This shoe blows. Literally. I step on a small hold, and because the bottom is convex, unless I force every bit of weight I can muster on that point, it will slide right off. Seriously, who would build a shoe with a convex sole? My wife tried them and had the same issue. Yes it turns my feet red, but it is decently comfortable, but looks a little silly since the toe curves up instead of down. I wore them three or four times and the edges rounded off as well. Man I hate this shoe.

Great helmet, but I can't seem to keep it in place. It wants to slide back. Even when I crank the knob and it hurts, it comes back too easily. If its not too tight, it still puts weird pressure points on my head after a while.

Nothing to complain about, this carabiner does everything it's supposed to do well. Great price, weight, and action.

Light and simple, it does what it's supposed to do. No issues at all. It's a ripoff of BD, and thats why I like it.

This thing is light, strong, and actually stays on my head. I haven't found any suspension type helmets that don't slide back on me, but this one stays put. It also works well with goggles so I don't look like a gaper. I took a huge block of ice on the head and it absorbed it fine, just left a decent dimple in the shell. I've smacked my head hard on the snow twice when I caught an edge skiing and didn't end up with any thing more than a rung bell. Can't find anything to replace it with and I don't need to. Winter or summer, anytime I need a helmet for climbing or skiing, this is it.

PS: Don't buy the winter kit, it's a waste of money. Just wear a beanie under the hat. I've never needed the vent holes plugged and the earflaps don't stay put.

The eVent breathes well and keeps the snow and water out. These gaiters are a million times easier to use than anything with a buckle or zipper. Velcro really is the way to go. They are durable and the bottom strap can take quite a beating. They are shorter than others, but I think they are the perfect height for what I want.

Very soft and comfortable. I use them anytime I need underwear in the backcountry. Dries fast and won't stink no matter how long you wear it unless you poop your pants. The flat seams are way better than some other Merino boxer briefs I've tried like Minus 33 which has all kinds of annoying seams and an uncomfy waistband. My only complaint is the elastic band on the icebreaker folds over in the middle really easily cause I'm not the most athletic build.

I have three of these shirts and I use them in almost every temperature and condition. Summer backpacking, climbing, or mountaineering. Winter ice climbing and ski touring. It is an essential part of my layering system. Good slim athletic fit, dries and wicks fairly fast, feels nice on my skin. And the best is that it won't smell no matter how long I wear it without washing. No synthetic can claim that.
I did get some holes in the back on one from backpack abrasion, but I wouldn't say they aren't durable, just really light and thin. Any fabric will that thin will wear.

The good: These poles are sturdy and comfy when hiking. The rounded bottom spike is fat and thick so won't get bent or messed up. I did bend them on the skinnier bottom section from putting alot of force on them while skiing dense snow (moving forward while they're jammed in hard) but not bad and they have lasted several seasons. The grips are fine, not something you notice (a good thing), and the tops are large and rounded so you can use it cane-style when hiking downhill. The baskets (available from MSR) are larger than most and are good for soft snow (though I think I will cut a section off similar to the old BD baskets for better uphilling). Having it in three sections adds weight but allows it to collapse more.

The bad: They are heavy. The baskets get in the way on slopes. The edge protectors on the bottom of each section fall down easy. The baskets are nearly impossible to remove once on there. The biggest problem by far though is the twist mechanism. If ANY moisture gets in there, like if you collapse a snowy pole and then open it again, it will not lock until you dry it completely out. Also if it gets torqued too tight, it could be impossible to get apart without tools - which could damage the pole. I had one locked up so tight I had to exchange it.

Really the only reason I keep these around is cause they aren't quite bad enough for me to shell out the money for a nice carbon pole with a flicklock system.

The ease of use and lack of features is what sold me on this beacon. On/Off and Send/Receive. How much more simpler can you get?

I almost bought the Ortovox S1 since its supposed to be the best, winning all the comparisons and tests, but I was very put off by how confusing it is. I picked it up for the first time and spent several minutes trying to figure out how to turn it on and switch functions. Not intuitive at all. Second, I found the interface confusing during a search and I worried about the screen being hard to see in certain conditions. I had similar impressions of the Pieps and others with LCD screens.

The Tracker has a very intuitive display, well lit, and easy to follow. I would let a partner borrow it and trust they could use it without being familiar. To me, the simplicity and intuitiveness outweighs any lack of multi-burial functions and a shorter range than some other options.

If you're doing long straight pitches of pure water ice, these are the way to go. Long ice pitches require speed and efficiency. These save the time to clip a quickdraw, as well as the extra fiddling and the extra weight of carrying an extra draw. If you want, you can clip the rope before you start the screw to prevent dropping and losing it, though it makes starting it harder. The extra security while the screw is going in is pretty nice as well. I like the way they rack, just hanging down off a gear loop like a cam would rack. Its easier to get off my harness like this than it is to get a screw off a caritool/ice clipper. It also frees up space on the clippers for other screws that I would use with an alpine draw or build an anchor with. They are kind of jangly and snaggy hanging like that, but its still better than any other method.

Basically for me, these are perfect for protection on long straight ice pitches. They aren't ideal for anchors, wandery alpine pitches, or anything you're going to want a longer draw on (though they will work just fine). In that case, use Grivel Helix or 360s.

This should not be used as a personal anchor system. This is made for aid climbing. And for that, these are way light. But chances are, unless you are not very tall, this daisy chain is too short for you. I'm 5'9" and I can use it if I place gear with wires or slings, but if I'm going up a bolt ladder or clipping to a pin, it won't reach.