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Climbing Magazine Equipment Reviews
Helmets, rock shoes, ice tools, carabiners, boots, packs, stoves, cams, passsive pro, approch shoes, softshell jackets, double boots, ice screws, harnesses, crampons and more.
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 2008 Rock-Shoe Review
By Chris Weidner - Not long ago, you either bought a trad shoe (stiff) or a sport shoe (painful). But nowadays, the way people wear shoes has changed — high-end tradsters will often wear the same model (sized up for comfort) on El Cap free routes they’d use on Rifle sport climbs. Still, with that in mind, it’s hard to know which shoes work best for you until you try them.  2008 GEAR GUIDE - BELAY DEVICES
For the modern-climber's purposes, there are three major types of belay device: full-manual, self-braking, and mechanical-assist, each with its own inherent benefits and weaknesses. See Climbing’s "New and Notable" Belay Device • See belay device tables sorted by COMPANY • See belay device tables sorted by PRICE • See belay device tables sorted by WEIGHT • See belay device's page 1(A - E) • See belay device's page 2 (F - O) • See belay device's page 3 (P - W) A year and a half ago, I noted in our leashless tool review that the designs then available were only a precursor of shapes to come. Sub-zero temps, brittle ice, horizontal snowfall - if terms like that get your adrenal glands revving and your hands grasping for tools, then it's time to check out what's new in gear for this season. Whether you’re giving or receiving we have you covered with everything from stocking stuffers to the big tickets. The shoe train keeps on rolling: Last year 38 new models debuted; this year another 28 models are entering the market. Whatever your climbing bliss might be, you’re sure to find a shoe that fits it, and you. There are certainly more folks out there who are still using leashed tools, but my bet is that their next tool purchase will likely be leashless. With the bevy of stylish and functional models on the market now, you’ll be able to find a helmet that fits well and makes you look like a superstar. Several years ago, buying a sport-climbing harness, meant kissing comfort goodbye. That isn’t the case today. There’s a bevy of lightweight, comfortable harnesses on the market. This past spring we took 11 of them out and put them through their paces, hanging, falling, and occasionally sending. My culinary world changed when a generous friend, seeing me lagging during the hike into a backcountry rock route, passed me a silver-wrapped snack. While one of my more demented co-workers insists that 32 degrees is the optimal redpoint temperature, most of us aren’t so sold on the idea. So, how to keep in shape? Time to hit the home woody. Almost every hold manufacturer offers some kind of boxed set to swiftly get you up and climbing on your home wall. It’s a golden time to be in the market for shoes. In the past few years, innovative new companies have burst onto the scene, and established manufacturers have stepped up their R&D in response. Act II of the 2004 shoe review has two line-ups for your viewing pleasure: women's shoes and mid-level sport shoes. Crampon designers’ imaginations are working overtime: rigid vs. semi-rigid, straight or anatomic frames, mono and dual front point configurations. The growth and popularity of waterfall ice climbing has financed tremendous R&D by climbing manufacturers trying to create the perfect ice tool, and it’s obvious in this year’s stable of tools. |
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