, but it's super soft.

This shirt rocks other than that it's a bit narrow in the shoulders.

These shorts do the job, but I'm not stoked on the stretchy side taps that are supposed to hold them on your waist. Besides the fact that this features works poorly, it sits right on the hips and feels horrible with a bike pack. The full-length side vents rock though.

This thing rocks for seriously hot days. I've been wearing it with and without upper body armor, and it works well both ways. I wish it stretched just a bit, but you don't notice once you have it on your body. It sure stinks after a weekend of racing though. Damn...

I tested these boots during the Ouray Ice Festival and was incredibly impressed. Despite their light weight (or maybe because of it) they climbed ice very well. I found myself placing my crampons much more than actually swinging them. There is no comparison with regular boots when it comes to mixed climbing. The Ice Comps clearly win the battle. The built-in gaiters did a good job of keeping the snow out, and the Gore-Tex lining kept my foot dry when I stepped through the ice and into the river. These boots were a little snug on my very wide, high-volume feet, but they still did the job OK. They also run about a half size tighter than the regular Lowa ice climbing boots. My suggestion is to remove the heel spur unless you climb M10 or harder. It can be done with an allen wrench in about a minute. You have to approach in a different pair of boots, which is a pain, meaning these would be a very poor choice for the mountains. Ice and mixed cragging only.

There is a really good reason these things are so popular. They provide plenty of light for everything but complex route finding, have a super-long battery life, and weight nearly nothing. This little guy goes with me on everything except alpine climbs (where a halogen is a pretty nice thing to have). Tossing it in the pack (just in case) has saved my skin more times than I can count.

At first these things sounded like a gimmick, but I am really impressed at how well they perform. The anti-fog coating keeps them from getting all steamed up on bike rides (like the Reflex glasses do). The stems are more comfortable than the Reflex sunglasses as well. The color-changing lenses do such a good job that I often forget they’re on and get strange looks when I wear them inside. They don’t get quite dark enough to be used on high-altitude climbs, but my eyes seems to be more sensitive than most.

My wife and I both have this pack, and neither of us have ever seen a bag that fits our biking needs better. It holds a cross country or freeride helmet easily. The shin guard holders also get a workout when we don’t feel like sweating up the padding while riding a 40lb bike uphill. The tool, tube, pump organizer keeps everything in its placed to appease my organization obsessions. My only complaint is the bladder. While the quick disconnect eliminates the need to run the hose through the pack every time you want to fill the thing up, it has come undone a few times. Just have to make sure it’s in there good.

I can’t even come close to describing how great this pack is. After years of suffering under a lightweight frameless pack, I gave up and went for this thing. Not only is it a pound lighter than the Cold Cold World backpack I was using, it supports loads better (no more jacked back), and it’s WATERPROOF. I was sure it would feel fragile, but this pack is actually really burly. I’ve even been taking on desert climbing trips without worry of it getting trashed. The profile is pretty tall and thin, so it’s a little different to pack. It’s also a bit tough to overload, as the top strap barely makes it over the top when this thing is full, but that’s a pretty easy fix. You’ll get use to the roll top pretty quick, though it feels strange at first.

Merino wool is incredible stuff. The claim about these things not stinking is completely true. I did a test by wearing this shirt on a two day climbing and biking weekend, then took it to work Monday (with the shirt unwashed). People would touch the fabric and say “Oh, this is that cool merino wool, huh. Is it true that it doesn’t stink like polyester?” He he he. The only drawback is that it dries a lot slower then polyester, so it would be a poor choice for alpine climbs where clothing is really hard to dry.

These ascenders are comfortable to jug with, easy to manipulate with one hand, and grip the rope well even if it's icy or muddy. It is a bit of a drawback that you can only clip one carabiner through the handle, but you can just clip your daisy to the ascender and clip your aider to the daisy's carabiner.

I bought these boots to replace a pair of Scarpa Freneys that were stolen, and I like the M-Finity even better. They're incredibly light and very comfortable. They fit my wide feet well. The cuffs are very soft, which increases precision on techy mixed stuff but wears you out on really long ice pitches. My only complaint is that the plastic part above the heel bail is too short for my Black Diamond crampons to work. I changed over to the Petzl Darts, and they work great.

Every spare scrap of steel has been stripped from these crampons, and you can definitely feel the difference when they're on your feet. The attachment system took a few tries to get used to, but I'm all about this thing now that I have it figured out. For both steep ice and mixed routes, these things are the ticket.

I have been using the Petzl Reverso for a few years, and I can honestly say that I like the ATC Guide better. The Black Diamond device locks more securely and releases easier thanks to it's specific release point. I wish you could get a carabiner through this hole, but I suppose it's smaller to keep people from accidentally setting it up wrong. The ATC Guide is a little heavier then the Reverso, but it's worth the trade off. You'll never see me on a multi-pitch route without this thing.

