I received this as a gift as well, in the White color.

My favorite part of this bottle is the option to remove the filter/straw attachment if you don't want it. Which makes room for slightly more water and sets it up so you aren't sipping through a straw to get your water out.

The 'Steel' Groove bottle is actually nice and durable with minimal denting so far. It is a bit heavier than the plastic version, but it's not incredibly noticeable. The only real issue I have is the bite valve as it can hold onto some additional pressure which makes water squirt at you/on your stuff if you're not careful. I worry a slight bit about the valves durability, but no issues so far.

I received this as a gift in the graphite color and it's actually pretty cool even though I don't know if I would ever buy one for myself. My favorite part of this bottle is the option to remove the filter/straw attachment if you don't want it. Which makes room for slightly more water and sets it up so you aren't sipping through a straw to get your water out.

The filter attachment mostly sits on my shelf since this is a gym / travel bottle, but when I'm at home or somewhere that I think the water tastes bad it's nice to have the option to carbon filter it.

The Groove's plastic doesn't leave a taste in the water and my only real issues is the bite valve as it can hold onto some additional pressure which makes water squirt at you/on your stuff if you're not careful. Mostly, I dislike the way the bite valve feels, but I also worry slightly about bacteria and durability.

The beam is mega wide, long burning, housing is secure, and it's very very water resistant/proof.

This is my goto around camp light.
On low, with the wide beam, I can see and do anything I need to even when I'm the only one with a light on. If I really need to illuminate the enitrety of my immediate area I just blast the darkness with my Quad on high, with its +4 beam of Awesome and I'm all set.

Even took this for a midnight swim at the ol' watering hole and after 30-45 minutes of sporadic underwater action, and 5 different wearers, it was in A+ condition. Probably went down to a maximum of 7 feet for maybe 30-45 seconds.

I've been using the Princeton Tec Fuel and Quad headlamps for a bit now and I find each has it's more suited applications (I think I prefer the Fuel for wandering around the forest in darkness).

While the battery closure does worry me a bit with the Fuel, I always baby it and take my time using the headband piece to wiggle open the battery cover. Luckily it hasn't broken yet, but I wouldn't say that even with these methods it's not going to break off anyway.

My Fuel has held up in high humidity, mist, fog, and very light drizzle without any issues. I've been very pleased with the battery life and rarely use it above the "low" setting when I'm in camp. The beam is what I would call 'all around' and is a good mix of width and distance when on medium and high settings.

Other than the battery cover issues I really like the headband and the angles of adjustment for this lamp. The Fuel is nice and compact and battery life is great although it will dim a noticeable amount once you've used it for a few hours, which is to be expected.

Black Diamond Chalk is so soooo smooooth! It's crazy since it's still chunky that it can feel so smooth on your fingers.

I used this stuff by itself for a few weeks and was pretty darn impressed since I normally go for coarser chalk due to my overly sweaty hands (think super chalk). It was hard for me to tell when I needed rechalking since it was so light and smooth. I hardly noticed the difference in feel between chalk-ups, but you definitely notice a difference in friction with this stuff. Chalk without having to cake it on?!

It's hard to say if White Gold is necessarily better or worse than Super Chalk, in my opinion. They're just 2 very different types of chalk. Lately I've been experiementing with various mixtures of both and it's been very reliable in keeping my hands dry (I'm overly sweaty ;[ ), chalked up for longer periods, and the friction is totally rad with the White Gold!!

I'm going to try using some more of this by itself when I need to refill again.

I upgraded from a lighter 'alpine' style harness to the BD Momentum about a month ago and its comfort is very noticible in my. . package area. . It has been thanking me ever since and I haven't looked back.

The Medium is cranked all the way on my 30-ish inch waist and fits pretty close to perfect. The padding is a bit heavier than I'm used to in the waist belt, but it feels pretty good to hang in and take some swings or whippers. Leg adjustments are super easy and the TrakFit style feels secure and keeps the loops in place and comfortable for belaying or hanging. There is a noticible thick strip of webbing in the middle of the leg loops that could cause some pressure points for your legs if you're hanging for a bit.

