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Climber // Camper/Hiker // Snowboarder // Boulderer // Big Wall Climber

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  • 21 Reviews - Helpful Votes: Helpful Votes 15 Helpful Votes 1
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Great Fit

Petzl Elios Climbing Helmet

Rating for this product: 5 August 2, 2008

I have had this helmet for years and have had no complaints about it. Easy adjustment even while wearing it. Headlamp clips hold up well and it seems to be very durable overall. I wear mine w/ and w/o a hat and never have problems with fit. One of the best helmets out there.

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All day comfort!

Chaco Z/2 Unaweep Sandal - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 August 2, 2008

I have had mine for 6 or 7 years and they are going strong. They will not pack out and have great support for walking or standing all day. Everyone should own a pair of Chacos! They run a bit large. I usually wear a 9.5 and a 9 fits perfect, so size down if you are in-between sizes. Expensive but they will last and are worth the money. You can get them resoled for about $30-40. Great traction also, I have climbed 5.10 in them.

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Light and Fast!

MSR Pocket Rocket Stove

Rating for this product: 4 August 2, 2008

Nice little stove. Arms get a bit flimsy over time. Have had mine for over 5 years and no problems. Comes with hard case.

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Minimal Design

Petzl Zipka Headlamp

Rating for this product: 5 August 2, 2008

This is a great headlamp. Versatile, as you can wear it almost anywhere. The retracting cord is surprisingly strong as I have had mine for years and have had no problems. Barely fits around a helmet (I have the Petzl Elios). No band so it eliminates bulk, and it fits easily in a pocket. I would recommend spending a couple extra bucks and getting the Zipka Plus however as it has more features.

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Why don't you have a grigri?

Petzl Grigri Belay Device

Rating for this product: 5 July 31, 2008

Every climber should own one. This may be the most versatile piece of climbing equipment I own. You can use it for belaying, rappeling, self-belay, ascending a rope, hauling, and if you blow in the right spot it is an emergency whistle (jk, I have not actually tried that). It will catch skinny ropes even though not recommended. It is a small price to pay for that extra secure feeling it gives you when the you got the beginner belayer. If someone says they don't like it or trust it, it is because they don't know how to properly use it.

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Nice and Simple

Petzl Sama Harness - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 July 31, 2008

This harness is very light and simple to use with the fixed leg loops and pre-threaded DoubleBack buckle. I also think the swami is big and the leg loops are small. The rear gear loop does not hang down far enough. Great for sport climbing or multipitch routes as long as you are not going to be hanging a lot.

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Super Steezi!

Element Darrell Stanton SH Skate Shoe - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 July 30, 2008

These shoes are quite sick in my opinion. Purple is in and you should get on it like flies on.... I wear a 9.5 in most companies and the 9.5 fit really well. Good padding in the heel area for a secure fit.

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Quite Flattering!

The North Face Destiny Down Jacket - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 July 4, 2008

I bought this North Face Destiny Down Jacket as a gift for my sister, and it has a flattering look. She looks great and it is a nice casual piece. I would have to confess it fits a little on the small side. Standard quilted pattern, not too "puffy", just right.

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Answer to: "is this jacket very heavy or bulky? What kind of fabric is it--..."

Marmot Power Stretch Zip Hooded Jacket - Women's

June 26, 2008

Sam,

The fabric is Polartec Power Stretch and it is 100% polyester. I describe it as a light, compressible, and it has a great warmth to weight ratio. It is a bit more expensive but worth it. I think it is my favorite layering piece.

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Sport Climbing Draw

Black Diamond Positron Quickdraw

Rating for this product: 5 June 19, 2008

The positron biners are sweet for clipping. They are somewhat lightweight but mainly designed with easy clipping and unclipping in mind. They are similar to the Petzl Spirit carabiners, but these are a few bucks cheaper and just as good quality. The biners by themself also work well for racking stoppers and other things.

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Sport Climbing Draw

Black Diamond Positron Quickdraw

Rating for this product: 5 June 19, 2008

The positron biners are sweet for clipping. They are somewhat lightweight but mainly designed with easy clipping and unclipping in mind. They are similar to the Petzl Spirit carabiners, but these are a few bucks cheaper and just as good quality. The biners by themself also work well for racking stoppers and other things.

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Skulls Kick Ass!!

Mad Rock Flash Lace Climbing Shoe - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 June 19, 2008

If you want to add a little steez to your technique get this shoe. Seriously, this shoe is pretty good for the price. I think Mad Rock tends to fit a little narrow. I have also had the Flash Velcro, and I like this shoe better because you can dial in the sizing a bit more with the laces. Pretty good all around shoe for the money. I wear a 9.5 street shoe and I usually get a size 9 MR----they are a tight fit for me. I would recommend ordering your street shoe size if you don't have a chance to try before you buy.

