An anchor is something that provides stability in an uncertain situation, and the Metolius Anchor Chain ($49.95; metoliusclimbing.com) does just that. This Dyneema chain makes equalizing simple anchors easier, with 12 full-strength (22kN) loops. Any beginning climber would do well to have this in his or her kit, thanks to how easy it makes setting up toprope anchors, especially on bolted anchors. One of our testers also used it as his personal anchor tether, clipping it to a locking biner on his tie-in points. It’s not recommended for trad climbing, where you might want to sling blocks and trees, or to build an anchor with gear: The fixed loops make it difficult to girth-hitch and fine-tune equalization.