Most importantly the positioning of the leg loops and padding feels great for my inner "thigh" area. I never really get pinched anymore or have any unexpected "pressure" that causes my knees to buckle like my old harness could, and would. Definitely takes some of the stress out of catching whippers. . Phew.

I'm also pretty convinced at this point that the sizing, dimensions, padding, etc are all exactly the same between the Women's version (Primrose) and the Men's. The only true difference seems to be in the colors.

Super happy so far with the durability, Sulfur (Nose Gold) color, fit/feel, and functionality of this harness. Especially versus my old one (Climb-X Warrior). Very Breathable!

Sooooo. . . this chalk sock is so-so. I usually use loose chalk in the bottom of my chalk bag with a chalk sock for predictable palm coverage, but this thing has a couple issues that keep it from being as reliable as other "refillable" socks I've used.

When I'm climbing for a while my sweaty hand starts to make the chalk ball very sweaty. . . it goes without saying that the sweatier the ball gets the less chalk it spits out onto my palm and the harder you have to work it to get enough coverage. Not to mention having to chalk up more frequently, which just means less climbing.

I have used other chalk socks in the past and I now know I prefer my old polyester sock. The polyester one doesn't hold onto the moisture from my hand and produces a thicker and more consistant coating of chalk with each dip into the ol' bag. The Metolius sock seems to be made out of 99% cotton?, is "refillable", and feels like a regular tube sock. Which is cool. . except the cotton part because it seems to hold onto all moisture and the material gives a bare minimum coating.

I love the chalk though, keeps the friction nice and my hands as dry as I can expect for my hands to be. .

I picked up one of these to give it a try and check out one of the "micro" 'biners comparable to the nano and mosses. Like everyone has said, this thing is smurf sized. .

After a bit of testing I'm thoroughly impressed by the snappy and tight gate action, feel in the hand, ease of clipping, weight, and even the bright color. Purple ended up being a Magenta/Pink color lol, but whatever. Also, has a texture comparable to bead blasting.

While the gate opening of this thing is tiny ( 18mm ) I really like the feel in the hand and it's not incredibly hard to clip it cause you can wrap your whole hand around it with ease. I'm sure the more you practice with it the better you'd get, but I prefer the Inferno wiregate for the size bonus and larger gate opening. They're also the same price ;]

With the mini F.S.'s tiny gate opening and large hook nose it can be a bit troublesome to unclip from the harness, pro, rope, and/or wall. Practice makes perfect. .

Major Axis Strength: 22 kN
Minor Axis Strength: 7 kN
Open Gate Strength: 8 kN

Got these on SnC on a whim almost a year ago. For what the Royale is, they're great. For any trad route, or non-techy/non-super overhung sport route they'll crush.

Full leather with toebox lining allows conformity in the toes and perfect stretch everywhere else. The reinforced rand and stiffer midsole mean edging is easy and slopy footwork isn't going to make you throw these things away after a month of use. Tongue of the shoe is ultra comfy and breathable, probably more so than any other evolv shoe I've worn/seen.

I sized em down 1.5 from street and they stretched well after a couple days/week to be the perfect half day to all day shoe. Wearing them hour after hour only feels like someone threw a nice, comfortable, and supportive, semi-sensitive rubber sock on you.

There have been no durability issues with the rubber or any kind of peeling, etc. The eyelets of the leather material get a bit of wear from tightening the laces, but they won't break or tear on you due to some reinforcement stitching in the area.

I believe these are a nice, well thought out addition to any trad climber or a beginning sport climber.

Go for it!

I got this in the Retro Orange/ Red Brown color when it was on MEGA sale and couldn't be happier.

The Biovent shoulder straps and waist belt are insanely comfortable. The mesh back panel is comfy enough, but it only has a thin removable sheet for structure so I wouldn't want to hike all day with it loaded up with my climbing gear. On the plus side, it can actually hold all my gear for a day or so of sport climbing with various options for packing. I love the two large Zip pockets on the back and the clip slots for biners are a nice durable nylon material. Top has two zip pockets to help keep the small stuff organized as well.

