2017 Holiday Gift Guide for The Vertical Adventurer
Metolius Climbing Access Fund Comp Chalk Bag
This artistic chalk bag stands out at the crag and will let other climbers know you are part of the process to help keep the crags open for all of us to enjoy. The print depicts Smith Rock, the Grand Tetons, or Yosemite in a hand-drawn style and the Metolius Competition shaped bag sports a full pile lining, brush holder and a belt with a side release buckle. A common item made uncommon; unique looks and it helps a worthy cause. metoliusclimbing.com $19.95
Arc’teryx Haku Rope Bag
A rope bag keeps the rope cleaner, which extends its life and the life of the gear with which it engages. A simple plastic tarp will do, but rope bags make life easier at the crag and make packing up a more efficient task. The Arc’teryx Haku rope bag is the Cadillac of rope bags. The clever design has a 48” x 48” nylon tarp with an opening at the center; this opening leads into the actual rope bag. This configuration makes gathering the rope a quick and simple affair; tie the ends into the webbing loops on the tarp to prevent knotting, pick up the tarp by the corners, and give it a shake. The entire rope is effortlessly funneled right into the bag. Arc’teryx made a video showing how it works. It then acts as a rope bucket with a shoulder strap to move to neighboring routes, or the roll-top closure and buckles can compress the package down to a surprisingly small bundle. My Haku Rope Bag has been in constant use for years and is still functioning perfectly. arcteryx.com $69.00
Send Climbing Knee Pad
Got a project that has a scummy, painful or hard to hold kneebar? Send Climbing’s series of Knee Pads can unlock that beta and put you at the top! Send Climbing mates Send sticky rubber, airprene, and exclusive Cinch-Lock buckles to provide adhesion to the rock, breathability, mobility and stable positioning for an almost unfair advantage. The Knee Pads are available in two sizes (Large with three buckles, and Mini with two buckles) and a Classic version (4.3 mm thick rubber, 3.8 mm thick airprene) or Slim version (3 mm thick rubber, 2.8 mm thick ariprene). I am not at all a kneebar tactician, but since starting to use the Send Climbing Knee Pads, I have been sticking kneebars on a regular basis and actively looking for them! sendclimbing.com $69-$79
Tension Climbing Flashboard
The Tension Flashboard is a beautifully crafted portable hangboard, suitable for taking along for a warm-up device at the crags (saves skin!), for training outdoors (gotta get out of those cellars occasionally), for any space-challenged environment (dirtbags living in vans and trucks take note). It’s also a savior for those in rentals; no need to drill into studs above the doorway and sacrifice the deposit. The Flashboard possesses a well thought out design. Tension Climbing uses the tiny amount of real estate on the Poplar hardwood well: the top is a jug/sloper, the sides have eight total edges (.5 and .75 inches, paired as flat and incut) and three total crimps (.33 inches). I have used mine for a few weeks; the wood surfaces demand more effort as friction is greatly reduced compared to plastic, but it has saved my skin for more important abuse, and the small form factor means it can live in my pack, ready for deployment anywhere. tensionclimbing.com $75, currently 15% off at $63.75, use code “crushmas”
MSR Duffle Bag
Do you have that friend or family member that always brings too much gear? Or maybe they are haplessly juggling multiple bags through the airport or at base camp? Enter the MSR Duffle Bag which was originally designed for their dealers to haul MSR snowshoes to demo days and the like. With a 160L capacity, it’s the largest duffle I have ever seen. Burly, double coated TPU fabric with a dual layer bottom, a pair of one-inch wide compression straps, single top zipped opening, drain holes, and haul handles on the top and both sides complete this huge load hauler. If it doesn’t fit, maybe don’t bring it? msrgear.com $90
Lifeproof AQ9 Speaker
Having favorite tunes adds grin factor to almost any activity, and in places where it’s appropriate, LIfeproof’s water/dirt/snow/drop proof AQ9 Bluetooth speaker reliably pumps out the sound in a compact form factor. This tough little speaker can pair with up to eight devices and can act as a speakerphone. The carabiner style clip makes it handy to tote along, and a maximum volume of 80 dB is appropriate for small group applications. I have used mine continuously for two months; it has endured getting pawed by chalk riddled hands and sitting in clouds of chalk dust while training on the home woody, crammed into duffles with climbing hardware, and being forgotten out in the rain without worry. I also appreciate the multilevel battery life indicator, so I’m not left high and dry without warning. lifeproof.com $100
Five Ten Guide Tennie
The venerable Five Ten Guide Tennie has gone through several updates during its multi-decade life span; it got bigger, cushier, less sensitive and less “guide like.” Five Ten reversed this trend with the newest iteration. The new Guide Tennie take a huge step back to its burlier, more sensitive and stable roots. A durable suede leather upper, to the toe lacing, C4 Dotty tread outsole, partial rubber rand, firm compression molded midsole and hand ground beveled climbing toe all promise the performance of the Guide Tennie of old. Guides celebrate! fiveten.com $120, men’s and women’s models available.
Black Diamond Equipment Transit 32
Built for those that leave the house with a full day of various activities on tap, The Black Diamond Equipment Transit 32 combines super tough haul bag type construction with features appreciated by active types. The pack can stand up on its own just like a haul bag for ease of loading through the zippered and pocketed top lid, and there is an externally accessed padded laptop sleeve (up to 15 inches) on the back panel. A bellows type zippered bottom compartment keeps sweaty gym clothes or a chalk bag from contaminating contents in the main body of the pack. Top-mounted haul loops and a side handle provide convenient carry, front-mounted daisy chains, front zipped flat pocket, small rear panel zipped pocket, and reflective trim round out this well-appointed commuter. Black Diamond uses beefy haul bag materials: the 800 denier nylon and 1,260 denier TPU-coated ballistic nylon scoff at abuse. I have used mine daily for a few months as a mobile office, gym and camera bag, and have been unable to scratch it. blackdiamondequipment.com $140
Scarpa Drago Climbing Shoes
Has someone special been extremely well behaved all year? The Scarpa Drago, although being one of the most expensive climbing shoes I have ever worn, might be the weapon of choice when the routes or boulder faces are steep, and the footholds are dicey. In testing a number of shoes the Drago is the softest and most sensitive shoe with an aggressive downturn profile. The shoe fits closely along the bottom of the foot, around the big toe and the heel to provide a second-skin type of feeling. It’s a little baggy on top for my low volume foot, but that isn’t detracting from performance. This fit and sensitivity creates confidence when faced with small and not so positive footholds and is encouraging me to seek and use footholds that I otherwise wouldn’t consider. The Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber performs well on rock textures ranging from limestone to sandstone, as well as on plastic. scarpa.com $200