Good nuts...

DMM Wallnuts Sets

DMM Wallnuts Sets

Rating for this product: 4 August 10, 2012

I have set of these, and a set of BD nuts. Holding them side by side they are pretty much identical in size with the difference being the BD nuts are not as tall as the DMM. The BD's are stubbier. I prefer the DMM in the larger sizes (~7-10) because there is more of a sideways taper making a sideways placement much better. Keep in mind that placing small nuts sideways is usually not recommended but placing large nuts sideways is a good bomber trick I've learned recently. Also, in the larger sizes they seem to be a tad lighter as well.

For the smaller sizes I reach for the BD's out of habit and familiarity. The plus for the DMM's are the grooves them which makes placing them on/around little crystals possible, and a little more secure. More noticeable in places like Jtree, and less noticeable in smooth granite like in the Sierra. Hard to clean? in theory yes... but in practice I've never placed one that didn't come out. Usually if a nut is stuck it would be stuck regardless of having little notches in them.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Great in the small sizes...

Metolius Master Cam

Metolius Master Cam

Rating for this product: 5 June 26, 2012

I picked up a set of these to complement my TCU's since I've grown accustomed to the metolius sizing and color coding. I never really liked the C3, and could never find aliens and I love how much cheaper these are and readily available.

I like sizes 3, 4 (orange & red) and use them as much as my C4's in the similar size. I absolutely love the 1, 2 (blue & yellow) as much as I like the same sizes in TCU. I would say 5 & 6 you probably don't need– but a few people have said very good things about them. I still use the TCU's and adding the master cam into the mix really rounded out my rack nicely. There are times when the TCU will fit better than the master cam and vice versa. I'm looking forward to picking up the 0, and 00 master cam in the future, oh and some of the offsets look great!

Overall I love the build quality, fit and finish. I had the action get a little gummy over time and I just cleaned them in warm water and a dab of soap, then a few drops of wax like any other metolius cam and they are smooth again. I never had problems with the kevlar trigger.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Metolius Offset Master Cam

June 5, 2012

Hayden, Sorry I phrased the question so it sounded like I didn't have any cams. I have doubles in C4, a set of TCU's and 1-4 master cams. I was looking to buy a couple of the offsets specifically for pin scars.

also... there is no .75 or .5 in these...

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Metolius Offset Master Cam

June 4, 2012

What 2 would you take for free climbing yosemite/sierras, Jtree, red rocks? I mean what sizes are good for pin scars?

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Good for racking

CAMP USA Photon Wire Rack Pack

CAMP USA Photon Wire Rack Pack

Rating for this product: 4 June 4, 2012

Edited review: I'm taking back my 3 star review and giving it 4. After using these for some time I like them more. I griped about the price but these are full size ultra light wire gates– so they are going to cost a lot more than say a neutrino rack pack. At first I didn't think the ~7 gram difference (between the neutrinos) was that great but in the carabiner world it is a huge difference.

I've also noticed the thin spine which saves room while racking and although the wire gate is straight they clip a lot easier and handle a lot better than the neutrinos. Another plus is the selection of colors is great and you can get colors not offered in neutrino– like orange & black.

Don't get me wrong the neutrinos are perfectly fine but when I'm pumped and trying to place gear all the little differences in these add up. They are simply easier to put on or off the harness, and they are full size and clip easier. Yes, they are pricey but where else are you going to get a 29g color coded full size racking carabiner for cheaper?

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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The best...

Black Diamond Camalot C4 Package #0.5 - 3

Black Diamond Camalot C4 Package #0.5 - 3

Rating for this product: 5 June 4, 2012

Simply the best cam out there in the .5-3 range. Can't say anything that hasn't been already said except that they have become an extension of me while climbing. I love the design, fit and feel of them and they need no maintenance or lube except a resling and maybe trigger replacements much later on down the road.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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They will fit!