The Versa Wing side/waist belt pockets are an interesting idea. You can hold smaller stuff with ease and have it accessible in a flash. You can even stash a climbing shoe in each side or a water bottle if you 'biner it to the compressions strap to keep it locked in place.

The inside of the pack is pretty deep, but the cinch cord is sewn into the back panel so sometimes it's trickier to close the top. You have to pull one sides slack out and then the others. And the bladder pocket is in a separate zipper/clip pocket in between the back panel and the interior so you won't need to open your pack to refill your water!

Go Jansport, solid pack!

I got this jacket in a Small Green and not only is it incredibly warm for it's size/weight it makes me look like a ninja turtle. . . amazing, lol. I've worn it in the low 30's over a thin t-shirt and was more than comfortable despite the wind and cold. It verges on windproof and is at least seriously wind resistant. Dual cinch cords on the waist and draft protection on the main zipper add to the overall warmth as well.

The Jacket has a total of 6 pockets with 1 being small for an ipod/small phone. 4 of the pockets are zip, with 3 pockets being accessible on the outside and 3 on the inside. It will be great under my snowboarding shell or out by itself when hiking/climbing, but I wouldn't wanna wear it by itself if it is wet outside.

Material and stitching seem very durable and the jacket itself is a nice sporty fit leaving room for a couple layers underneath and/or on top without feeling baggy by itself.

Highly reccomended.

Lenses are pretty scratch resistant and never fog on me during use, even whem I'm wearing my face mask (when positioned properly). Persimmion is a decent lens and the Acid Pills color is wicked. Frames aren't enormous, but they give you surprisingly good peripherals when worn. Strap never slips and the layer of silicone on the strap is great!

The tri-foam is mega plush and feels so soft and comfortable against your skin. I've never had an issue with the bridge of my nose, cheeks, or forehead getting sore or cold with these on. The goggle is softer and molds right to the shape of my face. Venting is solid and my face is never cold either. I normally use them with contacts, but my glasses even fit inside them if I'm being lazy or spur of the moment (smaller frames).

4 stars only since I know there are better goggles out there.

Taste of these is nice, but I wish they made them without the chocolate coating though as they're already way sweet. Bits of honey stick around in your teeth for later too, kind of a bonus I guess.

I prefer the Clif Builders Bars (Lemon and Chocolate Mint!) in texture and taste, but these are more filling and higher in calories for that meal replacement scenario. The Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond is really nice, but I haven't had the others.

Don't get me wrong I love a nice healthy granola bar, aka the original Clif Bar, but these are hands down my favorite energy bar! I like Honey Stinger bars a lot as well, but the chocolate coating on the Builders bars is tastier and stays on the bar better.

The texture of these things is like crunchy buncha crunch on the bottom and a smooth layer of chewy flavor on top. They don't take forever to chew and aren't rock solid in the cold.

I'll agree on an empty stomach they can lead to some slightly disgruntled intestines, but no more than a real candy bar. Definitely solid as a meal replacement for when you're too busy or need something filling.

I get a box of these every time I go grocery shopping and always have one or two in my gym bag! Try Chocolate Mint, Peanut Butter, and Lemon if you can find them!

The Original Grigri is super functional and can be used for both top roping or leading, but as other reviewers have suggested it does take some getting used to for both and practice makes perfect.

Plates and pieces are solid, but I'll never understand why the handle is plastic, even if I've never personally had any issues with it. . Petzl could have at least reinforced it with an aluminum piece that runs through the center or something?

Instructions for use are clearly engraved and useful for keeping beginners on the right track. I mostly use this to save energy and add a bit of security for when my girlfirend is trying a route a bit out of her skill level.

Good job on the original, Petzl, but hello orange grigri 2!

I have the 38L and this pack will hold a rope(tighter fit) and gear for a day of sport climbing just fine. Along with some water, extra layers, camera, etc. and isn't bad at 3.17 lbs / 1.44 kg due to the added comfort.

The NVIS back panel is hands down the most comfortable I've ever felt and is ultra breathable. Straps are crazy long everywhere on this pack for some reason, but whatever. .

