GearFlogger

Black Diamond Magnetron RockLock carabiner

The story of carabiner evolution: on the eighth day God created various implements of climbing including carabiners. For six thousand years nothing happened. Then in the twenty-first century everyone got all crazy and started innovating. Sub-ounce biners, wiregates with just one wire, crazy stuff.

Black Diamond is one of the worst offenders in the area of biner-vation. We love their VaporLock screwgates for no-open scenarios, but we're replacing them with the Magnetron RockLock for this season's Denali slog. Reason? We don't need no stinkin' reason, but if you must have one, it's just this simple: no screwing. Now we're not against screwing in general, mind you, assuming appropriate conditions or, failing that, mutual consent between adults, in which case we are absolutely pro-screw. Ing.

More specifically, it's screwing with gloves on that we have a problem with. And screwing at altitude. In the cold, when the thing you're screwing with has frozen solid. That's a problem, right? So in those situations, no screwing will be a good thing, and the Magnetron allows you to simply squeeze one out. The gate, that is. All by yourself.

At 3.1 ounces, it's a tad heavier than the VaporLock, but we're OK with that since we really only pack a couple lockers with us on the big rock anyhow. Being able to place an anchor, clip the equallette and pinch the gate open is fabulous. That's right, we said fabulous, because you're avoiding two screws: one to open, one to close, so that's a lot of screwing saved. Now if DMM and BD could put aside their differences and make a Magnetron Revolver, we might forsake screwing forever. Again, specific to certain situations.

$24.95 at REI

Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Travel Duffle bag

I like big bags and I cannot lie. Seriously, love 'em, but not when they weight a ton all by themselves and take up half your closet. Sea to Summit has awesome alien nylon technology that they use to make freakishly strong but light bags.

The Ultra Sil Travel Duffel is 2.8 ounces, stuffs into its own deck-of-cards-sized pocket, and is strong enough to pack its 40 liters of space with pretty much whatever you want. The siliconized ripstop nylon is water resistant but definitely not waterproof, and it's thin enough you want to beware of scraping and poking with sharp objects, but if you just want something that weighs and packs away to nothing yet still will carry a big, heavy load, the Ultra Sil Travel Duffel will do the trick.

$39.95 at Backcountry

Outdoor Research Gripper gloves

You're heading into cold, dry conditions and you need a glove that is warm, but not too bulky. It should be windproof, and it should work both on its own and as a liner inside a larger, warmer glove or mitten. Finally it should have great grip.

You're looking for the Outdoor Research Gripper glove, 2.8 ounces of Gore WindStopper wonderfulness. The midweight fleece is warmer than you think it could be for the weight, and the gripping material on the palm and first two fingers really works, unlike some so-called gripping gloves that seem like they were designed for runway models to hold their clove cigarettes.

The fit on the Gripper glove is perfect, just loose enough to pull on with the generously sized pull loops (much bigger than they appear in the picture, by the way) but still snug enough to give you the dexterity you need to mess with your stuff. A standard clip connects them when you need to. We like them under a down mitten to replace the bulky, formless fleece mittens that seem to all come from the same communist sock-dress factory in Lower Trashcanistan. If you're looking for a do-it-all quiver-of-one glove - as long as you're not getting them wet - the Outdoor Research Gripper is your handy-man.

$49.95 at Backcountry

Guideline Current sunglasses

ZZ Top educated us on the benefits of cheap sunglasses, but there's a big difference between cheap and inexpensive. If you're looking for some quality shades that won't break the bank, check out the Current.

We're not exactly sure who makes it; they're listed variously under Guideline and Fisherman brands, but either way they're a great deal. The Current comes in brown and black with gray, brown or copper lenses. The fit is best for small to medium faces, and the frames have a long, curved side wrap for excellent peripheral vision.

There is ample space top and bottom in the fit for airflow, 100 percent UVA and UVB protection, and effective polarization. The quality of the plastic lenses is great, with even light transmission and no distortion. As a bonus, they come with a nicely designed little hard-front case. The Guideline Current is proof you don't need to spend a week's worth of grocery money to get great eye protection that's stylish to boot.

$49.95 at Amazon

Rab Expedition Mitten

There is cold, and then there is COLD. Having spent our deformative years growing up in Fairbanks, Alaska, we know both kinds. Hell, school didn't close until it hit 55 below. When the temps drop far enough the risk isn't discomfort, it's losing fingers and possibly dying.

For that type of cold you need serious gear, and Rab is one of the elite companies that cater to you with clothing that will take you to the top of the earth and the bottom of the thermometer. Hands are probably the body part most at risk, and for that Rab offers their Expedition Mitten, ten ounces (per pair size medium) of hand warming 850-fill down-stuffed goodness.

