Gear for Going Up
By Chris KalousIf a thug from an imaginary outdoor mafia were to hold a baseball bat high above my head and tell me I had to choose one sport for the rest of my life, and never again play footsie with another, I’d definitely hand over everything but the rack and stay true to my first love: climbing. So the following reviews are from the heart. Just remember, climbing is a very personal endeavor so nothing ever works for everyone. But have a look, adopt something if it looks cool, and stay safe out there!
Metolius Master Cam
The Master Cam is a modernized, single-stem, four-cam version of Metolius’ seminal TCU — the veritable Xerox of small cams. Like its predecessor, it is solidly built, strong and easy to place. The lighter single stem package provides surer handling and makes them less prone to walking. Some new features include a molded thumb position, a small but comfortable trigger and a slightly smaller head profile for tighter placements. Metolius uses Kevlar cord instead of wire on the trigger, causing some to question its durability. Time will tell. I do know that most of my older triggers broke only after the wire was kinked and the supple cord appears to have solved that problem. These units are lighter than most comparable cams, and the sleek design means they don’t like to mate with all the other sexy cams on your rack, so the result is faster placements when the going gets terrifying. $55. metoliusclimbing.com
Petzl Sama Harness
Petzl innovated the way we belay with the GriGri, and lit up our lives with the original Zoom headlamp. Their harness designs keep the pace. The Sama is a lightweight but versatile cragging or sport harness. Ample padding on the waist and elastic legloops provide a superior fit. Four gear loops and Petzl’s slick, always-ready sliding buckle round out the package. The tie-in points are heavily reinforced and the belay loop is bomber — although the imprinted tie-in diagrams may be a bit overzealous. I ran the Sama on long bolted routes in the Verdon Gorge the last couple of weeks — feeling more French than foie gras — and performed beautifully on hanging belays and a couple big lobs. My only beefs are a too tiny loop for a tag-line, and the gear loops have such a low profile, they are sometimes tricky to re-clip. Still, the feathery weight and complete comfort make this harness perfect for sport climbing. $60 petzl.com
Sterling Nano and Marathon
I once thought all ropes were created equal — just buy the cheapest one and go climbing. However, in seven years of guiding, I was able to see the differences in longevity and handling through the collected data from myself and twenty other guides. Our conclusion was that from fresh out of the bag, to when we cut them up for anchors, Sterling Marathons kicked ass. But for my Europe trip, I picked up a Nano, the lightest and swiftest thoroughbred in Sterling’s stable. Going cragging with this rope, even in hyper-chic France, is like going for a Sunday drive in a Ferrari. At 9.2 mm, the Nano is overgrown dental floss. Its light, smooth action makes it feel almost nonexistent on the lead. Designed specifically for hard sending, Sterling warns to take care when belaying such a skinny cord. Scared yet? Don’t be. Just be prepared for a rope that clips and runs fast. For all-day top-rope or working sessions see the Marathon. But keep the Nano hidden away until race-day on the proj or for a blitz in the mountains – when its top-out or drop-out, baby. Note: Check out Sterling’s rope recycling program. $198. sterlingrope.com
Camp Armour Helmet
Just say the words “blunt trauma” a few times while imagining a cantaloupe hitting pavement from five stories up. Now tell me again why you don’t climb with a helmet? The light and comfy Armour from Camp counters any excuse for not wearing a helmet. A shell and foam combo design, the Armour gives a good balance of being nearly as light but far more durable than the ultra-light foam models. This means you can beat the crap out of it more thoroughly than a more expensive all-foam lid. Good news if you do more than just priss about at the sport crag. The harness of the Armour nests on the noggin like a happy hen, and the dial tension adjustment and the soft chinstrap are buttery goodness. It’s about all you will ever need to protect that precious fruit from a traumatic end. $60 camp-usa.com
Marmot Eiger 35 Climbing Pack
My take on climbing packs is: the simpler the better. While some manufacturers actually recommend lopping off the straps that annoy, it’s hard to take a knife to your brand new baby after shelling out three weeks of beer money to get it. So I asked Marmot to send me their simplest, most basic pack. The Eiger 35 arrived. If I say this pack is nothing special, will you understand that I mean it as a compliment? One large buckle secures the hood pocket…like it. The ice axe straps tuck away when not in use…cool. Two simple straps live on each side for skis and whatnot…bring it. A solid harness system holds it all together. The hood pocket comes off, trimming the pack down even further and adding head room for looking up while climbing. If Marmot stuck a sidelong zipper on this thing, a pack feature that I personally love, but can never find (are you listening?), the Eiger 35 would be like a dream pie filled with real dreams. $99. marmot.com
OR Drybag Summit Sack
Infomercial: it’s a pack, it’s a drybag, it’s a compression stuff sack! Act now and you will get a free OR tattoo! Cue Chuck Norris leaping up a mountain in a rainstorm. But seriously, I am way into this weird little pack, and here’s why. I dropped the 12-ounce sack in my luggage on my trip to Europe to use as a cragpack in France and Greece. Not only did I use it to go to and from the cliff, I wore it climbing on a couple big routes, hauled it, and at one point, filled it with air and used it as a pillow. Indeed, hauling it up anything rough or serious, or trying to carry a big load, would be folly, but the niche that OR has found for this pack is gold. On backcountry trips, use it as a waterproof stuff sack in your bigger pack, empty its contents into your tent, and off you go for a summit trip or a hike. Even as eventual perforation ruins it as a drybag, it will continue to serve as a pack and stuff sack. $59 outdoorresearch.com
White Sierra Soda Bottle Shirt
I don’t know about you, but I like to climb under blue skies. While technical climbing apparel can be a good insurance policy on big routes, 90 percent of the time, more casual clothes work just fine for a day at the crags. If you are tired of the selection at the thrift store (recycling in its purest form), check out White Sierra’s Happy Planet selection made using part recycled material and bamboo. I sported the Soda Bottle shirt on my tour of the Mediterranean (jealous yet?), and besides bringing out the hazel in my eyes, it turned out to be just a good roll-up-in-the-pack, all-occasion go-to shirt for travel and climbing. Looking good and feeling good about your consumer choices does not have be mutually exclusive, especially when you can weave some old plastic bottles into a cool shirt. $45 whitesierra.com
Wild Country Friends
“They were like a fine set of tools…like a craftman’s tools,” my British friend Alan Carne sighed when describing his original set of Friends that were stolen from his tent in the Peak District. “You can’t replace something like that.” Turns out you can, because Ray Jardine and Wild Country pretty much nailed the design in 1977, and the Forged Friend is remarkably similar. Light, durable and absolutely bombproof, the Friend still shines as one of the ultimate climbing tools. I have a couple that I bought in 1990 still on my rack, soldiering on as I’ve destroyed countless other cams. As far as I am concerned, not running at least a few midsized Friends on your rack is like saying you won’t eat pizza because it’s too fatty, and you hate rock and roll. That is all. $38 wildcountry.com MG