I got this thing on sale or else I probably wouldn't have picked it up for the regular price $ as it isn't the most durable thing in the world, but I am still happy with it and the pack has stayed functional despite some minor wear.

Straps and waist belt combined with the back pannel make it feel like you're carrying half the weight you really are and your balance remains stable and centered!

Has a couple smaller pockets including one on the hip belt and one on the back, a large side zip to get to that rope or water in the middle or bottom of your pack, great compression straps and adjustability, 3 liter reservoir included, and plenty of places to 'biner things to the outside of the pack. The resevoir also has it's own zip pocket between the main compartment and the back panel to keep it away from your stuff and well insulated.

I have no regrets with this bag and I really like the citronelle/woodbine color too it's like a neon yellow/green that's much brighter than in the pic.

I take this bottle between home, work, and the gym multiple times every week and have never had any issues with leaks. I even take it to the craig sometimes, but it's never dissapointed me. Contruction is bomber, everything works just like the day I bought it, and it never has a funky taste or smell. I do clean it with warm water and sometimes soap if I know it's been in the gym bag for a few days and it's always easy to clean / dry.

One handed hydration is key and saves me time fumbling with lids at the wall so I can get back to it quicker and fresher than my buddies.

Stanley sold me on their products and I'll be comming back for more! Did I mention the lifetime warrenty?

Sure, Nalgene is ok and weighs less, but if there's a zombie apocalypse I'd pick this thing hands down cause with it's solid steel construction at least I could use it to club some undead.

These are some pretty comfy boots, and completely waterproof up to the top. I got them in the grey/black color and they seem to run about a half size too large.

The heel is mega comfy/springy and rubber is grippy even on wet rocks. The heel is really the only part of the shoe I can see going bad quick (durability) as it is a bit thin and sits under a molded pressure absorbing panel.

Eyelets are solid, boots tie quickly and you can get your foot out fast for those climbing sessions. Have no problem scrambling with these and they breathe well to boot! worth the discounted price at least and they look cool as hell.

I picked this up from SnC a while back on a whim, and figured if nothing else it was a cheap 2 liter hydration bladder.

And I know, I know, it says womens and it's true that is it shaped for the more shapely, but I've had no issues using this (got the red/white color) and have never been one to immediately label items unusable if they state they're for women. The straps still work just fine for a guys chest and are a durable frame with nylon mesh webbing between for ventilation. Reservoir portion is slighly insulated and it feels comfy to carry with water in it.

I got this mainly for use as a snowboarding device as it fits well under a jacket and is a pretty slim and minimalist way to keep hydrated out in the snow. To give you an idea of size, I could fit maybe 2 cliff bars in the back zip pocket and possibly something thin/small in the reservoir pocket with the bladder. Other than that the webbing and nylon gear loops are all that you get.

I have several of these and they're nice enough while giving off that "uber safe" feeling. Despite being Mad-Rock 'biners I've never had any real issues with these and they do feel great in the hand and solid on clips.

The Bent gate won't open 100% of the way, more like 95%. Still nice sized gate openings though. Both gates are solid, springy, smooth, and feel more secure than most others I've used. Only minor complaint is the keylock nose as it can cause a bit more resistance than others when cleaning, but it's still keylock and clips into the bolts great!

I personally re-racked most these with the Petzl Express Quickdraw Slings in the 25cm length and I love them more now. The original Mad-Rock dogbones are not a dealbreaker though as they are a thick and sturdy nylon/dyneema 50%? mix, its just personal preference to have some dogbones longer than 4 inches. . they also have rubber gaskets, very similar to Black Diamond's on the rope end.

Comparable to the Black Diamond Positron 'biners in shape, size, and function except for the keylock nose.

Top positron biner feels nice in the hand, super smooth on the clips, and is slightly smaller than the hotwire bottom. Bottom hotwire biner is incredibly light for its size due to the hotforging, is slightly larger giving that massive gate opening, and feels great in your hand! . . Did I mention smooth and effortless rope clipping?

Dogbones are 14mm wide now which makes them much less prone to twisting than the older 10mm ones, and even easier to clip. Only thing I don't like about the BD dogbones are the rubber inserts on the bottom loop as they are sensitive to tearing out if you're swapping bottom biners. Good thing you'll never need too. .

