Contributions by Desert Backpacker (89)

These clinchers are great for the roadies and for the bike commuters looking for less rolling resistance and more speed. The colors just serve to make the ride a bit more stylish.

If you're tired of having to crank on your brakes to stop your bike pick these up! This brake comes complete with all the stuff you'll need to mount it on your bike; in other words, the 203mm rotor is included. The content is wrong on the website. It also comes with a bleed kit, and an extra set of pads. Great set-up for a great price.

One tube is much like another. These Butyl tubes are light, and with the 60mm stem they fill-up nicely.

This wheel set is a good option for those looking to get a nice light wheel. It's good for climbing, and for cruisin' around town. The hub does seem to be a bit loud, but it's still a good wheel.

This is a great piece, it's warm, breathable and weather resistant. The only downside is that it seems to be a bit short through the torso. By that I mean that it shows off my belly a little bit when I reach up high; I guess that's the price we pay for well articulated garments.

The mid-sole never breaks down, the lug-sole lasts forever, and the adjustable webbing allows for a comfy fit. These sandals can do it all- almost. If you try Ice Climbing or Mountaineering you may lose some toes.

These merino socks are great! This mesh pair breathes better than the cushion, which is great for active lifestyles in the summer. They dry fast and keep your feet comfy year-round.

I just really like this shoe, a great arch support, stable on uneven terrain, durable with the triple density EVA mid-sole, and it's lightweight- a great shoe! I've packed a lot of miles in these and they are still my weapon of choice when I want to move fast.

This item saves the weight of a pump, and also the wait of having to pump up your tire. It's nice and versatile, compatible with both 12 and 16 gram threaded or non-threaded co2 cartridges.

These cartridges are great! Super convenient and fast, they take the worry out of your commute or your daily ride.

I've had this pump for about 2 months now, and it's handled all the abuse that my roommates could dish-out, and it's still going strong. It's nice and durable and still useful.

This pack is great for any day adventure you can dish out. The backpanel and suspension are comfortable, they carry loads well, and the space not being used in the back panel can be used to carry your hydration bladder. With accessories for all sorts of outdoor adventure, the Atmos is a great pack for those looking to get outside.

These socks do a better job of keeping my feet dry than other socks their weight/size, and the wool avoids the stench so I don't have to worry about wearing them all day on a hike or trip and wondering what they'll smell like.

This bag is great and is designed to be carried over one shoulder like a messenger bag. It's dual tie-in points make it easy to identify the top and bottom of the bag so that you can flake the rope faster, and spend more time climbing. It's easy to pack-up too, and big enough to stuff draws, shoes, a harness, and over extras in the bag too. Nice piece for those climbers who want to get there and go!

This synthetic piece works great in cold, wet conditions as a layer, or as a stand alone piece in milder temps. On the whole, just what you would expect from Patagonia.

I like these bottles because they're shatter resistant. They also look so stylish and you don't have to worry about dents and other stuff leaking on you. I found that these are a bit too big around for the bottle pocket on my new packs, so that's a bummer.

This is a good idea- especially because the original cap that comes with the bag seems to wear out. I love MSR.

This bag is a great choice for those who want/need a bag that supplies warmth at a better price than the mountaineering bag prices. This bag is true to rating, I spent a few nights in well below freezing temps and I was toasty. All in all a great choice.

This is a full-featured bag for summer backpacking, or in the high desert early spring through fall. It's also a great bag for the price. I used it on week long trips in the Escalante desert in Utah- it's a trooper.

I have owned more than my share of sleeping bags in my life, and this is my favorite. The loft is great, the pack-down size and weight are good and the temperature rating is pretty good for me, and I tend to get cold at night. I love this bag.

This item works very well when you use it to escape from a big wall or trad climb, or even at the top of a rappell. Make no mistake about it, this is not a belay device, such as the ATC, ATC-XP, or the Guide ATC; or any other belay device. This item is used to rappel from, not belay with. I have used these on several occasions, for their intended purpose and they work great! Nice, light, and easy to use.

The shape of this biner, combined with the nice round dimensions make this biner soft on the rope and easy to use. Petzl also adds an additional red line around the gate to make it easy to tell whether you are locked or not.

This is the work-horse of climbing. The ATC lasts forever, and is bomb-proof as a belay device. Really a great purchase for any climber.

Dynex is strong, light, and easy to work with. Good stuff!

I like this belay device, it works smoothly and efficiently. The only thing I can really say against it is that it seems as though it needs a bigger rope to make the catch and subsequent hold a bit easier on the hands- my 10.2 doesn't lock-off in this device the way it does with other devices. It may be that the biner isn't able to get up inside the device, maybe not; either way, I just feel like this device doesn't lock as well as others. It is great for feeding rope, and for rappelling though.

