The woman’s La Sportiva Gamma is the ultimate trekking . Or wait, is it a boot? It’s both. It’s a hybrid between a light trail running and a full-on trekking boot. In a nut shell, the La Sportiva Gamma is a do-it-all traveling and trekking boot.
Gear Reviews
The Black Diamond woman’s Distance Z-Poles trekking poles are for the ultra-light climber looking for trekking poles that fit with her philosophy – light and fast. These trekking poles are part of Black Diamond’s new story – a full new line up of woman’s specific gear.
The Outdoor Research Aria Down Vest is a warm hooded vest, insulated with quality 650 down fill. It is a solid layering piece to increase warmth around a woman’s core. A key aspect of climbing is temperature regulation – too warm on a climb and the climber will start to sweat through layers, too cold and the climber could begin to get cold extremities as the blood is pulled to the core.
The stylish woman’s Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody is a versatile climbing jacket – keeping the wearer dry and warm in the mountains and looking good in the city. When on a serious climb, women need to be able to move well, regulate their body temperate and not destroy their jacket in the process of playing [...]
The Lowa woman’s Mountain Expert GTX are insulated mountaineering boots built on a woman’s specific last that will keep your feet warm on technical mountaineering climbs. Lowa built these boots with waterproof GORE-TEX and Primaloft insulation to keep the climber’s feet warm and dry on wet and cold climbs. For a leather boot, the Mountain [...]
The Sterling Evolution Velocity Athena rope is an excellent “do-it-all” lightweight 9.8mm rope with smooth handling, a durable outer casing, and a balance between stiffness and suppleness. This rope is a great rope to use no matter what the objective is – sport, trad or top-roping.
The Evolv Elektra VTR rock shoes are a great all around comfy gym or cragging shoe. These are the shoes you whip out when you want to give your feet a day of love while out rock climbing. With a smaller toe box, smaller heel and lower volume, the Elektra VTR’s are a good shoe for most women.
The La Sportiva BoulderX Approach shoes are designed for rocky and scrambly approaches to climbs. Light, fast, grippy and minimal fuss makes the BoulderX a great approach. And the best part? These are one comfy shoe!
The Black Diamond Onyx 65L all-mountain pack is designed for multiple days in the backcountry. This pack comes in 55L, 65L and 75L for all your multi-day or gear intensive backcountry needs. It is a women’s specific pack, part of BD’s women’s summer 2011 series. With a narrower back and shoulder construction, canted hipbelt and shorter frame, it is built for gal’s smaller and slimmer frames. And it’s biggest asset – comfort at whatever the weight. Cram that 75L pack full or rocks, you’ll barely feel the ton they weigh. And it’s all thanks to the ergoActiv hipbelt and shoulder straps that work together to move with you while you walk and climb.
The Black Diamond Chase 25L pack is a women’s specific pack that carries weight like the Black Diamond Innova and Onyx, but is the ideal size for day trips. The Chase is part of Black Diamond’s new Summer/Fall 2011 story – it’s all about women. They came out with new packs and trekking poles designed specifically for women. And the Chase 25L is part of that story.
The First Ascent Downlight Down Vest is a versatile layering piece that provides extra warmth for the core. It’s constructed from 800 down fill and 20-Denier ripstop nylon with StormRepel Durable water-repellent DWR finish. It’s light, warm and compacts down small. It does just what a vest should, provide warmth to the core.
The Black Diamond Women’s Trail Shock Trekking pole is similar to the Trail Shock Trekking pole, but designed specifically for women. It’s sturdy, durable, and relatively light weight. But, the real advantage for women is the redesign to make the grips, straps and pole lengths sized for women.
The Innate Tea Culture Thermos is a thermos that is great for tea drinking ice climbing gals. This is one of the few thermoses on the market that is designed for tea drinkers. There’s a metal basket that affixes to the lid which is perforated to hold loose leaf tea or a tea bag. The thermos is medium sized, light weight, insulated and leak proof; perfect for cold days on alpine routes or ice climbs. If you tend to get cold on climbs, having some hot liquids part way up or even before you begin climbing will help your core stay warm. It’s a trick many good ice climbers, male and female, use. This thermos is tough and can take getting battered in your bag and keep on keeping your liquids warm.
The Teko Evolution Merino Midweight Hiking Sock is a good hiking sock keeps feet warm, dry, reduce friction between the foot and the boot, and is comfy (no itchy, scratchy material need apply). Feet sweat a lot as evidence by their 250,000 sweat glands for both feet combined! It’s important to have good hiking socks which allow excess heat to escape the foot and move the moisture away to the outer layer of the sock. Whether mountaineering, hiking, ice climbing or backpacking, warmth is an issue, especially for those who have cold feet or poor circulation. Feet take a pounding on the trails and in the mountains, so it’s important to give them some love with soft, comfy fabrics.
The Evolv Rockstar Women’s rock shoes meld comfort, fit and performance. The Rockstars are designed for trad, sport and bouldering climbing. They are “rockstars” on slabby, slightly overhanging rock, and rock with a lot of small features. These are the kind of shoes one can wear all day and keep on rockin’ with happy, comfy feet.
As summer gets into full swing and July turns into August, members of the Outdoor Industry gather in Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer, the industry’s twice yearly trade show. Gear companies show case their greatest and latest and what will be hitting shelves and websites come spring. Enter Black Diamond, a gear company [...]
The Outdoor Research Alpine Alibi Gloves are a glove that will keep a climber’s hands warm and dry during the harshest days on ice. They have good dexterity for gripping ice tools and placing screws and long wrist sleeves to keep water from getting between the glove and the climber’s jacket.
Want to see in the dark? To turn night into day? Then this is the headlamp for you. The Petzl Ultra-Wide Headlamp illuminates one’s whole field of vision. No more following a small beam of light through the night, trying to keep it trained exactly on the rocky ground in front of you. This ultra-wide headlamp illuminates a very large field with its powerful beam and it’s durable enough to survive the most rugged expeditions.
The First Ascent Sandstone Softshell Jacket is a do-it-all summer climbing jacket. Light, check. Blocks that chilly wind, check. Rock-resistant durable, check. Comfy, check. Cute, check. It’s a great shell or layering piece. This jacket is all about blocking wind, keeping the wearer dry and cool with good breathability, and looking great while climbing.
The Black Diamond Fusion Ice Tools are designed for the fiercest mixed and ice routes. They have the aggressive curve and big handle characteristic of specialized ice tools. These tools balance well, helping one move up challenging routes with grace and ease. And they sport a few features that allow them also to be used on alpine routes.
