Reviews by User: Angus Bohanon (80)

but don't buy these. I'm a huge fan of this site and Metolius both, but this is stupid. You're essentially paying a bit over $3 a foot for standard 6 mm cord when you should be paying about 35 cents. To give you some perspective, $19.90 will get you almost 53 feet of equivalent cord direct from Black Diamond and a full 100 feet direct from Metolius. Here you get a little over 6. If it's worth your money to pay 10-15 times what you need to for someone else to tie your knots for you, then knock yourself out, but this is a waste of money, and if you can't tie these knots you probably shouldn't be ascending anyway.

I have been camping for a solid 15 years and I have never found a tent that worked better than this, from the old Biblers to North Face 4-mans, 2-mans from Sierra Designs and Marmot, a terrible Kelty 4-man, etc. Every problem I have ever encountered in a tent has been fixed in this one. It is so intuitive to set up that I actually over-interpreted and did it wrong before realizing I was an idiot. Yellow clips on the fly go to yellow clips on the tent which go to gold poles. Silver poles go with black clips. Duh. There are 2 vestibules, both of which have easy access from inside and outside the tent, wall to wall pockets in the sides, and it comes in a single briefcase-like stuff sack that has a space for everything and is sinfully easy to pack and unpack. The tent doesn't contact the fly at any point when it's set up, so condensation is nonexistent, even in hail at 8000 feet. Solid in wind, rain beads off it, fast to set up, easy to pack, lighter than almost any other 4-man on the market, even the guy lines are orange with reflective tape in them so you don't trip over them at night. They really have thought of everything. I can't think of a single thing wrong with this tent. I think I'm in love.

I feel obligated to correct "kowles_52455342" on his statement that "Dynex is Dangerous". It's just not true. I've been climbing for 16 years, competing for 4 and teaching for 2, and I can guarantee you without a shadow of a doubt that Dynex imparts 0.0% more force on a system than nylon. Static is static. No stretch at all on either system. That said, a static fall as short as 4 feet (theoretically) can kill you, so make sure you keep the slack out of the system if you're clipped into an anchor with slings, but the idea that Dynex will somehow make this worse or that nylon slings will take some of the force of a fall is just plain bullsh*t. It's a Luddite bias against newer and better gear that I have been trying to argue against for years, and I want it out on the table for what it is. These are fantastic slings, light and strong, and would be a complement to any rack for any discipline.

I got this tent for Christmas last year and was initially really psyched. It's got tons of room inside even with three people, two of them over 6 feet, and all our gear for 18 days of camping and climbing. It's tall enough to stand in (probably a 6'4"-ish ceiling) and easy to set up. Then the wind kicked in. In one night of 30-35 mph winds, the tent went from flapping too loudly to sleep in to buckling all the way to the floor. In that night, the 4 poles broke in a total of 7 places. In addition, the waterproof flaps in the vestibule are inside the screen part, so they just catch water and funnel it on to your gear. It may be a 3-season tent in your backyard in San Diego, but not for real camping.

Everyone else on this page seems to be a bit constipated this morning. I think it's great that Backcountry doesn't care about the potentially inappropriate nature of the shirt. Kinda like BD calling their chalk White Gold Uncut. It's a shirt, guys. If you're going to whine about it, don't buy it. There's 115 others on this site to choose from. Unclench a bit.

Don't get me wrong, this stove is a beast. It (unlike many camp stoves) has the full range of power, from lightly simmer to torch-your-face-off-from-five-feet mode, but it does NOT do well in wind. I'm sorry. It just doesn't. It won't go out, but it loses all its heat and doesn't cook anything. We ended up having to point the car into the wind and cook in the trunk. It does have its positive points for sure, though. It folds handily, as the picture above doesn't show. It has huge burners that crank out the heat and will take giant heavy frying pans without dumping bacon grease into your lap, and it uses surprisingly little fuel given how powerful it is. We used three or four canisters cooking for 3 people for 18 days. And virtually no heat comes out the bottom of the stove, so when you do have to cook in the trunk because of the wind, it won't set your carpet on fire. You could actually hold it in your hands at full blast, but you probably shouldn't. On a side note, you can fold one side up and use that to block the wind, but then you only have one burner. Also the built-in sparker thingy broke after about a week, but that might have been my fault.