Get some!

Got this pack to round out my gear and haven't been dissapointed. not too heavy, both ends are a breeze to clip and feel solid in your hand with nice smooth buttery gate actions. Even the newer BD 14mm wide dyneema dogbones are awesome!

If you can go ahead and get the 18cm dogbone length, but honestly the 12's aren't bad either.

If your're looking for a rack, and aren't completely broke, get these. You won't regret it. This pack has it all!

I love how compressible these things get my gear! most sleeping bags and tents (minus poles) work well with the medium, smalls are great for ANYTHING, and I've never had any issues with either the valves or seams! I like to set my gear out and try to fold it flat to be about the size of the sack, minus the clear plastic top. then you can work it inside the sack, roll the top nice and tight, and use the valve to get out soooo much air! Once you get the sacks into your pack they may expand a bit, but by then it's irrelevent.

I own 2 smalls and 1 medium and Really want another Medium to round it out! I got them on SnC at crazy discounted prices and haven't looked back. My Stoic compressible sacks have saved me so much room in my pack that I've been using my daypack as a weekender lately and they even keep your stuff dry as a bone (if not entirely submerged for a period of time).

Stoic inculdes large color-coded patches for each and, like others have said, each tag is also a cool black/red stoic logo sticker. Need to get your own adhesive for the patches tho!

I upgraded from a half length Pack M@ solid cell inflatable foam pad I got on SnC and it was well worth it. This Stoic one weighs about a half pound less :D AND packs down to the same size! I'd say it even works as well to keep you insulated from the ground as my other pad due to its longer length, even if it does have a criss cross cutout patten (to save weight).

Be careful with the length of this pad as it's about as long as my tent. Definitely overkill for me at 5'11'', but not a dealbreaker due to it being lighter than my other pad.

The material on the bottom (grey color) feels more durable and possibly more water resistant than the top material (blue color), but I haven't tested it enough to verify that. The top material feels softer and reminds me of the Stoic WPF Compression Sack a bit.

Overall it's a great pad, very plush, and keeps me off the ground even on my side. Seals are great all around, haven't had any leaks and the bag/patches it comes with are a cool little bonus, but it's much larger than the rolled up pad needs. It did take 24-48 hours to fully inflate after I initally opened it up.

I Heart Stoic!

For when you want more than a "do it all" spork? Am I right?

Anyway, this is a pretty cool little set and if you got it 50% off like I did when they were tryin to get rid of the 2010 models I'd say it'll more than pay for itself in it's usefulness and weight savings over using your normal metal kitchen utensils or plastic cutlery. . . yeah.

A lot of people have had a lot of different things to say about this set, but I personally love it.
While the titanium tiny 'biner is kind of useless, it's still cool and made of titanium. So you may not need/want to take it with you on the trail, it's still neat to have.

As far as the actual flatwear is concerned it is very small, as the user pic shows above. Now this is a good thing in my opinion, but you may need something longer for stirring if you have a deep pot. Mine is tiny so these tiny pieces work just fine. Thus, the weight for each piece is nothing and no one ever said you had to take all 3.

The fork works like a fork, spoon isn't too small, and the knife is usable even to cut meat. While they may bend a bit, they'll bend back, MAGIC! They are a bit gritty from the bead blasting, but your teeth shouldn't ever need to touch them as that's what lips are for.

I look forward to using these for a long time.

I went ahead and got this for my girlfriend and it's her first climbing harness.

She really likes the shape of the waistband and finds it pretty darn comfortable to hang in / wear. The leg loops fit her good on the small and she's got some larger thighs for her waist size of 28in (don't tell her I said that). She does have to crank the waist belt down all the way for the small to fit her above the hips. Though the sizing chart BD provides on backcountry's site seems very accurate.

She doesn't lead yet, but people seem to like the gear loops just fine and since they're all the same on the newer BD harnesses I'm guessing she'll like them if she ever decides to rack some gear up.

