Gearhead’s Delight

What are some of the key differences and best uses for the Petzl Nano, Micro, Mini and Pro Traxion progress capture pulleys? Here's an overview of this very handy piece of gear.

If you carry some small and lightweight rescue gear, you can improvise just about any sort of hauling, rope ascending, or mechanical advantage system you might need to rig. Here's what I carry.

Looking for a convenient, bulletproof, snag-free and made-in-USA way to store your ice screws? Check out the Screw Cannon from High Mountain Gear.

Do you think oval carabiners look chunky and old school? Well maybe, if that’s your entire rack. But, for some specialized uses, they still deserve a place on your harness.

Calling all rope nerds and gear heads: check out vRigger! It’s specialized and very cool software that lets you design, test, and teach rope rigging. Here’s an overview of how it works, and a discount code when you’re ready to try it yourself.

Headlamp technology keeps getting more ridiculously amazing, with lighter weight, brighter bulbs, and better design. While for climbing having something with 500 or more lumen output is really nice, there's also a place in your pack (and around the house) for a headlamp with more modest specs and lower cost. My new favorite: the Petzl Bindi.

Got a rip in your tent fly, gaiter, backpack, or any kind of clothing? How about a puncture in your inflatable sleeping pad? Hope you brought some Tear-Aid tape in your repair kit.

Petzl makes two highly specialized ropes suitable for alpine climbers, the RADline and the PURline. Both have a static Dyneema core, both are 6 mm, and both are designed for different applications. Here's just about everything you need to know about these ropes.

A regular climbing rope is made with the core and the sheath as two separate components. A Unicore rope, made by the French company Beal, bonds the core and the sheath together, resulting in a rope that has much greater resistance to catastrophic damage.

The Petzl Traxion series of progress capture pulleys are an increasingly popular piece of gear. Let's have a closer look at the Micro and the Nano, learn some of their common functions, a few key differences, and some of the crafty things you can do with them.

A satellite communication device can be a critical tool in managing a backcountry emergency. A pretty simple question: should you carry it inside or outside the pack? Here's a pretty comprehensive list of pros and cons for both approaches, along with my preference.

A middle mark on your rope is very important, for both setting up rappels and for safe lowering from one pitch routes. Yes, you can probably use a Sharpie pen, but an easier and longer lasting option is the Beal rope marker. Here are a few tips how to use it, including the not so obvious way to open the bottle.

A satellite communication (satcom) device can be a crucial tool for communicating with search and rescue if you have a backcountry emergency, and handy to check in with concerned people at home. There's a new player in the field that offers several advantages over the competition. Check out the ZOLEO satcom device.

When using a progress capture pulley such as a Petzl Micro Traxion, here's a good mnemonic to help you remember the correct way to thread the rope.

Practibolts, based in Denver Colorado, makes a clever tool for indoor anchor practice: bolt hangers that have a magnetized backing, so they stick to a refrigerator (or something similar). Build just about any anchor you can imagine, or a practice clipping sport draws with this versatile product.

Edelrid Aramid slings are great for anchor building, friction hitches, and threading around rock spikes and chockstones. One of the best features: really easy to untie after being loaded.

Voile straps are lightweight, tough, inexpensive, and very versatile. They’re an extremely handy bit of gear to have in your pack on most every trip, for all kinds of reasons beyond strapping skis together. Learn some of their many uses.

The Grivel Vlad carabiner is a combination double gate carabiner and rigging plate in one. If you need to clip multiple carabiners to a single master point (big wall, SAR teams, cavers), and you want to eliminate any concerns about three-way loading of the master carabiner, this might be a useful bit of gear.

Could these $20 Japanese fishing gloves become your go-to for winter sports? Many top climbers are increasingly saying yes. Let's take a closer look at Showa gloves, see an ice water “torture test”, and learn the one model you probably want to get.

Headed out for a backcountry ski trip? You’d better have a way to fix your gear. Here are some components of a robust repair kit that can handle just about everything. (Thanks to a few ski experts who contributed to this: Pro Guiding Service and Matt Schonwald.)

You don't need a knife to cut a rope. A few feet of very thin cord pulled through a rope under tension is all you need. Watch the video here.

Ther Petzl Sm’D carabiner is a compact locker with a bonus - it has a hole designed for a keeper cord.

The Petzl Micro Traxion is an efficient, compact, progress capture pulley popular with many climbers and rigging professionals. It's also quite expensive, and you definitely don't want to drop it. Good news: there’s a “stealth” built-in spot to thread a thin keeper cord.

For limiting your exposure to harsh alpine sun, there's one piece of clothing that deserves a place in your pack - the sun hoody.

The Petzl Tibloc, an ultralight emergency ascender, is a very handy piece of gear. There are are lots of crafty ways to use it that may be new to you, and also some common mistakes you want to avoid. Learn all about the Tibloc, starting with how to properly pronounce it!