It's a Grigri, the end-all be-all of autolocking belay devices. Contrary to other reviews, I have had no problem feeding rope to a leader, and contrary to Petzl, it will hold a 10.0 rope just fine. The only thing is that both climber and belayer HAVE to make sure it's threaded the right way. It's not a safety shortcoming, just do it right. I have a friend in the hospital with two shattered ankles right now from a Grigri threaded wrong. That said, it is an amazing device, easy to feed, easy to lower, easy to ascend, etc. There's a reason they haven't changed the design in 12 years.

I have never once found a situation this hasn't excelled at, from 6 consecutive hanging belays in Black Velvet Canyon to 25-foot whippers on the Trophy Wall to having to carry 22 draws plus anchor setups in Owens. I am 5'9", 140 pounds, and the medium fits me perfectly. The huge wide section at the back of the waist strap is really nice for hangdogging or consecutive rappels, and the leg loops catch falls with no pinching of chafing. Plenty of space for tons of gear without feeling like it's pulling the harness down. I haven't found a downside, but a ski racer friend of mine (5'11", 185) says that during ski season, his quads get too big for the leg loops and he wishes they would adjust. I personally like the simplicity of two less straps and don't have the ubermuscle problem, so not an issue for me. And just to answer the "Confused" question (in case anyone was going to use the example), yes, it will work on the moon.

This jacket is fantastic. I originally had the Phantom, but its lack of windproofing and a hood inspired me to get this jacket instead. I am 5'9" and 150 pounds, and the M fits great, not too short or too baggy. And now to address some of the many complaints in the other reviews. The zipper is fine, I have no idea what anyone is talking about there. Plastic teeth, metal slider, YKK, and the top part of the zipper kind of seats in the bottom part so that you can zip it more easily. The hood does zip on, the snaps must have been an older model. The "nylon band" problem has been fixed too. One person complained about the style, and to that I'd just say that it is a damn good-looking jacket if you're looking for a burly down jacket. It's not a fashion accessory, it's a tool, but the colors look good and the logos are tastefully placed. Anyone who knows outdoor gear will know that you are rolling with the best. As far as warmth goes, 40 degrees is about the warmest you can wear it in comfortably, and I've been down to zero with no base layer, khakis on the bottom, and no problem at all. I love this jacket, just had it on a week-long camping trip in the desert (freezing every night) and it was fantastic, plus didn't get beat up on rocks, bushes, etc. Highly recommended.

It's not that there's anything wrong with it, but 8's are notorious for kinking the rope, getting and staying too hot, and general lack of control from not enough friction. They were a fantastic innovation 30 years ago, but now a normal tubular belay device (to use the non-brand-specific name) is better. Spend the money and get an ATC.

Blows up huge (15 breaths) and packs down small. It rolls easily, fits in the stuffsack easily, and it's really cushy and nice to sleep on. One problem I could see is rolling off of it, but I move a fair bit in my sleep and I've never done it. It's great to sleep on the back or on the side. I can't think of anything wrong with it at all.

I used this rope for a year and a half of solid use till it just got too fuzzy for comfort. Light for the scary sends, solid on the big whippers, didn't seem to get kinked or stiff like some ropes do after extended use, and it's thin so it packs down small. Plus it's one of the cheapest single ropes out there, and Edelweiss quality is legendary. Highly recommended.

I originally bought this jacket in a medium based on the sizing chart. I am 5'9", 145 lbs and wear a medium in everything else, so I figured it would be a good size. The torso and shoulders were fine, but it came a little high on the waist for my liking and, being a climber with absurdly long arms, the sleeves were a bit short too. I would recommend sizing up a bit. All sizing aside though, this jacket is amazing. It is so light that you hardly can feel it on you, and incredibly warm as well. Plus it packs to the size of a Nalgene bottle. If cramming it in a backpack is at all a priority, this is a good choice.

This thing is great. With the lid cranked down, you can chuck it around like a water bottle and not spill or break it. 12 ounces might not be enough for some people to get their morning fix, but I thought it was plenty and it keeps the tumbler small. In my experience, the 6 hour time is a bit optimistic, but then again I was opening and closing it a lot. It still lasted about 4 even with that. The little compartment is great for putting a teabag in once your brew has steeped, the edge doesn't get hot, and it's nice and slim. I carried it in an internal coat pocket for a day of skiing and didn't even notice it. Plus the brushed aluminum is super cool and you get to rep the Goat.