The Ice Flow gloves are by far the best ice climbing gloves I have seen. They are warm without being too hot. Their low profile lets your grip tools comfortably without causing pump, and the leather palms hold up to long rappels without falling apart. They have padded knuckles to keep the bashing to a minimum, and the breathability is perfect to keep your hands from sweating.

This helmet takes the comfort and adjustability of the classic Ecrin Roc and leaves the weight behind. It easily adjusts with one hand and doesn’t move around on your head on once adjusted. It’s plenty light for sport and alpine climbing, and the headlamp clips are very easy to use.

If you hate weight, these pants are great. You’ll never notice the weight in your pack or on your legs. The ¾-length side zips make them easy to put on and take off with boot on, and they don’t go all the way to the waist where they would cause pressure points. Any lighter, and they would not be burly enough for the mountains. But, as they are it’s just enough.

I’ve had these bibs for about four years now, and they’re absolutely bomber. When it comes to battling through nasty mountain storms for days at a time, there’s nothing that I would rather have. However, on nice days they always end up in the bottom of my pack, jealous of my lightweight softshell pants. The combination of high bibs and a jacket inhibits breathability a little too much for my taste. The bottom line is: if you’re expecting horrendous weather, get these bibs. If you’re climbing on a nice day, leave them at home and wear something lighter.

This hat stretched a full size over the course of a week. If you get it and it's a little tight, don't worry. It won't be that way for long.

Don’t go with the big size unless you have an absolutely massive dog (or dogs). The large holds about three liters or water, and holds its shape well when full. It also packs super small. The only real drawback is the soft rim–which needs to be stiffer to hold its shape well when the bowl just has a little food or water left. I found it be too floppy in general and traded for something stiffer.

This pack is about as stripped down as they come. It’s pretty well a sack with a (removable) lid. If you’re planning on a 40lb or less load, than it’s a pretty good bag. Don’t carry any more than that. I was stuck with an 80lb load on one trip and ripped the shoulder straps right off this thing. Jansport replaced them for free but it still didn’t help with the hike out. The waist belt doesn’t fit a waist smaller than 30in very well.

These new Spectres are a major improvement over the earlier model. The cut-out shaft greatly reduces weight without sacrificing strength at all. You can beat the hell out of this thing placing it and just sharpen it up like your ice tools at the end of the day. The doubled sling lets you lengthen your connection so rope whip won’t pluck it from the placement. Though it was designed for the ice, the Spectre is actually better for placing in iced-up cracks and mossy top outs. It’s great when you need it, but back it up if possible.

These things make rescue situations run much smoother. Way faster and easier to use than a prussic, plus it’s automatically self-minding in crevasse rescue situations. If you’re traveling as a team of two, replace your prussics with these and single-person crevasse rescue will go from nearly impossible to pretty simple. Also very useful for light hauling on a long trad route or light aid lines.

When I first got this thing I was very skeptical. It looked way too gimmicky to actually be functional. After a month of using it, I’m a believer. The main advantage of using this over a daisy is that it allows you to clip into two different anchors without violating the double-clipping that makes daisy’s body-weight only. Being able to clip in before finishing your anchor saves you tons of time on long routes and rappels.

Where this sling really comes into its own is when you’re carrying a really big rack. Being able to keep all the gear relatively separated is key when your rack is just shy of a big wall kit. With smaller racks, I tend to not like it because you often end up with gear on the back and front, but none in the middle. This makes for a very awkward load.

These work surprisingly well for leashless climbing. My advice it to take some tape and beef up the inside so it’s the perfect thickness to cradle your hand in the gloves that you plan on using the most. It definitely makes these easier to hang onto. Put the new attachment (Strike) on the upper shaft and matching is easy as well. The only real drawback is that you get a lot of pick shift when matching on rock. These things do make it nearly impossible to plant the shaft of your tool in the snow.

When you’re heading up a long route with only a pitch or two of aid, these are definitely the way to go. Much smaller and lighter than standard aiders, they are easy to bunch up and clip to the back of your harness. If you’re spending more then a day up there, get something beefier. Anything under a day and these are the ticket.

Don’t you love snow sticking to your crampons? Well, no one else does either. These Anti-Balling plates are very easy to install and they are worth their weight in gold. My only complaint is that a long alpine route with a lot of rock will pretty much destroy them in a day. If you’re spending most the time in the snow, they’re definitely worth it.

The Reverso really comes into its own on multi-pitch climbs. The ability to belay directly off the anchor with a solid, self-locking system is extremely helpful. On long trad and ice routes, there is not reason to carry anything else. The Reverso allows you to eat, take pictures, organize the rack or anything else while you’re belaying. For a party of three, it allows you to belay two seconds at the same time with ease. If you’re just cragging, get something else.

