I will never purchase another brand of cam. (except for maybe the omega link cams for cruxes) These are so resilient, smooth, and easy to place, and I have never had an issue with them. When you trust your life to gear you want it to be bomber and with black diamonds reputation, and the way all their gear has operated in the past for me, I will always trust my life to their C4's

These hexes are killer. They protect such a wide variety of sizes, and are very worth it for the non crux areas, where a bomber, and less expensive placement will do excellently. I have always had a set of these, and find them indispensable

great product, great for ski mountaineering, I used to ski down steep chutes with either an ice axe in one hand or an ice axe/pole combination which was just plain sucky. Now I use this, which is great. keep in mind you only get ONE when you buy this, and personally that is all I have ever needed. Also, keep track of the orange protection or it will tear holes in your stuff very fast

Got these today. Already in love. The changes from the previous version improve this substantially from the last traverse pole. The grips are perfect for skinning, as anyone who has used them for that knows they have to put their own grip tape in order to do this previously. Also the straps are improved in my opinion and now fit more easily into a gloved hand while skiing. The baskets are the only downside, as personally I liked the unsymmetrical climbing baskets offered by the previous bd pole a little better

essential for glacier travel. great for crevasse rescue, building anchors, or a running belay. The 2 foot is substantially more manageable then the 3 foot sections, and I would really recommend only getting the 2 foot sections.

everything about it is great. batteries last a decent amount of time. The downside for me is this attachment system. personally I would rather the 1 inch band as opposed to this cord, but it collapses super small and gets the job done

Does everything. Essential for mountaineering of all sorts. Best this is their ability to mountaineer, ice climb, and really be fully functional because of the rigid arm underneath. ABS is a must if climbing in any kind of snow

Great piece of equipment. Easy to use after you get the hang of it (after using ATC its a bit more complicated) but the ease of use makes it the only belay device we use at the company I work for. Only downside is the jumpy rappel you get off of it, but aside from that it is incredible in every way

Great harness. I own 2 of these, one for work and one for personal climbing. I use this harness for everything except glacier travel. I would recommend this to anyone who does rock or ice climbing as it is incredible when weighted and not the least bit uncomfortable

Gets it done! The best stove for melting snow, boiling water, and fast cooking. Only downside is not the greatest ability to closely control temp, but for melting snow, etc, it is fantastic.

Great stove. Love the ability to simmer, helps with cooking pancakes, quesadillas, etc, but for boiling water or making big meals I would suggest the XGK, however my personal kit is a whisperlite and an XGK, so I say own both!

Useful cord, does a great job sawing through cornices and getting the job done. Does what it is meant to do, however if you are doing a rutschblock test, you really need 2 people and 2 probes to get this cord to cut correctly. Great and strong, no problems where I've had a p-cord break before.

No problems with it at all. Great size for a lightweight weekend trip or without a doubt any day trip most people could conceive. Great for ski touring, climbing, and just getting all your crap around. Hydration compatibility is awesome, and the ability to access whats at the bottom/back of your pack is a great feature.

Don't purchase. Breaks immediately. My buddy had this on our level 2 avalanche course and got laughed at by the size, strength, and its ability to do anything. Couldn't function or keep up. Shoveling takes the most time out of any avalanche scenario and why have a shovel that is the most likely to break. Get a metal shovel

Definitely would purchase this over the other options I have seen such as the BCA saw. The ability to attach it to flick lock or other bd poles is great for ECT's, cornice cutting, and just column isolation. Never had any complaints about it

Never had to use it, but it is super lightweight, increases the amount of time you can be buried without asphyxiation, but as other reviews have stated, make sure this DOES NOT play a role in your decision making. For that I usually wear it on most backcountry excursions so that I don't have to select the times I do wear it.

Pretty good skin. First skin, Wasn't a fan of the tail clip, so I just chopped it off to save weight. Wore out fast in my opinion but as I said they were my first skin. Had trouble with snow sticking to bottom, so make sure to pick up some skin wax. Adhesive also wore off pretty quickly.

Great first aid kit, like others have said, has everything OTC you could need. I would personally get a little bit more reliable breathing barrier, because I have found after prolonged time switching between a hot desert environment and a wet cool one it wasn't as reliable as I felt it should be. Also, consider some education with this as well. Its great to have a splint or a breathing barrier, but it really doesn't help unless you know how to use it properly. I also believe I had to throw my own benedryl in there.

Great tool, easy and simple to use to tune your own skis at home. make sure to check online for suggested degrees for skis to be tuned at. Typically a 1 or 2 degree side bevel is more then adaquate. If you are using this for getting a razor sharp edge on your ski, however, the file usually angles up and you really have to hold it down there with your palm. However its great if your just throwing an edge on your ski.

Great product, however unless you are a racer, its not necessary. You can honestly clean your bases with a wet paper towel, and then a dry one, and that will work fine. I used to race, and I owned a few cans of this then, and it was great for the large temperature gradient days when you needed to remove all the high temperature wax and reapply new low temperature wax, but aside from that its not a necessity at all

Only wax I ever use. These are the only temperatures you are really going to ever need unless you ski in consistently below 0 temperatures, or are a ski racer. Use for all ski days except races.

