Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2009: Day 1 and 2

Tuesday morning feels like eons ago — it’s been a long two days of hiking around the Salt Palace here in Salt Lake City, full of meetings, events, hugs in the hallways, and spending time with friends. Here are the very, very best of what I’ve seen in the first two days. I have a long list of “honorable mentions,” which I’ll write about down the road. This is just the cream of the crop.

Most of these products are previews — products in development for release in Spring 2010. When a product is available now, I’ll say so… I’m seeing some items at the show that I haven’t seen before, even though they’re on the market.

Before I get to the gear, let’s talk dogs.

Rockclimbergirl.com Dog of the Day: Torrent, with Joshua Tree Products, LLC

OR is QUITE the dog-friendly event. There are dogs all over the place. Canine exhibitors have badges, and they work hard keeping us all snuggled and licked, and demonstrating the panoply of dog toys and gear on the show floor. I didn’t pick a Day 1 dog of the day, but the clear winner for Day 2 was Torrent. I happened upon him doing some tricks in front of the Joshua Tree Products booth, and kneeled down to snap some pictures — he would have none of that, and came right over to give me kisses and snuggle in for a little bit of love. His boothmates, David and Laurel, provided some delightful anti-anxiety tea, and showed off their line of tinted lip balms — a perpetual climbergirl fave since if they’re tinted and sparkly, the boys won’t want to use ‘em. Congratulations, Torrent — you inspired my Dog of the Day award, and you deserve it.

Petzl Elia Climbing Helmet (available March 2010)

This helmet is one of the items I’m most excited about (despite already having a stable of helmet options at home). This is a hard shell helmet, kind of like a lower profile Elios. The helmet is adjustable on the sides instead of at the back of the helmet, so that the dials don’t catch and pull hair like the Elios adjustment can; and, the helmet has a cutout in the back to accommodate a ponytail. The internal padding is higher in the helmet — it looked to me like you could wear it with a french braid without discomfort — and the lower profile means fewer head-whacks since it’s less likely to actually smack into stuff when you move your head. It’s available in Stone Grey, Sky Blue and White, and is available in one size (which I hope, hope, hope fits my unusually large head). Retail on it is anticipated to be less than $70, and I expect this to be a serious contender in the helmet market for women, and, men who it fits who want a nice, low-profile, hard shelled helmet. The guys who’ve seen it that I’ve overheard have been incredibly jealous of the adjustment on the side. In other Petzl news, they’ve got new headlamps coming out in September, including an updated Tikka Plus with red light options, helpful at night (imagine, sitting around a campfire being able to see by red light, without shining your headlamp in your camping buddies’ eyes. Sweetness.

Petzl is online at http://www.petzl.com.

Sea to Summit Bug Jacket and Pants (Spring, 2010)

As you know, I’ve spent a lot of time — especially this year — in mosquito and tick infested places. Eew. While cruising through the Sea to Summit booth I saw the packages for a new bug layer. There’s a “jacket” and “pants,” and I didn’t see the product itself yet, but I’m already excited. They’re little travel packs, just a few inches each. I’m excited to see the actual product — but I’m a big fan of Sea to Summit generally, and I’d expect this to be a great product. I’d love to have a “bug layer” to throw on over my apres-climb clothes for the evening, to help stay less bitten.

Sea to Summit is online at http://www.seatosummit.com.

Ahnu Wedge Ladies Shoes (Spring, 2010)

These are one of the cutest lifestyle shoe models, getting lots of attention among the ladies who visit the Ahnu booth. Like the rest of the line, these have removable insoles, and unlike a lot of shoes in this type of style, these don’t look too narrow for climbergirl feet. They’re just super cute.

Ahnu Footwear is online at http://www.ahnufootwear.com.

Julbo Monterosa 401 and Whoops 400 (Fall, 2009)

I’m not shy about my love for my Julbos, but the last few years they’ve been light on the performance models for smaller faces (aka, us girls). Luckily, that changes in the Fall. Julbo’s planning a mountaineering product for women (the Monterosa 401), which I got to check out an early model of, and they’re the best I’ve seen. They don’t look like mountaineering glasses — they’re a nice size, with the wide temples and tapering earpieces of many fashion glasses — but they feature snap-in and snap-out shades for the sides to provide extra coverage. They’ll be available two lens options and three colors.