Great mantles, last forever, burn bright and strong, but DON'T BUMP THE LANTERN. I've heard so many complaints about how they fall apart. They're made of ash once you burn them for the first time, what do you expect? Treat them gently and they'll treat you well.

This thing rules. I had 2 anchor draws with these on them, but I switched them over to daisy chains. I wouldn't recommend them for long-term toproping, as they seem to be wearing through faster than my Rocklocks. It makes sense, there's less metal there, but it seems like a waste of a good biner to wear through it like that. My favorite aspect is that they're skinny enough to clip into the middle of a chain at an anchor, opening up a wealth of options for multi-pitching and cleaning. And they're really light. And the keylock nose on the gate means it doesn't get caught on gear loops, bolt hangers, etc. And they look cool. That pretty much covers it.

I had always doubted the value of wicking shirts over good old cotton, but I'm sold. I'm a climber, so I don't do a lot of cardio, but I had this shirt at Smith Rocks a few weeks ago in August, carrying a 50-pound pack in 100+ weather, and that whole gross sticky feeling that comes when you take a pack off and your shirt glues itself to your back was gone entirely. I wore it for a week straight and it worked great. Highly recommended.

They fit great, don't fall off, look awesome, and cut glare famously. All you could want.

If you buy these and don't turn love teleing way more as a result, you might as well just throw in the towel and get a binding that nails your heel to the ski. These bindings have the smoothest flex of any bindings I have used, from Hammerheads to G3s to Bishops. As a matter of fact, every person on the telemark team at my school has O2s, and we didn't even plan it. They're just the best. The cartridges don't catch on your boot when you're putting them on or taking them off, they're underneath so they don't scrape in hard carving turns, they keep you stable in crud and floaty in powder. When you tear by those silly alpiners (and Marko the great here), dropping the knee and flashing those gunmetal gray cartridges under your boot with every turn, they'll know they just got beat by the best.

One problem that I have had with pants in the past is that since I have a very aggressive tele stance, I often drop low enough where the gaiter of the pant gets pulled up above the boot, defeating the point. These pants don't pull up at all. Even in super long days, I had no constriction or limitation of movement. I've skied them through waist deep powder in temps down to -15F with just thin long underwear and never got cold, and hiked the Bowl in just these and a t-shirt in mid-50s spring weather with the side zips open and never got sweaty. The pockets are microfleece lined so you don't scratch your phone or iPod and the inner ankles are reinforced with hardcore nylon so you don't shred them when you carve super hard or botch your 360 attempts (both of which I do regularly). Plus there's a huge cargo pocket for whatever you want (granola bars, candy, glove liners, extra hand warmers). I can't think of a single thing wrong with these pants.

I already wrote a review for the goggle, but this is for the lens. I ordered the Sensor Mirror as a separate lens and used it for the first time today, and I was shocked. This was hiking Highlands Bowl, windy, blustery, totally overcast, and the light was as flat as it gets. I could see every bump and every chopped up track, all the contours and dips, it was amazing. Smith's website says it's a pink lens with a blue mirror, and I don't for the life of me know how it works, but rest assured, it does. It honestly looks brighter than when you don't have goggles on. For those of you worried about their eyes, yes, people can see your eyes through this lens. But that is a small price to pay for what I am convinced is the best flat light lens ever. Period.

I've been skiing with these for a few years now and when they wear out, I'm replacing them with the exact same thing. I've used these in flat light, low light, direct sunlight, worm weather, cold weather, you name it. They don't steam up when I'm hiking the Bowl, they don't leave the gaper gap in between the goggles and the helmet (I don't even wear a Smith helmet), and they don't block my peripheral vision. They have shown flying colors in every situation I've thrown at them. Plus, if you look around at the reviews here, you'll notice that Chris Davenport thinks they're the business. I'm not one to drool over celebrity endorsement, but that's a pretty damn good one.

