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Outdoor Gear News You Can Use
As you sit around the house bloated with turkey and stuffed with stuffing, take some time to catch up on all the latest news from your favorite outdoor vendors. Black Diamond talks with Exum Guide Bill Anderson about the extended column test for avalanche safety, quizzes climbers on the best way to rack your gear,…
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Denali Climbing Weather Forecast Now Up
The first summit of the season came early this year, with two climbers succeeding via the technical Cassin Ridge route and enduring a white-sphincter descent that saw their tent shredded by high winds at 19,000 feet. Preparation, judgment, technique and gear are all necessary components of your safe ascent and descent, start by checking out…
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Petzl Expert Advice for Ski Mountaineering
Petzl makes an uncommon effort to provide free, high-quality educational advice on all aspects of climbing. If you haven't subscribed to their e-newsletter, get it done. Their latest edition focuses on ski mountaineering in particular. Since ski mountaineering pulls together such a wide array of climbing gear and techniques, it's a great primer on a…
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Patagonia Worn Wear Tour
We've all got stuff. Some of our stuff has stuff. And when the stuff breaks or gets worn out, sometimes we replace the stuff. Even when we might be able to repair it, if we just knew how. Patagonia is here to teach you how. In their own words: "This spring our biodiesel repair truck…
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Orvis 2015 Customer Matching Grants to Protect Nature
Since 1856 – seriously that's pre-civil war – Orvis has been purveyor of all things for the fishing of the flies and the shooting of the wings. They even have a store (pictured) with an 18-hole casting course. And no, we did not even know that was a thing. Not that there's anything wrong with…
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Denali Annual Mountaineering Summary 2012
Every year since 1979 the National Park Service has published the Denali National Park and Preserve Annual Mountaineering Summary. The 2012 edition is hot off the electronic press and required reading for everyone planning a trip up The Great One. In 2012 there were 1,223 climbers on Denali and 6 on Foraker. The summit rate…
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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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Think you can outrun an avalanche?
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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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If you live in Boulder you’re a lucky SOB
Ooh, you lucky bastards! The Boulder outdoor industry is having a ginormous sale Friday and Saturday in Boulder, Colorado. We're talking demos, seconds, samples, discontinued stuff and more. Top brands including Scarpa, Sportiva, BCA, Cassin, CAMP-USA, Deuter, Smartwool, Roxy, oh my Bag, Gibbon Slacklines, Simple, Sherpani, Wallaroo, Bonfire, Salomon, Kombi, Billabong, and Sea to Summit.…