I’m in LOVE with the Julbo Whoops 400, a “Freeride style” for smaller faces. The demo model was white with the Zebra lenses, Julbo’s photochromatic (light adjusting) lens. Technical features aside, these glasses are just SUPER cute. I like the tint of the photochromatic lens in the “lower light” base color, and they tint down to Category 4 when exposed to sunlight (aka, really dark – suitable even for mountaineering and snow conditions). They have a close fit, so would be great for biking, running, and climbing, and a very fashionable frame.

Julbo is online at http://www.julbousa.com.

Scarpa Vapor (Spring, 2010)

I’m stoked about what I saw today at Scarpa. Despite being widely adopted among climbing brands and resolers, I’m not a huge fan of Vibram for rock shoes. That may change with two new rubber formulations going on the Scarpa Vapor line for Spring of 2010. There’s XS Edge, reported to be just as sticky as other rubbers but more durable (read, good for those of us who really like edging); and XS Grip 2, designed to be more sticky than the original XS Grip.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a pair of Scarpa Vapor Lace-ups. Billed as a “performance edging shoe” (exactly what I like best, despite being hard to find), this is a relatively straight (only slightly asymmetrical) last, with the XS Edge Vibram. If they fit me, these may just be my dream shoe.

The Vapor line also includes a velcro version and a slipper, featuring XS Grip 2. I expect this line to get a lot of attention — they were, literally, the models that caught my eye right away when I walked up to the wall ‘o Scarpa. Scarpa rock shoes are still, according to my meeting, built by hand in Italy, and the quality shows. I’ve got my fingers seriously crossed that the Vapor line fits me. They’re a unisex model, which looked like they’d be a good fit for medium volume feet.

Scarpa is online at http://www.scarpa.com.

GoGirl Female Urination Device (Available Now)

You read that right. I’m talking about an FUD, or, a pee funnel. I almost didn’t take this meeting, but thought I should learn something about such things, since I’ve got some trips in the works where upright urination without removal of clothing might be a real asset. When I arrived at the GoGirl booth, they whipped out a ziplock full of competing products for me to compare the GoGirl to, and the benefits of the GoGirl were clear. Medical-grade silicone, which folds down to fit in a small tube for storage, with a large “capture” reservoir that looks like it would function as promised. Sarah Dillon, the Girl behind GoGirl, is a hoot. Her advice to those of us new to FUDs is to practice in the shower first, and instead of holding it at the sides which seems instinctive to some, hold it at the front and back for a better “seal.”

Dillon offered up that she’d put the device to the “Four Beer Test.” Some devices “overflow” if the volume gets too high; the GoGirl is designed to pass the “Four Beer Test,” and Dillon says it passed in her testing. This is my kind of woman.

More information: http://www.go-girl.com

There you go. There’s a long list of honorable mentions, but I’ll do those write-ups when I’m a bit better rested. Right now, it’s time for some foot maintenance, and some food, and a bunch of water, and maybe some sleep. I’m not managing much nightlife here… bad climbergirl!

Filed under: Gear, Shameless commercialism

Gear I’m reviewing right now…

I’ve been doing a bunch of product reviewing lately… mostly for gear that I’ve purchased for myself for this season’s outdoor adventures. For those of you who couldn’t care less what I wear or use, I’ll refrain from repeating my reviews here on the blog. But, in case you’re interested in what I’m reviewing this season, here are links to the various reviews in other places on the interwebs:

Ibex Wool

I have been an Ibex fan for years, since their wool doesn’t make me itch, it smells and stays cleaner than synthetics, and their products are exceptionally durable given the abuse I subject them too. I just did a big Ibex order, and have submitted reviews of the Ibex women’s Balance Sport Top, Rue skirt and Jacy capri. I love and am wearing the crap out of each piece. If I could live in nothing but Ibex, with a piece here and there from my other apparel favorites, I would. As we speak, I’m in my Jacy capris… and have been off and on since last Wednesday. Even after several days of wear and air travel and sleeping in them, they still look great. I’ve found the Rue skirt to be a very pleasant surprise — it’s great for camping (stays super cool and is easy to change clothes with a bit more modesty, and … um … well … I’ll just say it. It makes peeing in the woods really easy and a bit more discrete than pants).

I know Ibex is higher priced than apparel made with other, less expensive fabrics, but I’d rather have a few pieces I adore that I can wear over and over between washes, and that will last even with hard wear than a closet full of cheaper, less durable clothes. I’ve recommended Ibex to many friends, and have chatted Ibex with other gear heads, and so far I have yet to hear anything other than thumbs up. Look forward to more Ibex reviews, in an upcoming mountain bike gear special post.

