Lightweight, super compact, and reliable. These are worth carrying if you care anything about shaving ounces off of your rack (read: don't want to hump an oversized pack full of heavy gear on that hour plus approach). They are really small too, which helps minimize the cluster**** factor hanging from your gear loops. Plus, they still freak a few people out when they see you using them and wonder if that's a keychain biner you just clipped that last Camalot into.

Try this...put out several similar biners (including the Spirit) in front of you. Now, pick each one up one at a time and just get the feel of it. If you're anything like me, the Petzl Spirit will just feel ultra-natural and comfortable. The grippy ridges where your forefinger opens the gate are super-smooth. The gate opens smoothly and evenly, and it's really light. If you want the Cadillac of biners without the weight, pick up a few of these.

If you're looking for a do-it-all biner, I recommend the Positron. Of course the keylock gate is crucial. While it's not the least expensive biner out there, it's worth the price for sure. Stock up on these.

This is a very nice biner. But if you put it side by side with a Positron the basket area does not appear to be all that much larger. Also, the gate opening is only slightly bigger than the Positron. If you are looking for a specialized biner with an oversized basket then by all means grab this one. If you are looking just for a general workhorse biner, though, go with the Positron.

In climbing, any time you can get away with making something smaller, do it. Such is the case with the new 12mm slings from BD. The size is noticeably different, and of course makes slinging a bunch of them over your shoulder, or racking several of them made into quickdraws much, much more manageable. Face it, you need to retire your old slings. Get some of these instead.

Buy 5 cams get one free! That's basically what this is. All the key sizes. I would use this package to help start a new rack or to double up on these core sizes. Either way, this is an exceptional deal!

As far as small cams go, Metolius TCUs are among the best. Besides Aliens these are the best I've found. Buying them in package is a great way to go also. Quit thinking about it and do it.

We all know the ATC. We probably all have one or have owned one at some point. How can BD possibly improve on such a classic, clean, simple, lightweight and proven design? They add teeth. I was skeptical about the ATC-XP at first, but I am a believer now. It's basically the same trusted feel of the regular ATC but when you want to use them, the teeth are a worthy feature. Skinny double rope rappels won't cause your palms to heat up like a burner plate anymore. And it's still lightweight, compact, and of course bombproof. Pick one up.

If you are buying an ATC-XP (and if you're thinking about it ... you should) you're going to need a biner to go with it. Spend an extra seven bucks and get a great deal on a superb belay biner. The four bucks you save might not seem like much but that's about a 15% discount for something you're going to need anyhow. Fork it over!

If you want to improve your finger strength, pull up strength, and overall climbing confidence, put one of these in. It is literally the easiest way I have found to train for all types of climbing. The variety of holds suits everyone from beginner to very advanced climbers. It takes seconds to jump on and bust out a set of pull ups on your hold of choice, and Metolius even publishes an easy and a hard workout for the board on their website. Try either workout for two weeks and you will notice yourself getting much stronger.

I love my Gemini headlamp. It's light enough that it doesn't feel cumbersome, even when wearing it for extended amounts of time. The bulbs are bright enough for finding your way around camp, seeing a trail in the dark, or even for climbing at night. The construction is very beefy as well. You don't have to worry about it breaking when you drop it while dancing around the campfire after a few too many beers one night.

i picked up a pair of these last year. at first they looked like a little bit too much for me, but the more i wore them the more i grew to love them. they are now my favorite shades, hands down. these are some bad ass sunglasses!

yeah, these socks are the real deal. i can't remember wearing a more comfortable pair of socks in my life. they are outstanding at keeping your feet dry, which means not all sweaty in warm weather and not too chilly in cold weather. you can actually feel the difference between these and other socks the second you put them on. no more 8 packs of white tube socks for me ... i'm addicted to bridgedale.

girls totally dig how silky smooth this baselayer is. i'm normally not much with the ladies, but when i slip into my marmot silkweight crew i know that it won't be another lonely night. looks pretty cool, too.
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oh yeah, and it keeps you warm in mild conditions, but definitely not for the days when the mercury is nothing but a shriveled up red dot hibernating in the bottom of the thermometer.

These are hands down the coolest sunglasses ever made .... ever!! They look good on everybody. The clarity with the monolens is excellent when you put them on, no lines or anything like that. And most importantly, they are just sooooooooo freakin' cool!!! They are a little ahead of the curve though, so don't expect the masses to catch on to these until some time in 2005.

These biners are the bees knees for aid routes. The claim to a narrower profile is not just propaganda, it's the gospel truth Brothers and Sisters! These are remarkably more narrow in profile than standard ovals, which means you can stack them up on your harness like there's no tomorrow. The difference in weight is noticeable, also. Take 20 of these clipped together in one hand and compare the weight to 20 standard ovals in the other. You will be a believer! The only improvement I would LOVE to see is a keylock gate which would make these the ultimate racking biner. The price is right, too.

This thing is comfy. It's nothing that I would want to hang from all day long, but for half to all day aid routes this beats the snot out of other free climbing harnesses. Super wide back, nice padding all around and adjustable leg loops. The gear loops are nice and big too for racking lots of gear and look like they will be bomber durable. I haven't had it long enough to test this theory but I'm confident they'll last a long, long time. If you are like me and like to climb in comfort and enjoy the longer, mellower routes, this harness should be considered. It's not a sport climber’s harness - it's more like a Cadillac then a Ferrari.

This is the biner of choice for all-around locking biner duty. They can be used on a sling for extra assurance on a crucial placement, used for anchors, and most other places where a locking biner is needed or wanted. Basically, you have your belay biner, which this is a bit small for, some mega big locking biners for when your anchor is going to be busy and you want the extra room for clipping, and then you've got the Enduro…for EVERYTHING else.

I picked one of these up last year and I'm pretty impressed by it. It's just a lower profile than cordage would be. The sewn loops at either end make it super easy to use and set up. I use it on any multipitch climb where I'm building an anchor.

I have noticed that it comes up short sometimes if I have to place two pieces of my anchor somewhat far from each other. For this reason I wish it were longer, and next time I need one I might just go with a longer section of cordage. Unless Metolius makes a longer version of this by then ...

*hint hint*

Actually, this bag does NOT do it all. And I'm glad it doesn't. It's simple, clean, functional. There aren't any extra gizmos or features that add little value but jack up the price. It is what it's supposed to be and no more.

It's easy to use and elimates the need to coil the rope after every outing. (Sure, coiling may only take 4 minutes but that's 4 minutes sooner that you'll be at the watering hole enjoying your favorite post-climb beverage.) This is more practical than hauling that old tarp with you everywhere you go. It's lighter, works better, and can store your rope between climbs.

The material these are made of is super soft. These pants will be the new staple legwear in my wardrobe. I'm a huge fan of cargo pockets for things like cell phones or, while climbing, energy bars that I can get to without having to struggle with my harness to get into my hand pocket. When I discovered the dual access—Velcro on the top and stealth zipper on the front—cargo pockets on these pants I was impressed. The zipper access is perfect if I am sitting down while my cell phone rings. One minor disappointment in these pants is the fly. It's three Velcro tabs, which is different and kind of cool, but my problem is that the fly does not open low enough which makes it inconvenient at the very least when nature calls. I won't go into any more detail on this point. They are sized pretty snug. I was sure that a medium would fit me but it turns out I liked the large much better for the extra space it gave and the extra length in the legs. These are great all-around pants, though. I ended up buying two pair.