GearFlogger

Vertical Frontier video

Yosemite has always been the holy grail of big wall rock climbing in North America, a story finally done justice in Vertical Frontier: A History of the Art, Sport and Philosophy of Rock Climbing in Yosemite.

The video has justly won wide acclaim and numerous awards. Its timing is fortuitous: the interviews with climbing giants are frequently accompanied by the date of their deaths in recent years. Living legends are there as well, from Royal Robbins and Yvon Chouinard to Lynn Hill and John Long.

It is a first-class production, marred in only minor ways by a few "dramatizations" and the odd choice of Tom Brokaw as narrator. You'll quickly forget about these as you lose yourself in the lush scenes of awe-inspiring BIG FREAKING WALLS OF ROCK! A definite "10" on the sweaty palm scale and a true service to the history of climbing.

$21.95 at REI

Trango Rack Tags

More than just a nipple tassel, Trango Rack Tags make the inevitable sorting of the gear at the end of a climb relatively painless, cutting down on baseless accusations and the inevitable fisticuffs. Or is that just me?

Getting your own gear back isn't just for paranoiacs. You're the only one who knows where your gear has been and how much you have or have not abused it, and as a result you know just when to retire a piece.

Not a bad deal for 100 tags per pack; just don't use blue. That's my color, you thieving bastards.

$5.95 at REI

Go Lite Speed pack

Go Lite is justly famous for living up to their name. I've found their 2lb Speed pack insanely useful despite - perhaps because of? - the fact that it appears to be manufactured from excess sheepskin condom material.

I've abused this pack through southeast Asia and northern Africa with no problems. The four mesh side pockets are great for trips where you want to have a lot of stuff immediately at hand without the need to open up the pack, or even take it off if you're with a friend.

Go Lite still managed to include along with generous 3,200ci capacity a tool loop, hydration sleeve, key pockets on the waist belt, stuff-it straps on the front and a removable top pouch. The lack of a frame limits loads to under 30lb, but under that limit the Go Lite Speed shines.

$139.00 at Backcountrygear.com

Nalgene Elevation hydration pack

The Nalgene Elevation hydration pack is part of a new series of hydration packs that feature real innovation in design. My favorite feature: a magnetic clip that secures the bite valve to the sternum strap.

Another nice touch is a quick-connect valve for swapping out bladders; just pop the empty out and pop a new one in, no fussing with rethreading the tube. There's also a visual water level indicator, glow-in-the-dark panels for safety, side and front mesh pockets and a sunglass compartment with a soft, no-scratch lining. Why don't more packs have that?

The pack is a little schitzophrenic, for example including an ice axe loop, internal pocket organizers that seem to target students and a bike light strap. It's solidly built, perhaps even overbuilt, but that's ideal for someone who wants to use the same pack for school, biking and light hiking.

The Elevation is the largest in the series with 1,220ci cargo space, suitable for day hikes where you need to carry a little extra gear. Also comes in a prettier, smaller verson for women called the Larkspur.

$74.99 at Nalgene Outdoors

Black Diamond Keylock Mini Pearabiner

I'm always on the lookout for small, shiny things to add to my rack, and the Black Diamond Keylock Mini Pearabiner fits the bill perfectly at only 2.4oz.

I've been using this 'biner for more than a year, and it's just the right size to use on your harness. I clip into the rope with it, use it for my belay/rappel device and keep a couple handy on my harness or pack straps for clipping anchors. I really don't understand it when I see people toting these crew-served ginormous D's around when something smaller like this will do.

If you haven't switched to the keylock design for non-wiregates yet do yourself a favor and make the move. Smooth nose = no snagging = happy day.

$11.95 at REI

Kata S-312 camera bag

Kata is a Japanese word meaning, "how to get your a** kicked on the street." It's also an Israeli company that produces high-tech paramilitary gear including beefy and functional bags.

The Kata S-312 - catchy, I know - is a compact and intelligently designed sling-style carry case that works great for grab-and-go. It has a padded camera compartment plus various other pockets for a cell phone, etc.