These gloves (last year's) have served me well for everything from t-shirt spring skiing to hiking Highlands Bowl in 20-degree weather with 25 mph wind chill. The only time my hands have ever been cold in them was at the Freeheel Throwdown in Steamboat when it was 5 degrees out and I was carrying my skis. The hand that was above my shoulder got cold then. Other than that, they have stood up amazingly well, never leaked or worn out, easily dexterous enough to buckle boots, clip leashes, use a camera, whatever. They've been used heavily for 3 seasons plus a trip up Rainier and I've never been disappointed. I can only imagine the new ones are even better.

One thing to note is that they did take a while to break in, so don't send them back until you've given them some miles. They do give me a lot more confidence lowering heavier people, rapping fast, and catching lead falls, plus they keep your hands clean. Still nimble enough to tie shoes, tie in, open a powerbar wrapper, whatever. Only drawback is that they are a bit tricky to take off (I use my teeth). Good choice.

This thing is a godsend at bouldering comps. While the organizers are blabbing about the rules and the scorecards and the tape colors, you're not just listening. You're cranking out a couple hundred reps on this little puppy. Then, when the clock starts and all them other fools head to the easy problems to warm up, you're way ahead of them. So you get the gnarly cave routes all to yourself before the crowds show up.

I have the Charcoal, serrated edge, and it's great. The Outburst is a little touchy, seems to open a bit too easily, but the knife is burly, the grip fits my hand solidly and securely, and the special serration cuts rope and chicken with equal ease. Also super easy to clean.

Wanna hear a joke? Sporks. Seriously, they don't poke stuff very well and the spoon part has jaggedy leaks in the edge. They neither fork nor spoon proficiently. Well with this, you can afford to take both spoon and fork because they're made of titanium, the coolest material on earth. It doesn't bend, it doesn't melt, it doesn't rust, it's really light (about half the weight of steel), it's awesome. And all the ladies love it. Plus the knife will keep its edge for waaay longer than a steel edge. The case is a little weird, but just don't bring it. Easy enough. Seriously, if you want a flatware set that will get the job done, do it well, and keep doing it for longer than your lifetime, this is it.

I don't know how you're rigging these if they're coming off, but it's never happened to me, and I've taken some gnarly crashes. OK, when I say never, really I mean that the only time it's ever happened to me is when I caught a ski on a gate and my binding popped and it ripped the rivet out of my boot. So that doesn't count. A leash is a very basic piece of equipment, it has to hold your skis on. This one does that without fail and is designed by the geniuses at BD so you can put it on and take it off with gloves on. Perfect. On a side note, clipping someone's leashes to their opposite boot while they're standing somewhere is, though tricky, priceless.

...only not as hot. Or as heavy. I bought this with the rechargeable battery pack option, and it's amazingly bright. I can see the spot it makes on the ground a good 20 feet away in broad daylight, and at night it's just mind-boggling. Via some magical witchcraft, Black Diamond has somehow made the focused spot on the bright setting stay focused at any distance. On the flip side, the LEDs provide a good spread of light up close for cooking, reading, whatever. It fits my head really snugly, doesn't flop around when I move, and the top strap comes off for helmets, hats, or if you don't want to mess up your faux-hawk. I can't think of anything wrong with this. Oh, and on a side note, ala2474331 is *ahem* an idiot. If you have an item from Backcountry, their return policy is NOT "sorry, now throw it in a burning barrel of garbage". Send it back, get your money back. Easy. Guess you're out 60 bucks now.

This mug is awesome. It's huge, sometimes huge enough that you get more food than you want without realizing it. Need to wash it out? Slosh a little boiling water in it, crank the lid down, shake like crazy, and dump it. Need to keep leftovers for later? Just leave them in the bowl. It's a whole quart, so they'll fit. Need to carry lunch to the crag? This will fit two bagel sandwiches stacked on top of each other snugly enough where they won't jostle around and keep them from getting banged up at the same time. Plus you can clip it to the outside of your pack since it's pretty much bombproof and has a carabiner clip. I had it clipped to a 65 pound pack, dropped it right on it accidentally, and the handle wasn't even cracked. Now theoretically, it releases BPA, but seriously? First of all, it's not significant quantities, and second, you'd have to have hot water in it for a long time. Rank the list of things most likely to kill you with cancer, Lexan will be damn near the bottom. That's my theory, anyway. The mug is great, go for it.