Metolius Ultralight TCU Packaged Sets

Metolius Ultralight TCU Packaged Sets

Rating for this product: 5 June 4, 2012

I've used these in Taqhuitz, Yosemite, tuolumne, JTree and the rest of the sierra and I find myself using these regularly as my go to small piece. I have the full set, although I only free climb the 0 and 00 have been great as an extra piece in an anchor, equalized with a sliding x to another piece or simply by themselves when I couldn't get any other piece in. The 1-2 are the bread and butter of the set– small enough to fit where others won't but big enough to hold a bomber fall. I've had plenty of good memories where the (2) yellow or (1) blue fit right in and gave me a lot of piece of mind. The 3-4 are also great as an overlap to BD C4's when you need something narrower. I always carry all of them as they are really light weight. I've never had one walk but I do tend to sling all my placements long...

Only con is they tend to gum up after a while– I usually have to clean and lube them once or twice a year to keep the trigger action smooth (I've never had to do that with a BD C4). I just purchased a set of master cams as a 4cu complement to these TCU's. I love the variety of metolius cams and I highly recommend becoming familiar with their color coding system which will help you when you inevitably have to use them when using your buddy's rack. BD for the bigger stuff and metolius for the tiny pieces....

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Laughably bad build quality...

Camp Chef Teton 2-Burner Stove

Camp Chef Teton 2-Burner Stove

Rating for this product: 2 March 12, 2012

I don't know why it took me so long to stop using my backpacking stove for car camping but I'm glad I finally made the switch to a 2 burner. I was looking at primarily the newer Colemans and the other comparable offerings from Primus, Camp Chef, etc. I don't care too much for max BTU's as my pocket rocket is apparently 10-11k btu's and I pretty much just burn everything. I was looking for good temperature control, good quality, and a built in starter. I checked out the newer redesigned coleman with instastart and didn't really like the overall plastic build and ended up going with this because BC had it for cheaper and it appeared to be built better– for example the coleman uses plastic now to latch it shut, and the Camp Chef Teton is built out of stainless steel.

I really liked the square thin design as the newer coleman's are pretty much the same dimensions (a little thicker) but I just don't like the overall shape. When I first got the stove I was impressed and pretty happy with it right out of the box. But as I took a closer look I just wanted to send it back– nothing lines up, poor construction, poor design, bad rivet jobs, scratches. The worst part is how the wind shields are hinged with two screws on each hinge– when I picked up the stove there was something rolling around inside of the stove and it was one of these screws that I had to fish out and screw it back into place. There are dents (one corner was pushed in)– and it's not like it got damaged in transit... This was a new unit and the stove arrived double boxed with no damage to the boxes. I can understand a dent from UPS, but the fact that Camp Chef decided that this is ok– this type of product is something they can ship to their customers for their money is completely unacceptable. Shame on you Camp Chef. Now don't get me wrong most of these stoves in this category are not known for their build quality but this is terrible.

I'm honestly surprised it didn't blow up in my face. It took me about a day of hunger for a hot meal to force me to use it (I picked it up from the post office on my way out for a trip) and well I'm still alive. The good news is Camp Chef put all the money into the burners, connectors and just skimped on the shell. They don't go as low as I want them to and one burner can't go as low as the other but according to other reviews this has the best temperature control out of all the other stoves. It cleans real well because the grill pops off easily and the top of the stove is pretty much flat so you can just take a sponge or towel and wipe it off easily. The starter works although sometimes it may take 2-3 pushes... and it's an annoying loud click but overall it does work just fine. It cooks fine, works well, but the build quality is the main drawback. I give it 6 months of normal use before the wind screens pop off or something breaks off of it.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Don't really like the fit...

Arborwear Original Tree Climbers' Pant - Men's

Arborwear Original Tree Climbers' Pant - Men's

Rating for this product: 3 December 26, 2011

I love the material, I love the price but I just don't like the fit of these. They have a straight leg and a slight taper towards the bottom which is fine but there is just way too much excess material in the crotch/seat of the pants. I've had pants like these before which seem like the designer of the garmet didn't take into account the extra material a gusseted crotch adds to the overall diameter of the pants. The result is a rather un-aspiring, and a weird unflattering look to them. They remind me of Dickies– how they are not supposed to be baggy per-say but they have a oversized and wide stiff look to them. To be honest they look like army pants or park ranger pants...

