New and Notable: CAMP Stratos - 2010 Gear Guide

The new CAMP Stratos continues the relentless march towards sleeker and lighter weight harnesses. No surprise: the Italian gear maker has long had a reputation for bantamweight gear — from biners, to ice tools, to helmets — and the Stratos holds to this less-is-more philosophy. With what CAMP calls Edge-Load construction, a new take on the edge-tape design, in the waist and leg loops, the Stratos is a stellar sport rig, offering serious breathability and ample comfort despite a very low weight. Also notable in a harness so light, the Stratos has adjustable leg loops, so you can dial fit perfectly, despite layering up or down in warm and cold months.

1. DEEP BREATHING
   You might have to catch your breath after that 40-foot whipper, but the Stratos will have been breathing all along, thanks to the expanses of dual-density perforated foam between the load-bearing edges of the waist and leg loops.
2. STRUCK BY LIGHTENING
   Despite coming in at a featherweight 12.3 ounces, the Stratos is fully featured, which includes four webbing-reinforced gear loops and fully adjustable leg loops. The buckles on those leg loops (and the waistbelt, too) are smooth-sliding, pre-threaded, auto-adjust buckles.
3. KEEP IT STRAIGHT
   The Stratos features CAMP’s inventive No Twist belay loop, which has a reinforced slot opening between two burly belay loop layers. Pass your belay biner through the slot and it’ll stay put, making free-floating, crossloaded belay biners a thing of the past.

$99.95, camp-usa.com
Weight: 12.3oz
Certifications: UIAA, CE

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