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Tension has upped the portable-hangboard ante with The Block, a 9oz piece of cherry wood with over nine different hold positions. It stands out versus other portable offerings in that you can attach different amounts of weight—add a small rack or a backpack to the attached 6mm cord for a warm-up at the crag, or attach it to a cable machine at the gym. The Block can also be angled to change the difficulty of the holds, which include two different edges, one- and two- finger pockets, two crimps, and pinches.
$39, tensionclimbing.com
See more of our top climbing gear picks in the Gear Guide 2019: Editors’ Choice Awards, and listen to our latest podcast for an interview with Black Diamond’s climbing category director Kolin Powick.