Gear Reviews

The Sterling Hollow Block is great at biting down on ropes when tying friction knots using a Prusik, Klemheist, or auto block. Its Aramid fiber construction helps resist abrasion and heat. Pony up a few extra bucks to have one hanging from your harness, you’ll end up using it.

The Metolius Foundry Hangboard is a decent hangboard that provides a wide variety of hold types in a compact size. While the compact size is nice if you are lacking space for hanging the board, it does limit the number of holds on the board compared to other wider models.

The Sterling Evolution Velocity is the gold standard for cragging ropes due to it’s durability and high level of performance across the board. If you are only going to own one rope, this is the rope to have.

The Black Diamond Gridlock Screwgate carabiner eliminates any worries of having your belay carabiner or belay device not being properly oriented. It’s simple and easy to use, perfect for single pitch cragging and gym climbing.

The Petzl Sama is a good all-around harness for sport, trad, and multi-pitch climbs. It offers up low profile gear loops, good padding, and non-adjustable yet comfortable leg loops while still not being overly bulky or heavy. Great for beginners or experienced climbers.

The Mad Rock Remora climbing shoe offers up an affordable slip-on that is touted as a good all around shoe for beginner and intermediate climbers. It has a super soft fit and wide toe box that is great for comfort but lack in overall performance compared to other options on the market for slippers or gym shoes.

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.