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The Better Bungee Build-a-Bungee Kit
You gotta love it when some clever people take something you just didn't think could be any better and improve it. Exhibit A is the humble bungee cord or strap. Two hooks joined by a length of elastic material. What could possibly be improved? Well The Better Bungee folks had some ideas. They start with…
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Black Diamond 9.9 Single Rope
Black Diamond brings sexy back, at least for mid-diameter climbing ropes. It's new 9.9mm single rope really is a work of art, a perfect balance of weight and strength that makes it a standout in its class. It used to be that when grabbing a thicker cord like this, you just knew you were sacrificing…
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Klik Belts D-Ring Rescue Belt
I've never been much of a belt person. I've always been of the opinion that pants should fit, and belts are just one more piece of clothing you have to buy, store, clean occasionally and put on and take off. And then along came practical/tactical belts, and lo! I now have a belt collection. My…
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Frabill Ice Safety Kit & Scotty Throw Bag
Some of you – let's call you people who don't live in Alaska – are already enjoying Spring in full Fling. Those of us who do live in Northern climes are still enjoying the last gasps of winter activities, from skiing to ice skating. Speaking of ice, it can kill you dead. Not so much…
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LoopRope
You know what I appreciate? Brevity. Specifically, an economy of words in product names. Imagine my relief at discovering LoopRope, about as simple as it gets. And simplicity, it turns out, is the most attractive quality of LoopRope. I admit, initially I thought "hey that's cool for people who don't know their knots and rigging,"…
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PMI 5mm Accessory Cord
I remember I made a mistake once. It was this time, I thought I was wrong but it turned out I wasn't. To that we may add a second mistake: I needed some accessory cord for prussiks and assumed – yes, you read that right, I assumed – that it would be cheaper off the…
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Black Diamond quality control lab: slings and draws
You stingy bastard. You know who you are: the guy who insists his gear is still fit for duty as it crumbles into dust. Everyone is guilty of it, but we all need to take a deep breath and realistically assess the state of our gear. Black Diamond's quality control lab hooks us up with pointers…
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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…
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Black Diamond tests the breaking point of runners
Black Diamond tested the breaking point of wet and dry runners. We're generally supportive of the abuse of runners – what kind of sport is that, really? – yet initially we were sketical; surely a wet person will break at the same point as a dry person. Then we realized they were talking about webbing!…
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PMI 7mm Cordelette with Lumi-Line
PMI makes all the bondage cords for the professional B&D circuit. Their cords have been rated Best in Bondage three years running by the Netherlands Sex Fraternal Workers union, better known by their acronym, NSFW. If you ever get an email marked NSFW, now you know where it originated. We climbers, parasites that we are,…