This approach inspired shoe is great for the day to day wear. It handles the load well and with style. It's not a bad choice for the long approaches to the crag on the weekends either.

These draws are lightweight and proven in combat against some tough routes. Go with the longer draw if your route wanders to keep rope drag down. Go with the shorter if you want to keep weight down to a minimum.

I like the auto locking feature for beginner climbers/belayers, it's a great safety feature. I just worry, and my personal experience confirms that, using a Grigri or other auto-locking device makes people lazy and careless: taking break hands off the rope, not watching the climber, or worse. I suggest weaning the beginner off the use of these devices very quickly.

I have tried a lot of energy bars out there, and my taste buds definitely like Probars the most. My wallet on the other hand likes the other types which don't cost $3/bar.

The flavor is better, and the natural ingredients make this bar a great choice. The price isn't so great, with other bars on the market for less.

Beal has the softest catch on the market for the weight, and with the double-dty treatment these ropes are going to last a good while. So, take a look at them, just great ropes!

This carabiner has a nice wide opening, a clean nose, and the screwgate will keep you on your toes, so you don't get lazy while belaying; and they're probably more safe anyway.

The loops in the PAS are sewn to full strength, so it can handle a fall, and because they're so big, they're easier to adjust and readjust while at a belay changing the gear. Just a great option.

If you need a way to hang at the belay, or a place to rack your gear, or a piece of webbing to swing from trees with, this is a great way to go. The daisy chain is great for aid climbing, just remember that the loops are sewn to body weight; they are not rated for falls.

A great park board that can work on the rest of the mountain too. Not so good in the powder, but it works wonders in the park.

This tape is basically the same as any athletic tape, no major differences at all. If there is a difference, I would say that this tape seems to sit a bit thicker on the hand, and almost be softer. It could just be me and my love of Metolius; or it could be true. I have tried other tape and it doesn't feel as nice.

This chalk is really good stuff, it dries off your hand and helps it stick, without ruining your hands for the climbing. The nice big bag will last a while too1

This chalk is really good stuff, it dries off your hand and helps it stick, without ruining your hands for the climbing. The nice big bag will last a while too1

I love merino, it breathes great, and the Cushion in the sock is nice and fluffy. These are great socks.

It's light, packable, and an all-round great 3-season bag for the US. Just a great bag.

If you have a Therm-a-Rest Pro-lite 4, you might be interested to know that this pad packs down smaller weighs the same amount or less, and gives you 1 inch more padding/insulation. I don't use this pad with a Big Agnes bag, so that might help, but I have never been cold with this pad, and I have used it on top of snow in the winter, and in high alpine conditions in the summer. For the weight, thickness, and insulation, this is a great pad.

Great for securing non-stick pads, holding on patches in the hard to control heels and toes, and it comes in a nice convenient package. Duct tape is a backpacker's best friend. Maybe.

This board is a great all-mountain board for the price. It handles very well on the groomers, can kick-it in the pow and has the responsiveness to handle the runs through the trees.

If you ice climb and are tired of trying to clip your screws to your regular gear loops and you need a place to safely/securely hang your tools while lowering, then these guys are for you. They absolutely save time, which can be very precious while you're feeling the pump, high off the deck and need to place a screw quickly. Definitely a great idea!

I like this device better than the XP because it seems to hold my little (10.2mm) rope better than the XP, and so far it feels a bit easier on my rope. Add to that the increased functionality for guiding, etc. and you have one awesome belay device!

These nuts place easily and last forever. Just great gear.

I love the clean action, the wire gate, the nice clipping, and the lightweight. My girlfriend finds them hard to un-clip because of the smaller gate. Other than that they are great!

This wire gate is big, easy to use, and nice for all types of climbing. It also works well as a key chain.

8's are great for rappeling, and this one is good for that. If you climb and you're looking to rapp off routes with this guy, you might find that it twists your rope and gets super hot fast, and stays that way. I don't like that on my dynamic rope, though I think that would be less of an issue on a static rappel line. As far as belaying goes, I tried that once, but the device kept walking up the rope, making it hard and cumbersome to deal with. So, if you climb, get something else, specific to climbing.

I bought 2 of these beauties for mixed and ice climbing and have been very impressed. Usually I avoid company's initial product lines, but these ropes handle well, have good durability and the butterfly coil really doesn't bind, making the rope easy to use right away.

While these screws don't place as fast as Petzl's they are still great screws and place pretty quickly. I like the thumb screw which seems to be a little more user-friendly right out of the box than Petzl's, though in the long-run I don't think they are as fast. BD has been making screws for a long time and these ones continue the same tradition of quality and performance.