I am NOT a skinny jean type I just have skinnier legs and prefer a true straight leg/athletic type fit. These Arborwears don't have that. With a climbing harness there is just too much material bunched up.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Pluto isn't a planet

Black Diamond Orbit Lantern

Black Diamond Orbit Lantern

Rating for this product: 3 August 6, 2011

I've owned this thing for a year and I'm not too thrilled about it. I think there could be some improvements with it- It's not as light as it could be, it needs to be more efficient, and the light needs to be a warmer color.

"Weighs a mere 3 ounces"– yeah until you put batteries into it. 4 triple A's and suddenly it's pretty heavy for what it is. If you're going ultra-light you'll want to leave it at home as your headlamp + extra batteries is enough.

I think it needs to be more efficient with batteries. I can get a few nights out of it if I'm using it in it's brightest mode. After that it defaults to to a dimmer setting. On a longer backpack trip it eventually just becomes dead weight. Headlamps seem to use less batteries, more led's, and give out more light for a longer period of time. Why does this thing use one LED (albeit a strong one), 4 batteries and have such a pathetic run time?

I find that it's too much weight and doesn't have enough longevity for backpacking. Too small, not enough light, & eats too much batteries for car camping. There is an optional rechargeable kit for a whopping $30. The kit should come standard with this lantern. It seems like I'm buying a pack of triple A's every trip I go on. Not good on the wallet or the environment.

Lastly I hate the sterile blue light this gives off. I wish the light was a warmer yellow color. It feels like you're in the office, not in the outdoors. Headlamps seem to get away with it... but for lounging around camp, or inside of a tent chilling I'd definitely prefer a warmer color out of the bulb.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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awesome for airport travel

The North Face Base Camp Duffel Bag - 1525 - 9460cu in

The North Face Base Camp Duffel Bag - 1525 - 9460cu in

Rating for this product: 5 June 21, 2009

I wish more people would write down what size they have in their reviews.

On a recent 10 day trip to CO I packed a 42 liter pack inside my Large base camp duffel, and all my backpacking essentials– sleeping bag, filter, hiking shoes, nalgene, stove, camelbak, etc; 5 days of clothes including two warm layers, climbing shoes, harness, some draws and belay devices; and even threw in a couple of books in the internal mesh pocket.

Everything fit fine, airport weighed it in at 40.5 lbs. The straps work wonderful going down flights of stairs to the car. And going from curbside to check-in. Handy little tip: when you are about to check it in cinch the backpack straps all the way down and use the velcro tabs (under the TNF logos) on the straps to hold the excess strap material. You don't need to remove them!

Look forward to using this bag for a very long time.

Nailed It? 7 Yes

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The North Face Base Camp Duffel Bag - 1525 - 9460cu in

June 21, 2009

yes they are removable... although on my large what I did recently was cinch the shoulder straps all the way down so the straps hug the top of the bag. On the shoulder straps there are velcro straps which I used to strap down the excess strap. it worked really well and it's not like I got lucky... the top of the bag had deep gouges, nicks, and scrapes from LAX and everything was still held perfectly in place. hope this helps...

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Fundamentally sound and fully featured, yet value priced...

Deuter Futura Pro 42 Backpack - 2550cu in

Deuter Futura Pro 42 Backpack - 2550cu in

Rating for this product: 5 July 15, 2008

Like the other viewer said, yes this is the bmw of packs but at honda pricing! I've used this primarily as a day cragging, bush wacking, tree scraping daily pack and it still looks brand new (after I wipe all the chalk/dirt off of it). I've also used it up to 30 mile 4 day/3 night UL trips with no complaints- but be careful your overpacking 60l buddies will loathe you! I've put this thing to the test for the past 10 months and I can safely review this thing.

It fits like a dream on my medium torso and you don't always have to mess with the settings. The air-comfort mesh panel is genius and with a light enough polyester shirt and a perfectly aimed breeze you can actually feel cool refreshing air on your back. All of the pockets and features are great on a pack this size because it helps you organize and situate the load properly.

Like the title says I don't know how deuter can offer such an awesome pack at a great price, but I think part of it is because they are really popular in across seas and are probably trying to make a mark on the US market. I'm sold and can't wait to buy a bigger deuter for extended trips, which are even more of an awesome value!

Nailed It? 8 Yes

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The North Face Blue Kazoo Sleeping Bag: 15 Degree Down

March 7, 2008

is this a 20 or 15 degree bag?

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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