GearFlogger

HighGear XT7 ABC watch with GPS and heart rate monitor

Calling the HighGear XT7 is like calling Heidi Fleiss a hooker: it understates to the point of missing the point. The XT7 is a master (mistress?) of all trades, a wrist computer that builds on an ABC format watch to add in GPS functionality and a heart rate monitor.

The ABC functions are altitude, barometer and compass, all of which function as advertised. The watch does everything you could possibly ask of it, including speed/distance/pace, chronograph/timer and auto-syncing time/date/alarms, all backed up by a nice backlight and powered by a rechargeable battery.

The GPS is spot on, and combined with the altimeter you have a great record of not only your altitude loss and gain, but even slope percentages. The heart rate monitor strap is included, and pairs up seamlessly with the watch. The whole package is water resistant to 30m, so go nuts.

The unit is fairly thick, but the rounded corners and soft rubber strap make it feel light and tight, and the black color gives it a very nice low profile tactical look. Controls are easily accessible if you remember to use a pinch motion where your thumb is opposite on the bezel from the button you're pushing. They are a little small to use with gloves, but that's true of any unit in this class. Overall, the HighGear XT7 is gives stellar performance and a class leading feature set at a price point that's well below the competition.

$250.00 at REI

Metolius nylon slings

Nylon. It's not just for panty hose anymore. It's for inexpensive slings that outperform their high-tensile cousins, for reasons we'll get into shortly. Metolius gives us a decent cheapo with a few rough edges.

Metolius made a workman's sling here, rated at 22kn. It's 18mm wide with pinstriping down the center, just like the decals you put on your crappy old pickup truck when you were a teenager. Don't lie, someone saw you. The rough edges are on the ends, where at least on the one I got it looks like they were cut by someone operating a hot knife under the influence. The ends stick out half an inch from the bar tacking, which won't affect much but is annoying from a purely anal-retentive perspective. Which is the only perspective we know around these parts.

Where the 48 incher weighs 3oz, some of they fancy high-tensile sewn runners weigh in at a mere 1 oz. OK, sure, that's 2 oz. apiece and I like to count grams as much as the next weenie. But picture this: you're clipped in to a piece of pro with your webbing and for some reason you're above the pro, you slip and you fall. Chances are the nylon webbing will hold. The high-tensile dyneema/spectra/kevlar sling will snap, because it can't stretch even the teensiest bit. That means the peak load is much higher and it fails. Check out the current gear guide issue of Rock and Ice Magazine. They confirm tests by others that show this nifty little fact, and remember: knotting high-tensile slings steadily reduces their strength while nylon can be knotted and unknotted forever with minimal loss of strength.

$3.45 to $8.45 at REI

La Sportiva Ganda approach shoe

Let me just say I think Gollum would have been a cooler name for La Sportiva's new approach shoe, especially since he climbs like 5.18 or something. So he kills midgets and other small game, even a mutant has gotta eat, right? Anyway, it's weird, they didn't ask me so we've got the Gandalf... oops! Copyright alert: new name: Ganda. Also, now available in a high-top Guide version.

I've had mixed luck with the approach shoe category. They are either too much like a rock shoe or not enough. That's changed with the Ganda: it fits like a glove, laces to the toes and with a combination of slip and board lasting it smears and edges well enough to work your way up 5.10 or beyond, depending on ability of course.

It also hikes comfortably. The dot pattern tread is not so deep that it collects too much mud, but is just featured enough to provide decent scrambling. Bring a brush to clean 'em up at the base of the climb and you're all set. The Ganda can definitely replace a hiking shoe/rock shoe combo for easy to mid difficulty multi-pitch and big wall climbs with big walk offs.

All approach shoes have to trade off durability of the sole for friction purposes, but the Ganda is designed to be resoled. With Sportiva's Italian-made quality this shoe deserves consideration, even if the price tag would make Gollum blink. Guides and other climbers who work as much as they play in the vertical world will rejoice.

$249.95 at Backcountry

Pedro's Tire Levers

This Pedro guy makes good stuff for bikers. Pedro's Tire Levers are an excellent example of how to make a common product stand out by attention to details. And we're not just saying that because they're available in pink...

Details include making these tire levers, sold as a pair, larger than normal. This makes them easier to grip and harder to break, both useful for high pressure road bike tires, beefy mountain bike tires and battleship downhill bike tires.

The levers also snap together so they stay paired in your saddlebag, they clip easily to spokes, and the high visibility colors make them easy to spot in a larger bag or when you inevitably drop them on the ground. Highly recommended.

$5.00 at REI