Sure, it looks a little dorky, but it's one of the cheaper helmets on the market and I've taken plenty of hard knocks in it. It's got a padded chin strap, fits well, keeps sweat out of your eyes, and doesn't slide around. What more could you ask for?

this brush took out so much dirt that the bathwater ran black for 45 minutes. between this and normal bar soap, my rope went from unrecognizably black to its previous yellow-green in one sitting. it is quite strenuous, so I didn't finish (I could get more out), but so far it's amazing.

all the hype is true

Honestly, when I first heard the advertising slogan "it's not a bottle, it's a nalgene", I thought it was a bit hokey, but it's true. There really is no competitor to this kind of quality. I am convinced that there is no height that will break an empty bottle, and having dropped a full one from around 100 feet onto rock with no damage, I'm pretty sold. This bottle is a hot water bottle, a mug, a hammer (walnuts or tent stakes), a lantern (fill it with lemonade and shine a headlamp into the top) a paperweight, a squirrel deterrent, glasses case (or anything else you don't want crushed) an ice bottle for your cooler (doesn't break, even if you freeze it with the lid closed), etc, etc. Bottom Line: If you aren't convinced that Nalgene is the best and only choice, you're on the wrong planet

I had the same thing happen as Paul P did, with the scratching. I asked BD and they said they've noticed that too, but it's just the contrast of the paint. Other than that, these biners are fantastic. They are huge enough to be used as long-term toprope biners (on anchor draws) because there's so much metal that it'll never wear out (well not never, but... not for a really long time). I use one on my ATC for rappelling too for the same reason. Also, the hugeness disperses heat really well on fast rappels. The only downside is that they won't fit through a link at the middle of a chain, so if you have them on your daisy chains your options will be a bit limited. For any other purpose, you'd be a fool to buy anything else.

First of all, this pack has been great at everything I've used it for (mostly 30 min to 3 hour approaches to climbs, probably 35-50 pounds). I use the 42L and I am 5'9", 145 pounds, and it fits great. Surprisingly spacious given its streamlined appearance, as I have fit a rope, 16 draws, some additional gear, harness, 3 pairs of shoes, jacket, raincoat, lunch and a water bottle in it with little trouble. A notable plus is that no matter how much you fill the body, the brain remains easy to access. Some downsides are that the brain doesn't detach and that there are no outside pockets on the pack, but they are outweighed by its general functionality. The title of this review refers to the fact that a while back, a few friends and I were hiking near the Flatirons when one of them took a nasty spill, sustaining an open fracture to his shin. Turns out the spine of this pack comes out, as does the foam backing, and with some extra padding we were able to splint him up and get him out, using just a few jackets and this pack. Not a feature that will be used often, but nice to know it will work. He's fine, by the way.

You can tell by looking at it that it's a fine piece of craftsmanship. It's beautiful, opens and closes smoothly with one hand, and cuts like a razor. I've used it for everything from cooking to trimming 7mm cord, had it for 3 years, and it's still sharp enough to split a hair. Love it.

I use these to make my own anchor draws. Throw a Rocklock in the narrow loop (after cutting the rubber out), a Quicksilver in the big one, repeat, and voila! You've got two anchor draws to throw in at the chains for a quick, safe, and easy anchor.

I don't know how galenparke cut through his boots with his skis, especially after only 20 times skiing with them. That's some wild stuff he's pulling. I've been using a series of T1s for years now, and I love them. They're stiff enough to connect turns with lightning speed when you want to impress people on the lift or snake crazy fast through the trees, but not so stiff that they force your tips down in 3 feet of Rocky Mountain cold smoke. And they don't twist at all for those crazy GS turns on the noon groom. And you can walk in them without looking like a fool the way alpine skiiers do since they flex enough to hike or skin in. They save my quads and make me ski like a pro. Fantastic.

These pants are amazing. I thought I had good sweatpants, pajama pants to lounge around in, etc. but these are fantastic. These are now my go-to hangover pants, weekend pants, roadtrip pants, anytime you want to be comfortable use these. I haven't noticed the sizing issues, though. I'm 5'9" and 145 pounds, 32" waist, and the medium fits great. Plus I got these on SAC, so they were really cheap. If they come up again, I'm getting more.

