Here is where you can find some recent climbing gear reviews.
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Advances in climbing rope technology continues to make rock climbing easier and safer. I'm sure Jan and Herb Conn would have loved to tie into a modern dynamic climbing rope rather then the 60 foot piece of manila climbing rope they had. Poor quality climbing ropes were a main reason that early adventures climbed with the motto "the leader must not fall." Imagine sport climbing without leader falls. The first rope I bought was a bright pink Edelweiss 12mm tank. If I had it to do over again, I'd buy that same rope. The current crop of skinny ropes are great to haul around, but don't take the abuse of a good old fat string. We are trading durability for lightness in our climbing gear. Now days, I love the 9.8mm ropes. They slither up routes really well, and feed through my belay device with ease, and if I take care of them, last long enough. If you are looking for a rope to abuse out sport climbing or dragging up a big wall, consider something with some meat to it.
Many people ask me about Dry Treatments. My stock answer is that if it rains where you climb, or you are going to drag your climbing rope into the mountains or out ice climbing, then get the best super duper dry treatment you can. If you climb here in the Black Hills where its dry as ever on most days, save your cash to buy a cold drink at the end of a hot day climbing Devils Tower.
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Read more... [Climbing Rope Reviews]
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So you are in the market for a new Belay - Rappel Device for your next climbing trip? These little peices of steel and aluminum are essential and important pieces of climbing gear. They allow us to safely transfer the load of a falling climber to our harness, and catch them with little effort. The friction developed by these devices is amazing, and the new breed of auto blocking and auto locking devices are great ways to increase safety, but everyone must remember that you really need to learn to use these pieces of climbing gear. If you mess it up, and allow yourself to get sloppy thinking that technology will save you, your climbing partner should be worried. Long story short, when you get a new piece of climbing equipment, read the directions!
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Read more... [Belay - Rappel Device Review]
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Of all the cool pieces of climbing gear ever created, the Spring Loaded Camming Device (SLCD) or Friend has to rank near the top. I don't know about you, but I love squeezing a new Friend and feeling the silky smooth action while dreaming of placing them in the beautiful cracks of places like Devils Tower. Everyone has their own idea of what makes a good cam, and there are a lot of great ones on the market, so reality is, its hard to go wrong. Buy a set or two and get out there on the rocks, climbing the cracks.
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Read more... [Cam Review]
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Between rock climbing, guiding, biking, hiking, woking as a wilderness ranger for the Black Hills National Forest, I easily carry a backpack over 200 days a year. So I feel pretty comfortable talking about what makes a backpack work when out on the trail. I believe in getting most the goody out of my gear, so I don't get a new one every season, so these rewiews are from experience over the long haul.
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Read more... [Backpack Review]
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A rock climbing harness is one of the first pieces of gear people buy. Climbing harness have evolved a lot way since the days of Jan an Herb Conn putting up first ascents with a bowline tied around their waist. Perhaps the thought of falling and breaking a rib or three made them hold onto the rock that much harder. As for me, I'm thankful for strong harnesses with padded waist belts, leg loops and gear loops for everything.
After Todd Skinner's tragic fall in Yosemite, I'm sure many of us took a close look at our climbing harnesses, and more than one of us replaced an old unit. These pieces of climbing equipment are essential, and it's essential that we take proper care of them. Nylon is amazingly strong, but does not last forever, and needs to be stored correctly in order to stay that way.
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Read more... [Harness Review- Rock Climbing]
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