A thick pile fleece inner mitten has small velcro tabs to keep it attached to the outer mitten, and a ripstop tab to pull it out easily for drying. No need for fine motor skills here, everything is fumble-friendly with large openings and easily adjustable cords. There is a lanyard keeper cord, a wrist cinch and a cuff drawcord that is quickly manipulated with teeth - don't wince, you know that's how you do it.

The ripstop Pertex Endurance shell is windproof and highly water resistant, and the palm is reinforced to handle ice axes and trekking poles. If you want to use gloves instead of the inner pile mitts, the weight drops to just six ounces for the pair, which is about as light as big mountain mitts get. The Rab Expedition Mitten is hard to beat, and you will never regret being able to pull these bad boys on when the mercury drops out. Highly recommended.

$174.95 at Backcountry

Howler Brothers Magic Mesh polo shirt

If you're traveling somewhere that's hot enough to melt the funk right off your normal base layer of nastiness, and you need your shirts to do double-duty for urban adventures, check out Howler Brothers. They make respectable threads that really perform in hot weather.

The Magic Mesh polo shirt has been the first shirt in our pack for a couple years now. It's a great topper when you need to keep your cool. The basic polo format, no pockets, has a straight cut that strikes the perfect balance: not too loose, not too tight on a normal athletic frame. The 100% polyester mesh is tight enough people won't notice it in so-called "polite company" but it definitely works to keep you from getting hot and bothered.

The blue design with red stripe is a bold statement, and the monkey logo, which evokes Curious George Gets a Hangover, is a great alternative to tennis club crocodiles. The clincher was on day three of wearing the same shirt, when the Magic Mesh showed me the money: no smell-o-vision, which for a synthetic is where it's at. Highly recommended travel wear.

$65.00 at Howler Brothers

Snow Travel by Mike Zawaski

It all starts here. Being able to travel safely in the backcountry requires strong foundational skills in snow travel, and Mike Zawaski's new book goes deep into the basics with a few gems for the experienced as well.

Part of the great Mountaineers Outdoor Expert series, Snow Travel is the perfect introduction to those just starting their backcountry journey, and a great review for those who have been doing it awhile. The book is divided into seven chapters covering gear, ascending, using your ice axe, descending, self-arresting, traversing/resting/other skills, and hazards and how to avoid them.

The chapters cover what their titles indicate, and there is very good photography accompanying each technique discussed. In gray boxes titled Learning from Experience, Zawaski provides helpful "No shit there I was, knee-deep in hand-grenade pins," relations of personal experiences that serve to effectively reinforce his points. The "other skills" chapter had a nice summary of how to carry skis and snowboards, as well as how to use them as climbing aids and how to put them on while on a steep slope. Kudos to the "ice axe throne" as well, which was new to us!

The book provides only very basic information about avalanche safety, and almost nothing about rope techniques or glacier travel, but there are plenty of good books in the same series on those topics. Snow Travel maintains a tight focus on walking on snow with good technique, crampons and axe, and for that it is a great book and well worth the nominal price.

$15.28 at Amazon

Marmot Alpinist Bivy

Yea, we have seen the light! The fast and light, that is, and woe unto those who travel with too much crap on their back, for they shall wail and gnash their nasty teeth and beat their sunken chests. Go forth and get a bivy, we say.

The Marmot Alpinist bivy is about as minimalist as possible. Constructed from Marmot's 40D Nylon Membrain waterproof breathable fabric, and with fully taped seams, the Alpinist weighs in at less than a pound. It rolls up the size of a quart bottle, although it will also flatten in your pack so it can be crammed in anywhere. Feature-wise it has a three-way zipper and... well, that's all. It's big at 36"x86" so you won't have any problem stuffing a sleeping pad inside; that will also keep it from rolling too much so you can find the zipper easily. This is definitely not for the claustrophobic, however.

The 3-way zipper allows for one or two openings, starting above your pointy little head and going down the left side far enough to get in or out with just a little wrangling. There's a good storm flap that with a little forethought allows for multiple venting configurations. Probably not a good idea to zip it all the way up, although we didn't test it that way. Again, the key word is minimalist: there is no mesh and no pole. It would be nice to see a little of each, but then that would add to the weight. The Alpinist is a tough little sucker too, with a slightly heavier fabric on the bottom to resist wear and tear. For ski touring, big walls and just-in-case use the Alpinist will score big with those who follow the gospel of St. Fastenlite. And in perfect GearFlogger orange, no less.

$198.95 at Backcountry