Reviews by User: Joshua Keith (30)

I've climbed in La Sportiva K4S, Koflach Verticals, Degrees, Invernos, and Scarpa Alpha's. This boot excels in warm weather technical exploits. It handled the long approach to Gannet Peak fairly well. On the mountain the boot is light, nimble and warm. If the temperatures dipped below 20 degrees I wouldn't want to spend much time standing around in it... that's not really what the boot is designed for. If you want cold temperature performance, this is not your boot. If you have a narrow foot and want a precise crampon compatible boot, this boot will serve you well. If you have a wider foot consider the Aku Spyder.

This is a great stuff sack that I picked up on a super sale. It does exactly what is says, allows air to pass out of the bag while compressing... and remains waterproof. My sleeping bag went swimming on a canoe trip (along with the rest of my gear) and emerged dry as a bone. Durable, light, simple... just not cheap.

I bought these shoes as hikers not runners and have found them well suited to the job. The sole is stiff and supports well. The gaiters are worth much but they do keep scree and snow out of your socks. They're durable- after several months of use only the 'La Sportiva' lettering is falling off. I've tried running with them- imagine strapping a pair of bricks to your feet. If you were doing adventure races- ie jogging- then maybe these would work, but they're just not nimble enough to handle anything else.

I've climbed on them for the past 4 seasons and stand by the performance. They're a bit heavy as Scott mentioned, but after 4 seasons I'm in better shape and the tools are still workhorses. If you only have 1 set of tools, this is a really good choice. You can play on long alpine routes with a mixture of snow and ice, but the tools are equally at home on vertical ice. With a good variety of picks, mixed pick, lazer, and titan, you can really customize the tool to the type of climbing you enjoy or plan on for any given weekend. The android leash also provides some of the benefits of leashless climbing, ie easy screw placement and switching tools, without committing to leashless climbing. If you are interested in climbing with these tools leashless- save yourself the frustration and buy a leashless tool. With some add-ons they might look leashless, but they are a leashed tool- that's their strength.

Ignore the 'recall' comment. These crampons were recalled two years ago because a few climbers were breaking the extremely long front points. I climbed on the crampons and loved the performance. I grudgingly turned in my crampons when the 'recall' notice came in. Now that the crampons have been redesinged- I can't wait to buy a set. They are amazing at holding in anything- this is the ultimate mixed mountaineering crampon... the front points are long enough to puncture through aerated ice/frozen moss or anything else and give you reliable purchase. The twin tips also provide a very stable platform for placing equipment. Love em.

This is not a delicate pole... after a disappointing experience with a set of Leki's I tried these puppies out. I wish they offered a cork grip, but the locking mechanism is glove friendly and reliable... unlike the Leki's... the poles are strong and durable. Whether you're using them to hold up a Kiva shelter or you while you're crossing a stream, they will stay exactly where you set them.

I led trips in Northern Maine for the past 10 years and was constantly searching for a sleeping pad that could handle the extreme cold, -30F, that we suffered through up there. Before this pad I had to carry a thermarest and a ridgerest- otherwise you could feel the cold seep through. With this pad, I have never felt the cold. It literally adds a few degrees to your bags comfort rating. I don't roll around much, so I can't really comment on how easy it is to stay on... you're pretty high up with the pad fully inflated. Using the pad with a regular sleeping bag worked great- using it with a Big Agnes bag I found the pad so big that there was hardly room left for me... and I'm only 5'8" 160lbs... a friend borrowed my gear and literally couldn't zip the bag shut. If your a small individual, Big Agnes also stands for BA gear... it performs well and is super durable. Considering that I could only carry one pad, this system saved weight. For summer or fall travel, it's overkill and heavy.

The duke does what it is meant to do, provide a solid platform for off-piste skiing and allow some AT performance. This is not a weight shaving all day touring binding. If you're taking lifts to the top and then making long traverses to reach chutes, it's a great binding. A friend and I went off-piste and took these off some big drops. His traditional alpine bindings kept blowing up on hard impacts; even with my dins set low, the markers held on and gave a solid platform. The extra height, because of the AT design, actually helped with carving by acting like a riser plate. I skied these bindings hard on and off-piste for 5 days and never had a problem... always lift serve though. I used them just to make long traverses.

