Gear Reviews

Given Black Diamond’s reputation for strong and durable hard goods, we decided to give their 9.9mm rope a try as our go to gym rope. The rope is priced right and works great out of the box but early signs of wear in the gym make it hard to give it the nod as a preferred gym rope.

The Scarpa Crux approach shoe has been around for years and is one of the go to approach shoes on the market. If you hang out in a gym or crag for a few minutes you’ll likely see a pair or two go walking by. Like most approach shoes, they offer a beefy and sturdy construction with proper stiffness. If you’re in the market for an approach shoe, give the Scarpa Crux a try.

Mad Rock decided to give the Flash 2.0 an upgrade with the release of the Flash 2018 model. Having been a fan of the Flash 2.0 for years as a solid gym shoe, it was hard to believe that the shoe could get much better while staying at the same price point, but Mad Rock did it.

If you’re looking for a single shoe that will provide high-performance across many types of climbing then the Katana Lace is the shoe for you. Having climbed a variety of routes at Smith, I’m still impressed with how well these shoes are able climb on varied terrain. Edges, nubbins, slab, and pockets – this shoe can do it all.

The Mad Rock Flash 2.0 is a great gym shoe. Unlike most beginner shoes it offers a bit of a down-turned profile, all-around performance, and remains comfortable. All this for a shoe that comes in near $80 means you can’t go wrong with this as a gym training shoe. Mad Rock discontinued the shoe in 2017 so we’re hoping they release a similar model.

The Five Ten Anasazi Moccasym is a great shoe. I’d give it a 5 out of 5 rating if we were only judging based on crack climbing or smearing ability. When it comes to more technical edging or even a route with any sort of mildly consistent technical climbing, other shoes provide better performance and confidence. That said, it’s always nice keep a pair on hand.

I bought a giant bulky Jansport backpacking pack over ten years ago off the discount rack at REI. It was huge, had extra pockets and straps attached all over the outside of the pack, and it was uncomfortable. I didn’t climb at the time, but figured it would give me good options for backpacking and […]