While other companies throw around words like ergonomic with no particular care as to its accuracy, Kata bags do it right with a sling design that is comfortable and fully adjustable.

$43.99 at Amazon.com

North Face Caber Hybrid jacket

Don't confuse The North Face Caber Hybrid with those cars that are saving the earth look stupid. This is a high-performance combination hard and soft shell that shoots for the holy grail (why isn't there a jacket called the Vorpal Bunny?) of waterproofness and breathability.

My partner swears by this jacket, and not at it, which is not true of all his gear. At only 24oz it doesn't really fit his climbing style, best described as "go heavy or go home." Still, he seems pretty comfy with its combination of breathable stretch fabric panels and hard shell facing material.

The hood fits cleanly over a helmet, it vents well and it has that most important of design factors: the fleece-lined chin guard, which prevents the dreaded Columbian neck tie look. If you really need weatherproof as opposed to the weather resistance of a soft shell, here's your ticket.

$278.95 at Backcountry.com

Climbing Anchors book

If you're going to be frigging in the rigging, read Climbing Anchors, Second Edition by John Long and Bob Gaines. Completely revised from the 1993 first edition, this book will benefit novice and expert climbers alike with over 200 pages of solid advice.

In 1990 I took a class taught by these two through Vertical Adventures, learning more about anchors in one weekend than I had since I began climbing several years prior.

I also remember their sense of humor, which I'm happy to see they haven't lost: "I imagined a loop snapping on one of those rivets, and Mike zippering down onto that jive bolt, which surely would pop, and I wept pitifully and pissed my pants." Ah, good times.

This book combines experience with evidence, incorporating sound science and frequently including citations in case you want to investigate further. The only downside is nothing about ice and snow. This focus on rock climbing can occasionally mislead alpinists, for example when they neglect to mention the advantage of spectra material not absorbing water.

One other nitpick: some of the photographs are disturbingly dated, evoking vague memories of climbing in neon spandex. Not me, but people I knew.

$10.85 at Amazon.com

Lowa Mountain Expert GTX boots

"Hike 'em or spike 'em," sayeth the Lowa marketing reps of the Mountain Expert GTX boots. Turns out they're not lying bastards.

These single boots performed great out-of-the-box on a twelve-mile speed hump over varied terrain. At just over 4lb these are not designed to be light hikers, but the upside is the worse the terrain became the more comfortable they felt. And unlike some boots I've tested, the waterproof label is accurate.

They were curiously warm on a recent glacier outing. They take step-in crampons well, and I had no problem making them perform on vertical ice - just be prepared for a severe case of burning calf syndrome. Lowa has a higher-end boot specifically designed for ice climbing.

I'm used to a larger (sloppier on me) foot box in Lowa boots, and I was pleased with the closer fit on these. These boots perform well when pushing their envelope on fast hikes and vertical ice, and they really shine in their comfort zone when a double boot is overkill but light hikers just won't cut it.

$295.00 at REI

MontBell U.L. Down Inner Snap Neck Vest

Vests are great for keeping the core warm while venting well, but for some reason vendors seem to think of down vests as an outer layer and make them too bulky. The MontBell U.L. Down Inner series turns this on its head with the Snap Neck Vest, an ultralight (4.5oz!!!) piece that fits just perfectly under a shell.

The vest has no front zipper to compromise the insulation, just a small opening at the top with a couple of snaps. It goes on and off like a t-shirt quite handily. The cut of the DWR nylon shell is a tad boxy and there's no collar or pockets, but overall it's a brilliant alternative to fleece, adding a lot more insulation for less space and weight: it compresses to smaller than a 20oz Nalgene.

I was belaying ice climbs from a crevasse in Alaska this past weekend. When the sun disappeared over the lip the temperature dropped accordingly, but I just threw the Snap Neck vest on under my soft shell and all was toasty.

$99.00 at MontBell