I've brought this stove out on mountaineering trips with temps ranging from -10 up. Where as most canister stoves crap out in cold temps, this one still performs well. It's quick. It's easy. And it only boils water. Seriously, this stove isn't designed for gourmet backpacking- don't try to get all Wolf Gang, it's a climbing stove. It melts snow and boils water. That's it. An add on that would be nice, a hanging system. alittle less CO2, this stove puts out quite a bit. I think 3x the normal amount so be careful.

Solid glove, but it splits the difference between warmth and dexterity, effectively missing both. While I'm in Switzerland now, I spent most of my time climbing in New England- warm roadside at 20 degrees and cold alpine at sub 10. This glove seemed to over very little dexterity for the roadside days and not enough warmth for the alpine days. It gets the job done, but I definitely prefer a thinner glove with a big over mitt.

Best tool currently on the market. While I'm climbing in Switzerland now, I've spent most of my time climbing mixed and water ice in the northeast US. These tools are absolutely amazing for leading. The swing is fluid and confident. They stick on a single swing even in cold conditions. At first I was worried I would drop the damn things, but I've had cold days where I couldn't feel my fingers and bad falls where my junk got re-adjusted... I never dropped a tool. Once you switch to leashless you will wonder why you didn't make the transition earlier- switching tools and placing screws suddenly got a lot easier. I've also climbed with BD Vipers, BD Cobras, Ergos, Ta-ka-toons, tech wings, etc... they've all got there strengths. If you want an alpine or "do everything tool" get the Vipers... if you want mixed and water ice, bite the bullet and buy the Nomics- they last forever and you won't be drooling over them after you bought some cheaper tool.

Gas is gas... so long as you avoid coleman brand canisters. During the summer the ease and control of canister stoves make them my choice, but in the winter these little bundles of joy can perform very poorly- decreased temps cause lower pressures, lower pressures cause poor performance. A few tricks to help with the problem: tape a hand warmer to the bottom of the canister, insulate the canister from snow, use your hands to keep it warm, get an MSR reactor stove that regulates the gas pressure.

I've climbed in these gloves for several seasons. In my opinion, they're more of a novelty item than a serious piece of equipment. They're not warm enough unless the temps are 20+ and the sun is shining. For steep mixed routes on warm days, they're fun to pull out of your pack and watch your friends sneer. The grip with them is better than the grip bare handed. I picked up 3 pair when they went on sale for $15. I tried all kinds of things- like taping heater packs to my wrists- to use them in a wider range of conditions. On top of that, the gloves durability is not great. I suppose for fall/spring dry tooling they may be excellent- but for true winter conditions, expect to loose digits.

For cold winter camping, this thing is great. While not recommended, one could light this lantern inside a tent and realize that the tent quickly becomes a warm dry haven despite the sub-zero temperatures outside. One would have to be careful, but it is a nice way to warm up for the change to or from the sleeping bag. Otherwise, this little lantern provides a great deal of light. It takes a beating, travels light, and performs well- just keep it away from flamable stuff, it doesn't play nice with nylon.

I've used these professionally for the past 4 years. Whether on a personal jaunt or guided trip, the Miox is simple and light weight. It is similar to iodine in that you need to wait for the ionized solution to treat your water, but it's treat a go unlike a pump. So stop, fill, treat, and 20 minutes down the trail go ahead and drink. Battery life is affected by the cold- and the batteries aren't easy to find so if you're traveling off the beaten path you may want to think about extra batteries or another system. Otherwise, I carried 1 set of batteries and treated enough water for a group of 10 for 12 days.

I own a Prolite 4 3/4 length pad and love it for simplicity and light-weight traveling. It rolls down to nothing and is super durable... mine is several years old and has never "popped". (FYI, don't leave yours near a stove closed. A buddies popped when the air expanded and had no where to go... amusing so long as it isn't yours). Unfortunately, I've found that the cold seeps right through this pad in the winter... either carry two pads or consider the Big Agnes Dual core... it's heavier, but you only have to carry 1 pad, at the end of the day it is lighter.

Looks great, but it rubs unless you have a hat on... you end up with a sore head by the end of the day.

I worked for 10 years in a wilderness program and this is the only stove that we used for any length of time. Super durable and field repairable, the stove is a reliable performer. We tested several other stoves but always returned to the ease and performance of the Whisperlite. I would spend the extra money and get the international version. In all the years that I used the stove I never used a fuel other than white gas, but we found that the "white gas" only versions clogged easier and required more maintenance. The only issue with the stove is it melts into snow if you're using it in the winter, while slightly amusing to watching your cook pot sink into the snow, a stove board or shovel blade fixes the problem quickly enough.