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Standard Wall Hauler

Petzl Pro Traxion Pulley

Rating for this product: 5 June 19, 2008

The Pro Traxion is pretty much the standard wall climbing hauling device for big loads. If you want to save a little weight and are not hauling hundreds of pounds then the mini traxion is probably sufficient. Smooth pulley, cam always locks well, easy to operate and work with. Well worth the money if you want to suffer from hauling heavy bags.

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Standard Wall Hauler

Petzl Pro Traxion Pulley

Rating for this product: 5 June 19, 2008

The Pro Traxion is pretty much the standard wall climbing hauling device for big loads. If you want to save a little weight and are not hauling hundreds of pounds then the mini traxion is probably sufficient. Smooth pulley, cam always locks well, easy to operate and work with. Well worth the money if you want to suffer from hauling heavy bags.

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Great Lightweight Pad

Therm-a-Rest Prolite 3 Sleeping Pad

Rating for this product: 4 June 19, 2008

I have owned this pad for several years now and have been overall impressed. It was designed to shed weight yet still be comfortable. No, it is not as comfy as other pads but it is lighter and saves space for other stuff. I do have to inflate it a bit more than some other pads I have owned in order not to hit the ground and I'm not a fat ass. If you want to save some weight and have some room for other crucial equipment, then this pad is the way to go. For a bit more padding with minimal weight get the Prolite 4.

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Performance and Power

La Sportiva Venom Climbing Shoe

Rating for this product: 5 June 19, 2008

This shoe performs well for bouldering and bolt clipping. I would not use them for multi-pitch routes or crack climbing----mabey if you size them big---but this is not the shoe's purpose. I went down 2.5 sizes from my street shoe and they have stretched out about 1/2 size or so. Great fit and feel, good heel for hooking, nice toe for grabbing on the steeeeeeeeep!!

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Nice and Unique

CAMP USA Ball Nuts

Rating for this product: 4 June 19, 2008

I bought the 3 smallest sizes for aid climbing and I have not really used them that much. I would not really want to take wippers on the smallest size. They can be tricky to remove if heavily weighted because of the soft material on the "sliding ball". They are obviously great for small cracks and for podded out pin scars. They are definitely not my "go to" piece but a nice addition to a standard free or aid rack.

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I'm Sold!!

Metolius Astro Nut Packaged Free Set #6-10

Rating for this product: 5 June 19, 2008

I have the free and aid set of these nuts and they are awesome. I would say they are the most similar offset nut on the market to the HB Brass Nuts which are hard to find no days. I would say next to the HB Brass Nuts, they are the best. Great for any type of rock----esp. pin scared cracks.

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Offwidth pant!!

prAna Stretch Zion Pant - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 June 13, 2008

I went out climbing some offwidth cracks my first day wearing these pants and was constantly jamming my knees in the cracks. I thought I was going to destroy the pants but there was not 1 seam or thread torn. I was really impressed at how well they did against abrasion. I am 5'11", 150 and usually wear a 32 in most pants. The medium fit perfectly and this pant is great for climbing, hiking, or traveling.

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Quality Harness for the $$

Black Diamond Big Gun Harness

Rating for this product: 5 April 20, 2008

I have used the harness on a few walls and it has worked really well. The gear loop on the rear on the harness is nice because it is so large. I wish the other gear loops were a little bit larger. Its does well for hanging belays but is not too bulky for free climbing. Well constructed and thought out----usually quality from Black Diamond. Also comes with a removable hammer holster for the nail ups.

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Answer to: "Will this pully work as a standard pulley. Id like to use it..."

Petzl Pro Traxion Pulley

March 13, 2008

This would depend on a number of factors. If you just want to get the bag off the ground get a standard pulley and tie the rope off at the ground level. The working load limit is 1349 lbs of force. Plenty strong for your bear bag. Once the camming unit is engaged and the teeth lock down. There is no way to pull the rope through unless you manually adjust the camming device to release the load.

I'd advise against using this to pull up your bear bag - it's plenty strong for that, but definitely not what it's designed to do. A lighter, simpler, and cheaper pulley would work just fine. However, if you're setting your bear bag up somehow where you can put a pulley up there, I think you're doing it wrong. If you can climb up there to put a pulley in place, a bear can climb up there to get your stuff.

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Where's your mojo?

prAna Mojo Shorts - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 January 7, 2008

These shorts are quite versatile. Use them for climbing, yogo, hiking, swimming, underwear, or whatever you may think of. Simple design, quick drying, mesh pockets--these shorts allow a great amount of leg movement and are super comfy.

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Must Have

Black Diamond Powerstretch Glove Liner

Rating for this product: 4 January 1, 2008

This is my second pair of these gloves (I lost my other pair). I tried a pair from a different company and they did not stand up to BD's quality. They fit a bit small, size up if anything. Surprisingly warm for their weight--great for cold biking or anything really active in cold weather--great for a liner glove. Everyone should own 1 pair of powerstretch gloves.

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