Lole Swimwear and Victoria Tank

Lole is one of my favorite apparel lines, so I was stoked when they came out with swimwear. The pieces I ordered — two tops and a bottom — have exceeded my expectations both for swimming and, the tops, for climbing wear. I reviewed the Regatta top and the Coral Triangle Top at Backcountry.com.

For a bonus, I got to review my favorite tank of the year, the Lole Victoria tank. It’s a tank I fell in love with trying it on at REI, then it has exceeded my expectations for climbing, bouldering, and for casual wear. I’m thinking I should have titled this post, apparel that’s WAY cuter in real life than in the picture, since it doesn’t look like anything special in that picture… but on, it looks great. I like the way it shows off my climbergirl back and my shoulders, but it skims the middle nicely so it isn’t snug around the waist. It’s got an effective built-in shelf bra, but because the outer fabric is a bit looser, you don’t get that smooshed look that some sportsbra / tank combos give. All in all, I really like this tank.

Jetboil PCS

My buddies at PembaServes have been advocating the Jetboil line to me since I started shopping stoves, but I was really drawn to the big, old, liquid fuel Coleman stoves. After trying a Coleman liquid fuel, which is a great stove for its purpose, but which is more complication to light than I care for before my morning coffee, I saw a Jetboil PCS on sale and thought about giving it a try. After a quick call to the good folks at Pemba Serves to arm me with comebacks for my liquid-fuel-fan friends criticism of a canister stove, I plunked down the change for my Jetboil PCS, and we’ve been living in bliss together ever since. Here’s the full review at campsaver.com.

Oboz Valhalla

I recently reviewed the Oboz Valhalla (and Bridgedale Ventum Light Hikers) for RockClimbing.com. They look like an approach shoe, and I found them to be a great replacement for my old approach shoes, despite the lack of truly sticky rubber. The full review is here at rockclimbing.com.

KT Tape

The big surprise out of my review pile recently has been KT Tape. It may not be glamorous, but this stuff is awesome. I have a history of patellar tendinitis, so I go through a cycle with my knees of training, injury, rehab, training, injury, rehab. One thing that’s really helped is McConnell Taping, but McConnell Taping has distinct downsides. For one, it means packing bandage scissors for cutting the tape required. Two, the tape has a limited “life span,” especially in hot weather. Three, the McConnell technique is really “strong” … it holds the kneecap pretty firmly in place, which is good for healing tendinitis, but it doesn’t feel to me like it’s good for all the surrounding muscles and tendons, because it’s a pretty firm hold.

I first learned about Kinesio taping during my first big round of elbow tendinitis a few years back. My Physical Therapist used Kinesio taping to help with my elbow rehab, and it helped in a HUGE way. The theories are explained on that website, but my experience was that it provided incredibly gentle support, while allowing a more regular range of motion — it was less of a “hard stop” than the McConnell Taping, and more of a light support. The downside of Kinesio taping is that the tape had to be applied by the physical therapist, and it only stayed on for a day or two before the adhesive lost its stick.

When KT Tape asked me to review their new at-home, consumer-oriented product I was stoked. I’m increasing my hiking and biking, which means I need to have a strategy for managing my knees. I was optimistic that KT Tape could be part of that solution and it has.

The tape is easy to apply, without scissors. The strips are pre-cut, and instructions are included for a number of typical injuries. The KT Tape website has videos demonstrating proper application and so far, the KT Tape has been performing great for my knees. I’m curious to try it on my bicep tendons, since there’s a “front of shoulder” application video, but I haven’t yet. I’ll keep you posted, as I continue to use it, on how it performs over time.

That’s about it for now… I have a bunch of other reviews in the pipeline, but nothing ready for prime time just yet. If you have a product that you’d like to see reviewed on retail sites or on my blog, please email me!

Filed under: Gear, Shameless commercialism

Clearing the air: the dirt clean on my product reviews

shill (slang) n.: One who poses as a satisfied customer to dupe bystanders into participating in a swindle.

Last week I got together with some friends to tape a Confab show podcast over in Seattle. The confabbers that night were heavy on the new media folks, so during pre-show noshing, Richard asked if I’d be willing to talk about the details and ethics of my gear reviews during the podcast. I thought about it for a minute, and I don’t see any reason not to — I do this for fun, and ethical dilemmas aren’t fun, so if someone asks me a question about what I do here at rockclimbergirl.com, they’re going to get a full answer.