Great iron, heats up fast, and to the correct temperature, however I think I bought this for around 80 dollars, so look for a better deal because they are out there. Excellent product though!

Incredible functionality. Ability to hold resting partners more easily while on belay. The auto camming feature while belaying a follower from above is awesome, and also can use the non teethed side to rap off of for easier and less jerky rappelling

For the price, these are the cheapest, and get the job done. However if you are used to longer approaches and the possibility of big whippers where the mass of the gate could open it, or want a lighter qd, then go for some of the wire ones, however these are great for a starters rack for sure

Great probe, foolproof to assemble. Thow and pull the cord. My only beef is the sandpaper texture at the top, which is a great feature if you are doing ONLY avalanche rescue, but if you ever dig snowpits it will manage to scratch off all the numbers imprinted on the probe. I would scratch the sandpaper off if you plan to use it for pits.

Have only used for mountaineering on a glacier, and glacier ice climbing, but I was very happy with the ease of placement. After using both these and the expresses I would really say there is no need to get them unless you need extra fancy systems to skrew your ice skrews in. Not necessary at all though

Great ski for steeps and couloir skiing. These skis are still really stiff, and if thats not for you check out the voodoos. In love with them. If you are using these for touring make sure to probably not mount them with dynafits, especially if you use soft boots. I think you really need a boot that can charge to command these skis

Great light pulley, doesn't do the best job minding prussics. Must have for crevasse rescue though.

Extremely easy to use. Slides up rope easily, easy to operate after you get used to it. A little bit heavier then other ascenders, but I find it to be the safest ascender out there, and the carabiner hole at the bottom allows for 360 degree rotation of even large locking carabiners. Great plus

Waterproofing dies off fast because it is just coated with water repellent spray as opposed to being a durable water repellent, which you do not need to reapply. This jacket is not breathable, contrary to what the product description says, and I would have to undo the underarm and full front zip in order for it to not be a sweat box while hiking. Decent for price, but I would pay a bit more for a better product. Also, hood is not compatible with a helmet

Super good pant. Just got these a little bit ago because they were on sale for 40 bucks in Moab. Got the womens small, which wasn't that good of a size fit being a 32 waisted man, however it totally does the job. Very light and pretty breathable, but don't expect the water proof/resistant coating to last too long, you will have to reapply it

super light, super compressable, and super good price. Bought the vivid blue at 135 dollars, which was a down jacket finally in my price range, and I feel like, and know I got a top of the line jacket. Superlight, only downside is its not waterproof or resistant, however wear a good waterproof shell with a hood and you will never have a problem. Love this!

Used to use poles that would telescope for backcountry skiing, but after bending a pole, it could never change. These are awesome and have the ability to attach a snow saw on the end of the pole for safer cornice cutting. Helpful feature

Rented a pair of these from REI last year when I was taking my Avy 1 course. Decent ski that can handle crud. Pretty lightweight, although my coombas are more of a pow ski at 102 and lighter, these handled moguls and adverse conditions better

Definitely worth the price, especially with the discount! If you want Snowbird esque terrain without the lines, or getting tracked out as fast, give Brighton a try!

another necessary piece for your roof rack. Unless you want mileage to beat on the bars and possibly rust them, get these. Also banging your head on them would definitely hurt and is never good

Not sure exactly how the gas mileage thing worked, but its obvious, more wind resistant, less gas mileage, and with all that wind getting trapped under your skis or boards or whatever, it definitely helps. I believe this is also the part of my roof rack that whistles when driving over 40-45 mph. Its a real killer when you drive 10-15 k miles a year with it on, so if your not as patient as I, make sure to plug up even more holes where wind rushes through

Get your right size for your car and it will do the job. Never had a single problem with my roof rack. Don't skimp and buy some old ones or ones that aren't designed for your car. It could be bad news

Does exactly what they're supposed to, and they're durable. Get the end caps.

Bought these boots for use with dynafit, so incredible. Lightweight yet durable enough to use with dynafits for resort groomers the past few weeks. Wouldn't necessarily pay full price though because I did buy them used at the UAC sale but still an incredible boot. Also works very well with regular alpine bindings. Downside though is I would put their flex at somewhere around 80 or 90. I do not have the other cuff that comes with it, but if you are used to racing, and having superior ski control, I would consider a little bit more burly boot

Best AT binding that I have skied that works with all boots. Use these bad boys for both backcountry and inbounds skiing. Even though you think the rise off the ski will be a big deal, its really not and it is barely noticeable. Dropped cliffs of small/moderate height, up to 25 feet to powder with no problems at all, and the ability to change to AT without taking your boot off makes it easy to switch when you hit flats while with other AT bindings you'd have to take your foot out and then clear all the snow off which on a deep day SUCKS, with these, its no worries all day.