This harness is perfect for ice, alpine and trad climbing. The ice clipper loops are far easier to use than a floating ‘biner with a bunch of screws on it, and the contoured shape is wide enough in the back to make for a relatively comfortable hanging belay. Everything is easily adjustable, even with gloves on. My only complaint is that the tie-in point is a little on the small side, making it less ideal for any aid climbing. Since it wasn’t designed for that in the first place, it’s pretty hard to complain.

This is basically a super-long rabbit runner. They are pretty light and easy to bundle up and carry. Setup with two or three anchors is very easy and it gives you a central loop for everyone to clip into, prefect for multi-pitch climbs. The one major draw back is that it’s a little more painful on your wallet when you have to cut it up for rappel slings. For this reason I would recommend a regular cordelette of 7mm unless you know that all the stations have chains.

This ‘biner is great for just about everything where you need a locker, except belaying. Though it is made of round bar stock, the D-shape does not lend it self to belaying very well. They are also a little on the heavy side. For this reason, I like other lockers for long trad climbs or alpine routes.

This thing removes stuck gear and opens a bottle at camp. What else do you want it to do? Carry your pack for you? The one drawback is that the backside is a little too skinny to really bang on it when you’re working on a stuck stopper. Fix this problem by wrapping the back with tape, giving you a soft pad to hit the palm of your hand.

These are absolutely the smallest and lightest slings you’ll ever find. They’re so skinny that you don’t even want to trust the things, but they hold 22kN. The long piece works perfectly for a cordelette and when you trick-tipple the shoulder-length ones they are hardly as thick as a quickdraw. If you’re counting ounces, replace all your slings with these. You’ll be happy you did.

Rabbit Runners are a must for long ice, alpine or trad routes. They give you the same extension of a double length sling except they rack like an over-the-shoulder with the two ends clipped together. This also allows you to take them off your shoulder without removing your other hand from the hole. Use them for gear extension on wondering pitches or to sling horns and icicles. They are very useful for belay anchors as well.

These shoes are perfect for 4th class climbing and lightweight backpacking. They have more support than most ‘approach shoes’ but are also a bit heavier. They smear pretty well, thanks to the stealth rubber, but don’t edge worth a flip. If you want comfy shoes to hang out in, these are the ones. For something a little more climbing oriented, get the Guide Tennies. Get the same size as your Five Ten rock shoes and they’ll fit perfect.

Stealth Rubber makes a huge difference in traction for approaches and even steeper hiking. While it does not bite into the dirt as well as a trail-running shoe, you can walk up a 50-degree rock slab with no problems. They offer enough performance for easy 5th class climbing and are awesome on long 4th class routes. I have very wide feet and I sized up a ½ size with good results.

These super-light ‘biners are ideal for anyone who wants to shave weight off their rack. If you're not one of these people, there's something wrong with you. They are surprisingly easy to clip and have about the same gate clearance as bigger ‘biners. Stick with full-size carabineers for sport climbs.

This axe is so light that you don’t notice it on your pack at all but still has a strong enough head to be useful. The positive-clearance pick penetrates ice better than most ice axes, making it a good choice for more technical routes. If you’re planning on doing some industrial scale chopping with the adze, get a heavier axe.

These shoes are great for everything from bouldering to trad climbing depending on how you fit them. Most will go super small for bouldering or sport climbing. I literally get the smallest ones that I can pull on. They’ll suck to start with but when they stretch out they’ll fit like a sticky glove. For trad climbing, size them like bedroom slippers (feet flat) and they will fit perfectly in thin cracks. They will stretch more than a full size if you climb a lot so be ware of getting them too big.

My wife and I have used these tools for lots of ice and alpine climbing. The Grip suits itself to smaller hands very well and the relatively straight shaft, compared to other tools, allows for a very easy swing; especially when you’re pumped stupid. They plunge well in the snow when you’re on alpine routes. Because the shaft doesn’t have much of a curve they do not hook as well on beat-out routes or mixed climbing. If you’re doing a ton of bullet-hard ice, however, they are a dream to swing.

These are great tools for both water ice and alpine climbing. Lots of clearence and the small pommel allows easy plunging in hard snow. I suggest not using the Viper Android Leash if you are planning on doing any alpine climbing as it does not allow you to grab the head of your tool. You are better off in the standard Android or the Lockdown Leash. Great tools if you have small hands.

These are great tools for both water ice and alpine climbing. Lots of clearence and the small pommel allows easy plunging in hard snow. I suggest not using the Viper Android Leash if you are planning on doing any alpine climbing as it does not allow you to grab the head of your tool. You are better off in the standard Android or the Lockdown Leash. Great tools if you have small hands.

These leashes are great for ice climbing, they are easy to use and hold your hand firmly to your tools on steep ice. If you plan to do any alpine climbing, either get the standard Android Leash or the Lockdown leash as these do not allow you to let go and grab the head of your tools.