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Black Diamond Gear Myths: How Do You Tie In?
Boxers versus briefs: lame and so 1994 (unless of course you're concerned about sperm count…)! Wiping sitting versus standing: interesting, but gross! Tying in top-down versus bottom-up? Oh it's on like donkey kong! In this relentless pre-midterm election s**tstorm of bad behavior, take a minute for something lighthearted yet interesting – only to climbers of…
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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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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 StormLine Rain Shell Jacket
Hard shells have thankfully come a long way since the crinkly, sweaty versions of yesteryear. Black Diamond has a great example of how nice they can be with the StormLine stretch rain shell jacket. The StormLine pulls off quite a trick: it qualifies as a minimalist shell with its ultralight weight (8oz), but it doesn't…
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Black Diamond Raven Pro ice axe
Black Diamond knows axes, and they know not to mess with what works. The Raven lineup has expanded to four: the Raven, Raven Pro (lighter), Raven Ultra (lightest) and Raven with grip. The updated Raven Pro gets a little work done to improve an already stellar design, but don't worry, they haven't ruined a classic like…
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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 Magnetron VaporLock Locking Carabiner
Carabiners are the glue that holds the climbing world together, and you can never really have enough of them in your kit. Black Diamond has always made stellar biners, and with the introduction of their Magnetron technology – available in the VaporLock, RockLock and GridLock models – one-handed locking and unlocking has never been easier.…
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Black Diamond Vapor helmet
6.6 is the number of the beast. Sure, we dropped a six, but how else to explain the weight in ounces of the new Black Diamond Vapor brain bucket? Clearly someone sold their soul to make this puppy. The Vapor features an EPS foam liner molded into a polycarbonate shell. You'd expect a featherweight helmet…
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Black Diamond Bullet 16 Pack
Small packs rock. They are the glue that holds stuff together, the screw that joins the pieces, the lube that… well, you get the idea. If you look at all your outdoor gear and pick the piece that you use most often, your favorite small pack has got to be at the top of that…
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Black Diamond Couloir Harness
There are a few pieces of gear that embody near-absolute perfection of design, and the Black Diamond Couloir harness is one of them. What do you want in a mountaineering harness, assuming of course that it's reliably safe to begin with? First and second would be light weight and low profile, since you'll be wearing…