Sewn pocket daisy chains are designed for aid climbing, have a strength of only about 3 kN between the pockets, and have some limitations for use as a lanyard and definitely in anchor systems. Some people choose to use these, occasionally incorrectly, so let's learn about this gear and some of the drawbacks.

Climbing bolts - If you place them (or like most of us, merely use them) having a solid understanding of their mechanics and proper placement is a great idea. Ryan Jenks (founder of How not to Highline) wrote a great e-book that covers all aspects of bolting. Donations to Ryan not required, but appreciated.

In the real world, carabiners can be loaded in some strange ways that are not normally tested. Let’s take a closer look at carabiners loaded in three and four different directions, and learn when you do and probably don't need to be concerned about it.

While some people are fine with using random hardware store quick links for rappel anchors, I'm not one of them. Well, good news. CAMP (Italy) sell CE rated quick links that are the right sizes, right price, and insanely strong.

You don't want to break your equipment, but it sure is fun watching other people do it! Check out this great video from the Italian Alpine Club, which shows testing and breaking all different kinds of climbing gear. (The original was in Italian; I paid to have subtitles added.)

A locking quickdraw has a lot of uses beyond beefing up a bolted sport anchor. Learn a few of them here.

Most of us would probably like to learn the names of more backcountry flowers and trees, but who really wants to carry a botany book and take the time to key out a flower? With this app, you don't have to. Point your camera at a plant, and this app tells you what it is in seconds.

Knowing the time of the first usable light in the morning can be useful for all kinds of outdoor adventures. Here’s a clean and simple phone app that tells you exactly this info.

The “VT prusik”, invented by canyoneering expert Rich Carlson, is increasingly popular with SAR teams and riggers. It has a some big advantages over the traditional perlon cord prusik loop. Learn the two key knots, some applications, and see a video on all the ways to use it.

When so much manufacturing overseas, it's heartening to see a long time NW company stay local. Watch this video for a fascinating look at how Metolius cams are handmade in Bend Oregon, USA. Tip - You can probably stop by, get a tour and see this for yourself!

That big burly “belay” carabiner might appear to be stronger than the tiny “paper clip”, but check the load ratings to be sure. Good news: all carabiners certified for climbing are strong enough for anything you need.

You’ve probably wondered how strong that piece of gear actually is, especially compared to others in the same category. Can you really rappel safely off that micro stopper? How much trust should I put in that single bolt? Most all of that gets answered, right here.

It’s tricky to give boots an adequate test drive before you buy them. You can't take them outside on a muddy hike and then expect to return them if you don't like them. Solution: treadmill at a gym. If they fit, great, keep them. If they don't, they should be in pristine returnable condition.

Want a strong and lighter weight alternative to paracord for backcountry cordage? Check out bank line.

Cut your webbing at a 45 degree angle; it’s easier to tie rethreaded knots.

Hesitant to use your phone to take that great photo because you're worried you might drop it with cold fumble fingers? Here's the solution - a phone lanyard.

When shopping for a new tent, consider to how you might feel when you’re storm bound for a few days inside. Color has a strong effect on your mood. Yellow is probably going to treat you better than green or blue.

Sunscreen lotions can be a drag for climbing. Solid sticks are much better.

Tyvek, the material used for strong envelopes and wrapping houses, can be handy as backcountry paper.

Selecting a backpack for climbing can seem overwhelming. With these guidelines, you'll learn what modern features you need, and some you probably don’t.

Gerber kiddie juice bottles - the perfect storage solution for small amounts of most anything.

Many books refer to an “HMS” carabiner. What ‘da heck is that, you might be saying? If you don't speak German, that’s an excellent question. Here's why using one as your main belay carabiner is a good choice.

Heading out for a longer climb or trek, like Kilimanjaro, Peru, or Everest base camp? Having a few extra personal care items along can really go a long way. Here are six goodies you may want in your kit.

What’s a “triple locking” carabiner, and why might you want to have a few? Well, pretty much every arborist or industrial rigger has a few on their gear rack, so you might want to get some too. There are some pros and cons to this style of carabiner, plus a trick to easily open it with one hand.

That sharp little pointy thing on your Swiss Army knife is good for more than you thought.

Micro LED lights are handy to have around the camp, in your emergency kit, in the car glove box, in your chalk bag zipper pocket . . . They’re inexpensive, so might as well buy a multi pack.

Do you have a broken tent pole? No problem, there’s a Northwest company that can fix it for you.

There’s one tool that you can always rely on to light your camp stove. And it's not a lighter or matches.

What are the two chemicals you should always avoid getting on your rope? If a rope is wet, is it less strong, and by how much? Can I safely mark my rope with a Sharpie pen? Learn all this and more from the experts at Sterling, in their technical manual.