Overall it's got a lot of ventilation holes in the sides of the waist and legs and seems nice and padded with limited pressure points. BTW Ink/Peacock color is true to the website. The Ink color looks black, at least until held up to something else that's black, as it's actually a very very dark navy blue. The Peacock blue color is accurate on the site and is a very bright turquoise color. She loves it!

I'd originally gotten her the Medium Primrose (non speed adjust) and it was too big, even if it was cranked all the way and then some. This small one's a much nicer fit for her with the added benefit of the speed adjust buckles which save her finger strength for climbing! Backcountry has an epic return policy and it was hassle free to exchange.

Get one!

First off, the pocket being on the back of the bag (touching your back when worn) is an awesome idea. Doesn't deform or unbalance the bag like if the pocket was on the side. The pocket itself could hold even an original Ipod or Zune and allows you to switch up songs without needing taking it out and get the mp3 player all "chalky". The zipper/plastic screen seems solid enough to hold up and keep chalk out over time.

Opening on the top is nice and stiff, but is also low profile so you don't have to worry about the rim ever getting in the way of your hand. In fact, when I first used this, I wasn't even sure my hand was in the bag until I felt my chalk sock (not included) at the bottom. So has a wide enough opening that it won't interfere with even medium/ medium-large hands trying to get to in there~!

It's also shaped like \_/ so you aren't going to be scraping the walls of the bag with your fingers either, trying to get the last bit of chalk out. It'll be down at the bottom waiting for you!

Dual straps are key, and allows either a biner or the belt (if you're into that) with ease. If you cant get it to sit right with a biner, rotate one of the loops 180 degrees and it'll keep it positioned better.

Fleece lining on the inside is Ultra Plush, and will probably eliminate the need for any kind of Chalk sock, but is usable with one either way. Drawstring closure is secure as is the clip, closes all the way and easy enough to open when you're ready. Even if it's during a climb.

Size is great, Pocket is bomber, and works perfectly. Oh, and the blue/orange and orange fish colors are baller.

This is my belay biner!

It's nice and functional to rap or belay with and bit lighter than the petzl attache' belay biner everyone has. Comparable weights (69g vs 80g Petzl), size, and strength ratings, but the main difference is that the attache is completly round/circular where as this one is rounded on the inside loop and flattens slightly towards the outside edge. This gives it a slightly higher breaking point compared to the attache' and a lighter overall weight. It does have a bit of an issue twisting around on thinner belay loops (like the newer black diamond models).

Major Axis Strength: 24 kN
Minor Axis Strength: 7 kN
Open Gate Strength: 8 kN

I really do like the attache' for rapelling and belaying, but I prefer this BD one overall. Then again, my buddy is the exact opposite. Either way, I do think these are the two best mini belay biners.

For a screwlock keylock biner these are amazing. They're unnoticeably smaller than the positrons with a much thinner nose and slightly larger gate opening. This means, you'll never snag them on anything, period. They actually remind me of the petzl spirits in shape/function of the keylock nose, but I honestly prefer the nitrons overall shape.

If you get them w/o the screwgate, they're amazing for your standard quickdraw bolt/rope end biners. Super light with smooth clipping is just a perfect combo.

For every function these truely will be snag free.

Not only are these nice biners, but they aren't going to break the bank. Snappy and tight fitting keylock gates on these means less fumbling with your gear while on your way up or down the route.

I've been enjoying these as my bolt-end biners and haven't noticed anything negative about them. They feel pretty darn good in your hand, but I'm more of a fan of the nitron's for my straight gates due to the gate being shaped differently with a bit more grip on the biner with overall less weight. For the price, these keylocks are really hard to beat.

The most comparable biner in size/shape that I own are the Mad-Rock ultra-tech biners, but the nose on these is MUCH nicer for cleaning. The positron has less of a 90 degree angle behind the keylock nose to eliminate snagging for a smoother clip or unclip.

I recently got these in a posiwire quickpack and they've quickly become a favorite rope-end biner.

They are slightly larger than the BD positron biners, with less weight to them AND a much snappier gate action, even compared to most wire gates. This means huge gate openings for your rope end and a nice secure feeling when taking whips.