If you need it for an alpine situation where you don't want moisture to freeze in the pad, then go for it. Otherwise, it's just too much work. You put it on your pad, open the little flap, let the foam inflate it, close the flap, and squeeze it, and you get a pathetic little puff of air before you have to open it up and let it inflate again. I tried it on a Big Agnes Iron Mountain, which normally takes about 2 minutes of breathing, and it took more than three times as long. Ridiculous. I'm sure it's great for winter camping (or asthmatics maybe), but for normal use, don't do it.

Unlike a bunch of the reviewers here, I haven't even noticed the metal on metal sound when the lid's closing. The main thing I noticed was that despite not looking much bigger than a Nalgene, it holds a third more. The more paranoid buyers can rest easy too, it's easy to clean, doesn't retain bacteria or smell, and is BPA-free. Ice cubes fit in the mouth, but you can also drink out of it in the car without drenching yourself. The powder-coating is surprisingly durable, as is the rest of the bottle, and best of all you get to represent the Goat we all know and love.

I use these all the time. The windproofing is astonishing, the palms are durable and grippy, and they are super warm in 30-40 degree weather. Add to that the fact that they're dexterous enough to light a lighter, tie your shoes, use a cell phone or even type (I had to try), and you won't go anywhere without them. Did I mention they're 25 bucks?

My tent has tons of pockets, but sometimes that's just not enough. This loft adds just a bit more. Great for a headlamp, down booties, cards, cell phone, alarm clock, whatever. And it's adjustable! For $14, why the hell wouldn't you?

The tarp is big enough to flake the rope out easily, the tie-in points are different colors so you know which end is the sharp end, and it all rolls up handily and has a padded carry. Combine that with indestructible metal buckles and bombproof nylon, and you have a winner.

Close-fitting, but not restrictive. Great climbing shirt.

This is a fantastic everyday knife for apples, opening boxes, letters, cleaning under your fingernails, sharpening a pencil, or what have you. Stylish, precise little blade, snappy opening without opening when you don't want it to, light enough not to feel clunky in a pocket, it's great.

Yeah, it's pretty. And it's fun to give it to people and see if they can figure out how to close it. But it's a pain in the ass to open and close with one hand and anything you cut with it (especially cheese) gets stuck in the little holes and won't come out ever. It's overdesigned. Just get a normal knife.

The opening on this is just too strange. Hard to open with one hand, harder to close. The mechanism seized up after a few weeks too, after exposure to nothing but pocket lint. I've bought a lot of CRKT knives but this one just didn't cut it (sorry, I had to).

Good knife, good price, keeps an edge and does what you want it to. The large version seems to have a disproportionate amount of handle for the size of the blade, making it a little unwieldy, but still a good choice.

They're cooking pots. They're lightish, durable, cheap, nest well with room for a spice kit in the littlest one, and cook my food. What's not to like?

I used this regularly for over a week on a winter camping trip (lots of cold and darkness) before it ran out and I had to switch to alkaline. Great choice for normal-length trips, saves a ton on batteries.

Don't get me wrong, the bindings themselves are great. But why settle for great when you can have the best? These were the bindings I started on before upgrading to the BD O2, and they just don't compare. The cartridge flex gives out when your knee is close to the ski, they're not as stable, and I'm sure everyone here has gotten the cartridge stuck under the boot putting it on, especially on big boots. Pay the extra 10 bucks and get the Black Diamonds.

Our wall at school is out of commission for rebuilding for a year, and this board is the only thing keeping me sane. We have it hanging over the stairs, and I love it. Everything from deep 2-finger pockets to crimps for building your tendon strength, some heinous and not-so heinous slopers for forearms, and of course massive jugs for just cranking it out. I especially like that the two outer jugs are far enough apart to give your back a workout as well. This board is the only thing tiding me over till Thanksgiving at Red Rocks. Simply the best.

These are a bit tricky to adjust as far as keeping the shoulder straps tight, but I taught at a climbing wall this past summer and got it to fit kids from 4 to about 9, so if you have a fast-growing little one or several that you want to trade it between, this would definitely be a good choice.

