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RNR Lava Infinity Wiregate Carabiner
We think carabiners are sexy, and we know you do too, which is why we're always excited to see a new biner on the market. Rock-N-Rescue hooked us up with their fresh-off-the-forge Lava Infinity wiregate, and it's a case of beauty going all the way to the bone. Or the hot-forged aluminum, in this case.…
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Black Diamond Big Air Pilot Package Belay Device
I have a pen. I have pineapple. Uh! Pineapple pen. I have a Gridlock. I have ATC Pilot. Uh! Big Air Pilot Package. If you don't get the reference, we are sad. Click on link because 200 million people can't be wrong. Black Diamond combines two excellent products into one belay device wunderdeal. Note the ATC…
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Black Diamond Camalot Ultralight Cams
We love us the shiny-shiny, and it's hard to beat the look, feel and sound of new climbing hardware. Black Diamond knows of our addiction and feeds the habit with their Ultralight Camalots, improving on the standard version in all areas except, alas, cost. Regular Camalots are still available, and in a slightly greater range…
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Black Diamond ATC Guide belay device
New and improved – OK, it's been the same new and improved for a few years now – the Black Diamond ATC Guide is better than ever, and still our go-to belay/rappel/sex dungeon bungee cord rigging device. Every rack should have a tube-style belay device that can be rigged off the belay anchor in auto-blocking…
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Petzl Grigri 2 belay device
Ooh, shiny! Petzl's Grigri is ubiquitous (look it up, rock apes, it's a real word) at gyms and crags everywhere and for good reason: it locks auto-reliably. Note that there was a recall on Grigri 2's with serial numbers where the first five digits are between 10326 and 11136. Go to http://petzl.force.com/GRIGRI2RecallWebForm but don't let it stop you…
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DMM Revolver Screwgate carabiner pulley
Introducing the ayatollah of lock-and-rollah! DMM has had their kick-butt Revolver wiregate pulley carabiner out for a few years now and it has proven itself in the field. See that review for how to put together an ultralight crevasse rescue hauling system. Now our fine Welsh friends have done it again, this time with lockability.…
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Omega Pacific Link Cam
There's shiny like a button, and then there's shiny like the sweat on Megan Fox at a car wash. Omega Pacific Link Cams are the latter. They demand to be touched. You've been warned: don't put your nasty bagel-grabbers on one of these solid-single-stemmed beauties up unless you're willing to lay down the lucre. Link…
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DMM Bugette belay device
At just under an ounce you won't find a lighter belay device. The Bugette is perfect for glacier travel and other just-in-case applications. For heavy and/or frequent use you'll want something with a bit more metal to dissipate heat more efficiently and resist abrasion, but for emergency and occasional use the Bugette is the bomb.…
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Petzl Mini Traxion pulley
Petzl specializes in making small, shiny objects that provoke lust in the viewer. The object of my affection here is a 5.8oz. multipurpose pulley/rope clamp/ascender that comes in Mini and Pro versions. The clamp is similar to Petzl's Tibloc but capable of larger ropes (8-13mm), which if true might make it a nice ascender for…
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Petzl Tibloc Ascender
This is the kind of thing I buy on impulse. It's small, shiny and relatively inexpensive. I don't really care what it does. Well, OK, in this case I bought it for a very specific use: to use instead of a prussik on the headwall fixed line on Denali's West Buttress. It didn't work well…