I dont know what this person is talking about the Q towers falling off. They come with grips that keep it on your car, plus when attached with the CORRECT q clips for your specified car, and are tightened down and locked, I have never had a problem. I have a low profile, Chevy cobalt with these on them and as long as you install correctly, make sure there isnt slack in the bars when you install them, you should have no problem. I've put about 10k miles on my coupe with these on and never had a single problem. Furthermore, the ease of taking these off to make a quick couple hour trip without skis or board, but wanting the extra gas mileage is so easy its ridiculous.

Without these, you can unclip the q towers or ski rack or what have you off your car. I have never had a problem with these after riding over 10k-15k miles with them on including 3 2150 mile trips with them on. Never had a problem with them opening up or anything

Bought these skis a little while ago as to mount with dynafits for my backcountry setup. Went up to alta when we got 48 inches and these things ripped. I'm a small guy too, 5'8" and I got the 188 as well and they rip. This is possibly one of the lightest setups ever and I would definitely recommend getting them. Best of all, I primarily bought them as a tribute to one of my icons, Doug coombs, and it has definitely lived up to what I thought they would be like. Definitely worth the purchase.

After seeing a demonstration from Pieps about this product at the Utah Avalanche Center lecture, it is apparent that this thing, while expensive is groundbreaking, however serves basically the same purpose as a probe. If you are without a beacon (stupid) than this would help, but the accuracy of a beacon is good enough to allow you to begin digging, and to be honest some stupid people will use the iprobe to then begin to dig directly on top of another person, causing more problem than harm because the beacon is located at the chest number 1, and number 2 people need to learn proper shoveling techniques. Very cool device, but until the price comes down, invest in a good beacon because its not worth it

Very light, extremely dependable, and simply the best binding for touring out there. If you are looking for something that will hold up and allow you to go on all day tours without weighing you down, this is the binding for you.

While expensive, don't buy dynafit's without the brakes, its just plain stupid. If you would like your ski to torpedo under the snow and spend hours probing for it, then don't buy these, however to save time and money it is worth the purchase

very awesome skins, compared to the black diamond ascension skins, not really a huge difference for me other than the way it attaches to the tip, which comes off a little bit easier (when loosened), not inadvertently, and definitely perform very well in the field

Excellent Helmet. I got this helmet from a friend who won it at a snowboarding competition, and boy has it been great. After taking many falls on it you realize that it is a beater helmet that will not let you down when you need it the most. Best of all, if you put on the visor and schralp the trees, you don't have to worry about getting your goggles scratched by an overlying tree branch. Definitely would buy this!

Excellent tent, bombproof for me, has never let me down in downpours or anything. However this tent says its out of stock right now, but once it is in stock, make sure the price is much less, because eureka sells them directly from their website for 239.

After taking an avalanche class last year through Exum mountaineering, I decided to purchase A BCA Tracker. This beacon is extremely affordable, allows you to locate multiple burials and hone in on one, and is very easy to use as long as you know how to use a beacon. Batteries last a long time, the strap to wear the beacon is very comfortable and you almost don't notice its there. Definitely a great buy

If you are doing backcountry skiing and need a beacon, definitely get something longer than a 190. I own this and after using it for one season you realize if you ever had to use this probe other than in drills, the extra little money for a longer probe definitely makes you and the people you are skiing with feel a lot more comfortable

Great to have while doing Backcountry skiing in chutes such as Y couloir or others in Little Cottonwood. This is not an ice climbing tool, however most people looking for that equipment should know what they are looking for. This is for mountaineering, such as self arresting and glissading. Make sure to get the correct length, I would even go one size longer because i like it to be more stable, but thats more preference

I bought the small set, which is very lightweight, compact for camping trips, I even store my stove, the handle for the pots, and a fuel canister inside, however they wear down fast and become permanently stained quite easily when used over a fire as opposed to a stove

Low price that I bought this on Steepandcheap made it great, however if you are looking for a light bag, pay the extra money because this is very heavy to bring on a camping trip. Also, ratings are not based on how cold it can be for you to use the bag, but more a scale, and I would definitely want a warmer bag if I were camping in anything under 20 degrees.

I'm going to have to say the same thing as the other person. Its a great watch, has tons of functions, but you always need to switch the screen to see different things and it takes some time knowing where everything is, and the altimeter ALWAYS needs adjusting, I think I am going to return it. Its not a bad watch though, because as I understand altimeters have to work off the barometer, but I have to get one that doesn't need so much adjusting.

I used this shovel when hiking Tuckermans Ravine, it was a great first shovel for me, it does the job, very small, lightweight, and easy and quick to assemble. Great for the money

This thing is great, I already wrote a review for it, I just want to know where they recommend you put your shovel head. There is no external pocket that comes close to fitting it, the only place I see is like the outermost pocket on any backpack.

Great first pack for me. I used it a few weeks ago to hike tuckermans ravine on mount Washington with all my gear, it fit all my stuff great and It did the job well through the rain and kept everything completely dry. Although this is the only pack I have owned, it is great and I would definitely recommend it