I switched to this from another wallet, and i have every card slot filled and 5-10 bills and it still fits comfortably in my back pocket. very nice.

Every time I put this shoe on it's like Christmas all over again. I know that some people fit Sportivas and some fit Five Tens, but I'm a Tenner all the way and these fit amazingly. The split tongue and heel design from the T-Rock combined with the toehook rubber and the Velcro system make the best shoe I've ever worn. They have excelled on everything from micro edges to heelhook traverses to toehooking on tufas to toeing in on our 60 degree overhang at school here. There is absolutely no dead space and the precision and power is unprecedented. My only complaint is that seeing as how the toe is encased in black rubber, they get quite hot if you stand around in the sun in them (which you shouldn't). They also take a few days to break in, so don't send them back immediately. Highly recommended.

i love the action of the wiregate and the weight on these draws. i have been pushing myself on harder sport routes recently and these draws are fantastically quick to clip and go.

Strong and long enough to keep you comfortable at a hanging belay, but small and light enough to stay out of the way when you're desperately scrabbling for the rope to make a clip before you blow. And they're so thin, they don't get in the way on your belay loop. They live on my harness.

I have stolen two wind screens from MSR Whisperlites and all my problems are solved. They are the perfect size to wrap around one side of the stove and they reflect heat back in so it boils and cooks even faster. Thus, every complaint I had about this stove has been fixed. And by the way, you're unlikely to blow up your fuel tank cooking in your trunk unless you set your car on fire, so I do not retract that suggestion. It works great.

After using these for three years, I feel really vulnerable if I'm ever caught without them. They have taken some massive hits, from jump-turning onto a rock to slamming my knee on my ski landing jumps in a tele stance. I have really tall boots as well, and there is no pinching or overlap to worry about. The only note I would make is that you have to wear long underwear or something under them or you get some painful chafing where the strap runs over the back of the knee. Otherwise, you forget you're wearing them till you get bashed in the knee, then they're a godsend.

I was skeptical about BA's pad sleeve thing, but this is hands down the best night's sleep I've had in a tent. Comfortable, warm, light, and you can't fall off the pad! I'm even a side sleeper, not an especially skinny one, and I still loved it. It lets me switch sides without twisting my bag up.

Plain and simple. Works great and doesn't suck your hands to withered husks like some additive-laced chalk.

This lantern cranks out light on a relatively small amount of fuel, enough to illuminate a whole cooking area and save the headlamps. And it'll stay lit through wind or rain. But it is an unbelievable pain in the a** to actually LIGHT if it's windy. We had to have one person block the lantern with his whole body and open jacket and another one to light it. Granted, there's really no better alternative and it's not supposed to make that easy, but be warned before you buy.

This ski crushes in the park and on the bumps. The bindings are pretty much center-mounted, so you always know where your ski is in relation to your foot, always land the moguls perfectly, and can carve like nobody's business. I have to agree with paulsinger though, the top sheets are a bit, shall we say, delicate. I was trying to perfect a 360 last season, and I'm *ahem* not very good at it, so I often landed a bit off-kilter. Combine that with crossing your skis occasionally on jump turns and in the steep stuff, and the top sheet looks like it was put through a wood chipper before they glued it on. It doesn't affect the performance of the ski at all though, and when you get in the singles line and ride up with strangers that keep eyeing your ratty boards, they'll be even more impressed when you get off at the top and shred out of sight.

This pack is really the best cross-country biking pack I've ever had. It holds all the stuff you want for a day on the trails, raincoat, water, food, etc. Doesn't get stuck on branches, doesn't flop around, doesn't get all sweaty, it's awesome. If only I could still ride.

If you want a shoe that will work for everything, this is it. I switched to these from the old t-rock and couldn't be happier. They have served fantastically on everything from steep, overhanging pocket stabbing to delicate slabs, and are comfy enough that I went 11 straight pitches in Zion without any pain. If you don't want to spend 500 bucks to buy a shoe for every occasion, this is for you.

I was having trouble justifying $45 bucks for essentially a tarp, but I went for it and I'm glad I did. It packs way smaller than a tarp, to the point where it fits inside the briefcase-type stuff sack that the tent comes in and can be staked or poled out so it doesn't get bunched up underneath the tent in the wind. I've set the tent up with this footprint on every surface from dirt to grass and been rained on in all of them and never had a wet floor. I can't say that for any other tarp. Definitely worth the money.