If you're used to BD screws, either the turbos or the express, or any other screw, these might seem a little weird at first. The integrated hanger/thumb screw allows for faster placement and easier removal, eliminating the need to unclip before you unscrew them from the ice. These are great screws!

This is a good belay device. However, I have found that it tends to blacken the rope faster than other belay devices, particularly than the block belay devices, like the classic ATC and others. It's a great device other than that.

This is the classic belay device-carabiner combo! it's perfect for the beginning climber who just wants to get out for a day, and for expert climbers spending days on the wall. The package will save you a few dollars on buying the items separately.

Even if these screws place more slowly than every other screw, they are still great for setting up a belay or TR, and we save on the price. A nice price point screw!

Absolutely the only thing I don't like about these gaiters is that they seem to allow snow up the inside of the gaiter, between my boots and the gaiter. This could probable be resolved by sizing down, but I wanted to be able to keep the gaiter low on my boot, to make sure that it would cover my pants legs completely. Other than that, I love them.

I found that these gaiters didn't sit low enough on lower-cut boots to keep the snow out, but they are much tighter fitting and more tapered than other gaiters on the market. They're great.

Great swing, nice weight, easily adjustable pommel size, and leashless-ness make these my new best friends. I have used these tools on steep ice and even steeper mixed routes and they don't disappoint; the angle of the pommel matches the upper shaft well enough that pick-shift is negligible and the removable weights really come in handy if you're on a tough mixed route. What a great tool!

The ABS system, the detachable front points, and the dual bail binding all combine to make this one of the most versatile crampons on the market.

This pack is great! wide straps disperse the load comfortably, wide shoulder strap/pad makes things nice and comfy, and Mountainsmith's full features give you all sorts of options.

I have owned my Mountainsmith day pack for close to 9 years and haven't had any problems with it except the waist buckle had a chair leg put on it and it cracked. I should have been more careful; I'm sure Mountainsmith would help me out with a new buckle... I'm just too lazy to call. Now I just tuck the buckle behind the back pad for protection. The hidden pocket back there has come in handy on more than one occasion too! This pack is big enough to carry my books and laptop for school, and small enough that it doesn't cause problems on the bus or train. I'm a big fan!

I like this harness and have been using it for several seasons on everything from steep quartzite, to desert sandstone. The gear loops aren't the best or biggest for the splitter stone in the Creek, but they work great for racking a small- to medium sized rack; I have crammed 20+ cams on there for some Creek action with no problem. The best feature is the adjustable leg loops. Lots of fit options and easy adjustments.

I avoid hiking boots like the plague because they aren't comfortable, have long break-in times, and are too stiff and heavy. These boots throw out all those conventions. I love these boots; fast break-in, lightweight, fast hiking, and great waterproofing. Additionally, the low weight and fast rolling step in these boots decreases fatigue, meaning we can hike faster, longer. These are just great boots. They are Italian, so they aren't wide like Vasques or Lowas, but they are worth their weight in gold.

Great construction, durable, frame and deck, better traction, and the highest ascent bar out there all combine to make these the best snowshoes on the market. Plus, they're made in the USA!

This pant is great for ice, mixed, or cold alpine climbing. The leg is tapered to keep the cuff out of the way, and the softshell material is really impressive at shedding both water, ice, snow, and at keeping the chills at bay. Just a great pant.

As a rule I avoid The North Face, so when I first bought this jacket I had low expectations. I was completely and pleasantly surprised! This jacket is well fitted, comfortable, and works great as a layer or stand-alone piece in the fall and spring. Mild climate dwellers will love this piece for it's functionality. North Face has a great thing going with their lightweight fleece.

I like the fit, the stretch for movement and the design. These pants are sure to please, whether at the crag or at the bar after pulling hard all day!

My size 11 'C' width foot loves these shoes. Salomon designed these to be super breatheable, and comfy. They are great for trail running; I used mine with a pack in place of a heavy backpacking boot, and I will be buying a new pair for this backpacking season. These are simply great shoes.

This lightweight glove is good for spring conditions and with the Gore-tex insert these gloves will keep you dry and comfy all day on the slopes.

These socks breathe well, are light and they don't show over the top of the shoe, like the ankle socks from the 80's. Just great socks!

What I love about these pants is their breathability and the DWR finish they have. They are great trekking, or on Ice routes. The leg zips make them easy to put on over leather boots and the heavy-duty instep reinforcement almost makes me want to wear them without gaiters. Almost. A nice warm and breatheable piece.

This glove loves to climb, it's great for ice and mixed routes, the natural curvature of the glove helps you grip your tools longer, stronger. The leather palm and the cut give unparalleled dexterity.