Anodization on these things peels away pretty fast, but they're not there to look pretty. Construction is great, they're thick for good durability, and they feel wonderful in hand. Always a nice smooth clip with these babies.

My foot size is 9.5, but I got these in 9.0. Could have gone down to 8.5 if I wanted 2 weeks of solid pain.

After about 4 months of 3-4x a week (mostly in the gym) there is a bit of stretch overall and the heel has bagged out which made me sad as it was so perfect when i first strapped them on, but the toe is still pristine and the heel is functional.

The downturn to these babies hasn't changed a bit since the day i first put them on and they have no problem climbing vertical, slab, or overhanging terrain. After a solid break in period the Primes will be a decent smearing shoe for you, but they are downturned so it may not be incredibly comfortable to do so.

The wider toe box isn't that noticable on the wall (except for slight comfort). the primes still have a small point and can be jammed into pockets. If nothing else the rubber is sticky enough to grab the smallest crystals on a vertical wall and hang on tight.

I will be getting these again, especially if they're on sale. If not, I may try resoling these whenever they actually need it . .maybe in another 4-8 months?

I use deodorizor on my pair and if I go 1-3 sessions w/o my feet reek. Not so much the shoes even, but my own freaking feet once they're out of em. I whole heartedly suggest using some spray, or any of the numerous methods described in the multiple reveiws of various synthetic evolv shoes. It's bad, but avoidable!

the iron palm is incredibly rough on your hands. not necessarily a bad thing, but whatever.

Chalk is not 100% necessary, but does help with hand-oil. The holds are mostly well thought out and work well for training. The paddles, pinches, and iron palm are the reason to get this thing otherwise it's exactly like every other board.

the horizontal holds are deeper at the top, thinner at the bottom and there's one in the middle that is pretty sloped for those 1 to 1 and 1/2 pad slopey crimpy deadhangs.

I love the pinches and the palms, but for the money there are better hangboards to train with. If you get it at a discount or really need to work on those slopers/pinches go ahead hang it above your doorway!

PS. pullups on anything but the palms/paddles are very narrow and no where near a comfortable shoulder width. so if you're getting it for pullups, look elsewhere.

For Nylon, they are thinner than some of the other alternatives and crazy cheapo for those not into the prices of dyneema.

I haven't had any issue fitting these into any particular harnesses for cleaning or whatever. Used them for the past season and have noticed some mild wear/fray. I barely used these to set any kind of anchors or belay system and mostly used them only to clean sport routes.

They're still usable, and I'd get more if I need extra nylon slings. I'll probably try out the BlackDiamon version next to compare wear n tear. These do look cooler, if nothing else.

I used this thing and the stiffer 40lb? resistance one. I ended up favoring the harder resistance anytime I only had a single hand, but whenever I had 2 free hands I'd use both and alternate as one arm became pumped from the extra resistance.

Overall very functional, smells likea rubber doggy toy, people WILL think it's a rubber doggie toy, and it works for finger and forearm strength.

My only gripe is that after about 3 months of consistant use (mostly at work 8-5pm) the harder resistance ring snapped in half . . . which was a bummer. I still have the lower resistance ring and use it to warm up when heading out to a climb, better then warming up on your first lead of the day ;)

Worth trying, but takes some getting used to (use fingertips) with the positioning. Less technical than other alternatives, but it won't last forever if you actually use it.

I see no downside to these unless you're uber weight concious.

Wider, easier to grip, 25 cm is a great length, AND the rubber stopper is so much friendlier when you want to exchange your rope-end biners!

I've gotten a bunch of these, and will be getting more anytime I need replacement dogbones. Cheap + Effective!

I sweat like a mo-fo and this stuff helps in ways I can't describe. I coat my whole hand in this chalk, then i'm good to go. Keeps my pores from throwing up all over the wall at least.

I have one annoyance with it, If i'm sweating especially bad or if it is especially humid outside, it tends to absorb the moisture so well that it'll clump and simply flake off your hands (but your hand will be dry!). All that it takes is a little reapplication and you're good to go for some added friction. Really does absorb moisture, and doesn't leave my hands dry and cracked afterwords.

I'll be using this chalk till the end of time, or this in a mix ;)