My ski shop messed up the bindings on my skis, so they gave me a free rental while they fixed it and I grabbed the Reverends out of the rack. Combine them with the BD O2 and a day of knee-deep powder, and you'll be speaking in tongues. I was actually surprised to learn that they're not especially light skis, because when I was on them, I had never snapped a ski through a turn quicker. I actually over-rotated a jump turn. They tear through the fluff like a dog with a stuffed animal and, once you hit the ice at the bottom of Ajax, wrap themselves into the perfect edge for slicing the last few turns back to the gondola. These skis are simply the best powder boards I know of. Swear to God.

First off, my overall impression of this rope is definitely good. I work teaching climbing classes and leading trips for the Outdoor Program at my school, and this is always one of the first ropes off the racks when we rack up for trips. It's not too bouncy on hundred-foot topropes, catches big whippers admirably, and still feels as flexible and smooth through the draws as when we bought it a year ago. The only downside is that it practically sweats aluminum oxide. We bought 5 or 6 ropes at the same time as this one and this one is exponentially dirtier than any of the rest of them. I don't know if it's something about the material or what, but it's literally shiny in places from the aluminum oxide. Every other aspect of this rope is great, but it simply exudes black streaks wherever it touches.

These skis saw me through my first race at Steamboat when I was 17. Sure I was up against US Tele Team guys in red spandex with thighs like trees and 3 inch risers, and sure I placed...well, badly, but I didn't care. Because I had the Havocs. It sounds corny, but it was the first time I had really skied as aggressively as I wanted to on a ski that could handle it without breaking a sweat. Then after the race my whole high school team went and did 12,000 feet in 4 hours, and the skis just kept dishing it out. They slice through slush like a hot knife through butter, flatten crud like a steamroller, and as for powder? Words cannot describe. If I had to tell someone, anyone, what one ski to get for any situation? I don't care who you are, how hard you ski, where you go, height, weight, style, doesn't matter. Get the Havoc. Best all-around ski money can buy.

These poles are great. Not too expensive, but still light and strong, and the flick lock adjusts even with gloves on and never freezes. I planted my pole through the hole in the tip of my ski once (not my proudest moment) and fell hard on it and it's not even bent. Jump turns, fast racing plants, doesn't matter. It'll take anything you throw at it, including yourself.

Slithers through draws like a greased rattler and beautifully light. How light? I just barely started noticing the weight 160 feet and 20 draws out from the belay, and I could still clip with one hand easily. It catches falls like a pile of pillows, doesn't stiffen up (or hasn't after a year), looks great in red, and seems to repel aluminum oxide quite well. Love it.

Cool, airy, and stylish. Perfect summer shirt.

It don't matter, cause this shoe does it all. I've been wearing the same pair as an everyday shoe and an approach shoe on dozens of trips for 5 years now, and they're still going strong. They've been up Pikes Peak, down Owens River Gorge, and wandered around many a classroom building. Comfortable, not too heavy, not too sweaty, not too floppy, not too stiff, they're just a generally good shoe. And the vibram sole lasts forever, you can barely see the wear in mine at all.

This seems more like a really heavy shirt to me than a really light jacket. The fit is very tight, I usually wear a M and the L in this still inhibits movement when I climb, so order up a size and don't expect to be doing anything too flexible. The sleeves are too tight to be pulled up without cutting off circulation at the elbow, which for me is a problem because when cooking or climbing, I like to have my sleeves up. And finally, it is not windproof at all. I didn't expect it to be, but it really has no windproofing whatsoever, to the point where if you are wearing it at a comfortable temperature and a breeze kicks in, you will be too cold. All that said, it is a great fleece for day to day, walking to class, not too cold, urban environments, etc, it's just not practical enough for me to want to take it anywhere.

It's a great mid-layer for skiing, and it's equally good for climbing in cool weather because it's thin and flexible and doesn't hold you back. It does have its shortcomings though. The zipper goes up to about to your nose, the strange cuff at the bottom gets in the way, and it sticks to whatever you're wearing under it like crazy. It's a great layer, but room for improvement.