“Forget every other down puffy you’ve ever worn—this will beat them all,” one tester declared. The 750-fill down kept us warm in single-digit temps throughout the West. “Belay puffy, around town, skiing… I wore this every day this winter,” another tester said. The superior warmth and airy feel of this 23-oz. jacket (men’s M) was the foundation of our testers’ obsessions, but it was the climber-centric features that sealed the deal.
All harnesses do the same things—keep you from hitting the deck and tote gear—but how they do it can be staggeringly different. Some are mega-plush, built for hours of hanging, while others are slim and trim for sending projects. Then there are those designed with special features for ice climbing or mountaineering. You’ll probably have your harness for years—you won’t replace it as often as a rope or rock shoe—which makes it all the more important to choose the right rig.
Take the comfort of your bed at home with you on car-camping trips. That’s what two testers did for the last six months, and the result was many fights about who got to sleep on this bit of heaven. “This is the most comfy pad I’ve ever slept on,” one tester said.
When you’re car camping next to the crag, weight is less of a concern than luxury, which is where this 14-pound beast comes in. Two two-person tents are connected by a floorless storage area that’s large enough for a six-person game of Twister—trust us, we played the game—and makes a great covered “porch” when weather comes in.
The Volt has been our go-to headlamp for two years. Now there’s an updated model with a built-in USB charger for its rechargeable batteries. On long trips, you can swap in alkalines to ensure you won’t be stumbling in the dark.
This solar recharger has been around for a few years, but it got a sizeable downgrade (in a good way) this year, now weighing just 1.1 lbs. The whole kit (recharger, Nomad 13 solar panels, AC inverter) can charge anything from a smartphone to a laptop.
For sketchy aid or trad placements and ice screws, a load-limiting quickdraw can provide a margin of safety and confidence. These runners are sewn into a compact bundle with stitching designed to break under a heavy load, absorbing some of the impact force. (The expanded runner retains full strength.)
“You will see me in these at least five days a week in the winter,” one female tester said. “Thanks to the merino wool, they’re warm enough to wear outside, but they breathe so you can rock them for hours in a muggy gym without fear of sweat stains.”
Leak-free, bombproof, sleek, and keeps drinks hot for up to six hours. Our testers carried this mug everywhere from daily bike commuting to a week in Yosemite, and it survived a dozen drops on rock and concrete and one downhill bounce through a boulderfield— and remained unscathed.
“That was fun!” said one tester after designing his own jacket from colors to materials to fill. “And the jacket has proven to be a bombproof performer, too.” Wild Things lets you select from a range of features and fabrics at a competitive price, with a 14-day delivery turnaround.
Shoulder season in Colorado is an all-around climber’s dream—and this might just be the ultimate all-arounder pack. Whether targeting remote trad lines at Lumpy Ridge on crisp fall days, early-season water ice, or wintercondition alpine in Rocky Mountain National Park, the ProLighter handled every load well and was comfortable and stable to carry. “A rack, helmet, layers, food, and rope easily disappear in this pack,” said one tester.
Somewhere between a bullet pack and a full-sized cragging or alpine sack, the frameless Speed 22 is ideal for stripped-down missions where deftness and agility are more important than pure carrying comfort. “This was my favorite pack for solo scrambles when I needed to carry a rope and harness for the rappels,” said one tester.
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