I just spent the past 5 days on these boards. I brought my old skis along incase I didn't like the P4's on groomers. It took me 3-5 runs to get accustomed to the width, but once I dialed that in... these skis screamed. They smooth out inconsistent conditions, float on powder, land drops soft, and love big lazy turns on groomers. They are much more responsive at speed, but they will negotiate technical terrain at slower speeds as you become more familiar with them. They felt 'stiff' in tight bumps, but that could simply be the time of year (and my poor conditioning). They immediately improved my confidence in 'off-piste' conditions and glade skiing. Great ski.

I used these stoves in the field for 3-4 years. They are capable of handling a larger pot than most 'small' stoves, but they are also moody and fragile. If you are willing to nurse the stove and need a stove to handle a larger pot this will do it, but I think MSR missed the mark on this product. If you want to cook for a group, accept that you need a liquid fuel stove. If you want to cook for yourself and a climbing partner, there are better stoves on the market. Consider the Snow Peak Giga Power for summer trips or the MSR Reactor for winter trips.

I've used the harness for 2 seasons of alpine and vertical ice. It does the job well. Pluses: racking options, full strength rear tie in point, adjustability, and comfort Minuses: not a nimble rock harness, 'ice clipper' interferes with traditional racking, Overall, pretty solid harness if you want a winter workhorse.

no frills, light weight, fairly comfortable. I've taken a few good wacks from falling ice- probably grapefruit size, results... no pain, lots of adrenaline, and nothing but good feelings for the helmet. It gets the job done. I like the helmet much better for winter/alpine pursuits than I do for summer rock trips. It's less comfortable/streamlined than other helmets on the market. With a hat, the comfort issues aren't important.

Stop looking at your buddies bike and his shiny new shadow. Just step up to the plate and buy one. They shift reliably on every ride, require very little maint, and stay out of the way. I ride a short cage with 3 rings on a Felt Virtue 2 (5" full).

Stupid warm, but be prepared to loose all dexterity. This is not a climbing mitt- think of it like a warm happy place for your hands- you 'can' hold onto ski poles, but don't plan on knowing whether you're holding onto them or not.

Great shoe if you want to speed hike a rough section of trail. The shoe is on the heavy and stiff side for "running". If you want to lope with a pack or cover lots of distance the shoe is great. Gaiters are more gimicky than helpful.

Hey it's a great unit. Simple operation and very provides a very quick search time, albeit I've only practiced with it. The unit does take up space underneath your jacket and leave you feeling like you've gained a small tumor.

This tent weighs quite a bit for the space it provides. If you want a small, durable, and bombproof shelter... it's great. The fabric is indestructable and the design is sturdy. Set up is very simple... basically one pole. I've had it for two summers and endured several soggy canoe trips and a few weekend backpacking trips with it. For one person, it's spacious. For two people be prepared to cuddle. I would look at other tents that provide more space for their weight- unless durability and stability are critical factors, there are other products on the market.

LEKI is the big name in poles, but honestly, I was disappointed. The cork grips were nice, but the locking mechanisms are not user friendly in the winter and broke after a short period of time. Look at the Black Diamonds... better locking system which is glove friendly and doesn't break/collapse without warning.

Great summer stove, good performance, light weight, small size... more durable than the MSR Pocket Rocket and in field tests the stoves boiled water in approximately the same amount of time. Surprisingly, the stove has excellent 'simmer' levels. Don't expect to balance a big pot on this baby- it's a backpacking stove, not for large groups, but for 2 or 3 people it's one of the best of it's class.

This pack rides like a shadow and carries everything you need (plus some) without hampering your style. I spent 5 days skiing everything from groomers to chutes and cliffs. The pack excelled at steep back country terrain. Two areas which were problematic: bumps and "tucking". In bumps, I noticed the pack more than I would like and needed to tighten the straps... which solved the problem. When "tucking" I found the top lid prevented me from really lifting my head, so if you want to drop into a tuck this pack really isn't for you. Otherwise, BD hit a homerun in my opinion. 1800 cubic sounds large, but the pack zips down to a manageable size. The pack does exactly what it is designed to do with out the 'bells and whistles' of the airline luggage models.