Category: Climbing Gear Reviews

  • Long Term Update: Salewa Quick Screw ice screws and Climbing Technology Alpine Up belay device

    Several years back, I did an initial review of the Salewa Quick Screw ice screw and the Climbing Technology Alpine Up belay device. The initial review for the Alpine Up can be found HERE The initial review for the Salewa Quick Screw can be found HERE This is a long term review update, detailing my […]

  • Climbing Knives

    It’s good to have a knife with you when you’re climbing.   I use a knife for making V-Threads, cutting away old rap tat, cutting slings, and various other tasks. I keep a knife in the pocket of my Tufa chalk bag, so I’ve always got a knife with me if I’m carrying my chalk […]

  • The Greatest Chalk Bag Ever Made (Tufa Climbing Houdini Chalk Bag)

    Chalk bags are a pretty generic piece of climbing gear.  It’s hard to get excited about a chalk bag.  They are really just a bag that holds chalk.  Arcteryx came up with a fancy twisting mechanism for keeping the chalk from spilling with their “Aperture” chalk bag, but other than that innovation, chalk bags haven’t […]

  • Winter Climbing Gear Update: Petzl and Salewa Ice Screws

    Ice Screws: Salewa Quick Screw and Petzl Laser Speed Light The winter of 2014-15 was something of a disappointment for those of us living in the Mountain West.  Temperatures were warm.  Precipitation was scarce, and often fell in the form of rain instead of snow.  Here in Utah, the ice climbing season was short and […]

  • Suluk 46 TiCa Ice Tool

    The Suluk 46 TiCa ice axe weighs 4.9 ounces with a 55cm shaft.  (Yes, that’s 4.9 ounces, as in less than 5 ounces.) Suluk 46 website HERE. It is not UIAA approved, and is not suitable for technical ice climbing, but after some use, I have concluded that this is a terrific axe for snow […]

  • Petzl Laser Speed Light Ice Screws: First Impressions

    I recently bought some of the new Petzl Laser Speed Light ice screws.  The Speed Light screw is one of two screws on the market that is constructed with aluminum.  (The other aluminum screw is the E-Climb Klau screw which I reviewed previously HERE.) I have not yet had a chance to thoroughly test the […]

  • Summer, 2014 Outdoor Retailer Highlights

    The 2014 Summer Outdoor Retailer Show is in full swing here in Salt Lake City. It’s a huge event, taking up not only the full space in the Salt Palace, but three large temporary pavilions and a tent city as well. I’ve spent the last day and a half wandering around the show, looking at […]

  • Assisted Braking Belay Rappel Devices Suitable for Trad and Alpine Climbing: Edelrid Mega Jul and Micro Jul, CT Alpine Up

    I am becoming more and more convinced that belay/rappel devices with assisted braking are a big improvement over traditional ATC or Reverso type belay/rappel devices. Assisted braking devices are not fully auto-locking like a Gri Gri, but provide significant extra friction when catching a falling leader or rappelling, when compared with an ATC or Reverso. […]

  • Cassin Bladerunner Crampons

    The Cassin Bladrunner crampons are a new modular design that is supposed to provide both maximum versatility and excellent performance.   The design allows the crampons to be set up with either horizontal or vertical front points, (or, I suppose, one of each,) and there’s a great deal of choice on how the front points are […]

  • E Climb Klau Aluminum Ice Screws

    The E-Climb “Klau” ice screw is not widely available in the United States.  As of this date, I couldn’t find a single U.S. seller.  I ended up ordering the screws directly from Spain, where E-Climb is headquartered.  E-Climb Website HERE  The E-Climb Klau screw has a couple of features that make it different from most […]