It turned out my contribution to that particular show was a “liberal elitism” ninja chop attempt and a discussion of how home-grown potatoes are totally worth the work, so we didn’t tread into my product review ethics. But, I did just finish a guest post for my friends at PembaServes and that got me thinking that it’s probably time for a little update here at my own blog, especially since I’m working on a spring Gear Guide, set to go live in mid-April.

First, the promise I make to you, dear reader, is that I am not, nor will I ever be, a shill.

Here at Rockclimbergirl.com, and on my Twitter feed I only review products that I use, and love. Sometimes those products are purchased by me, and once in awhile they’re provided by someone in the industry. When I review products that were provided to me for the purpose of a review, I’ll mention that — it doesn’t affect my review, but some readers might want to know, so I will mention it — but they’re usually products that but for being provided to me I would have bought myself.

Despite starting to build some really fun connections with real people at companies in the outdoor industry, this blog is still my totally beloved hobby. I do this because I love writing, climbing, gear, and the people I meet through my activities here and on other sites online.

It doesn’t matter how an item was obtained, if you read a product review here, it’s because I trusted my life to it and it performed and I decided the item was worth spending my free time writing up for you. Sometimes I feature “wish list” items, that I haven’t yet tried or used myself but that I’m lusting over — when an item falls into that category, the post content will be clear.

Second, while this time of year the blog is always a bit gear heavy because I’m doing my shopping for the season, this is a blog about rock climbing. Gear is a part of that, but not all of it. I trust that if you feel that I’m spending too much time talking about gear, and not enough time talking about climbing and my climbing life, you’ll speak up instead of unsubscribing from the RSS feed. Can I count on you for that, dear reader?

And third, you will, on occasion, see a brief mention of activities in the industry — for example, the link above to the guest post I wrote for PembaServes addressing questions I’m getting from folks in the biz. I hope that me engaging with the industry doesn’t make you see me differently. It’s no different than when someone asks me my advice on climbing shoes or for beta on a climbing area or route — when folks in the biz ask for my advice on a topic I’m interested in talking about or exploring, I’ll give it. I’ll try to do the long-winded part of that elsewhere, so that you don’t have to wade through it here at rockclimbergirl.com. But, I may make mentions here, just in case you’re interested in clicking through.

The questions I’m getting about my product review “ethics” are coming from outside the climbing community… but just in case any of you long-time readers or my newer industry folk readers have concerns or feedback, I wanted to clear the air.

Thank you for reading, commenting, complimenting and criticizing. I appreciate it all, and look forward to much more… now… for a post about climbing, up next…

Filed under: Gear, Shameless commercialism, The Biz

Gear Review: Bluewater Lightning Pro 9.7 dry rope

Thanks to the kindness of some friends in the biz (thanks, David, Jack and Larry), I was lucky enough to score a new Bluewater Lightning Pro rope for my most recent Red Rock trip. Here are some of my thoughts on rope shopping and selection, and a review of this particular rope, which gets two solid thumbs up from me after several hard days of use.

I’d been shopping ropes in the 9.7 – 9.9 range for awhile, and I’d considered ropes including the Bluewater Lightning Pro, Beal Booster, Petzl Nomad, Edelweiss Onsight Arc and the Sterling Evolution Velocity, but hadn’t decided which to buy.

The criteria I personally use when selecting ropes is the number of UIAA falls held in testing (see this Climbing Magazine post for more detail on skinny ropes and how UIAA falls aren’t just lead falls in the real world, at least, as of 2003); and, the weight per meter. For this rope, I knew I’d be getting a 70 meter, so weight was very important; and, since this will be my project rope, it had to be durable and have a higher than average UIAA fall rating so that I can take lead falls on it with less worry. I also prefer bicolor ropes, for ease of finding the midpoint when setting up rappels.

The Bluewater Lightning Pro 9.7 fit my bill perfectly. Only the Beal has a higher number of UIAA falls held in testing (9 to the Lightning Pro’s but the Beal is 2 grams per meter heavier, so the Lightning Pro won on weight. My workhorse rope right now is an Edelweiss 10.2 60 meter, weighing in at a little over nine pounds; on paper, the Lightning Pro 70 meter is about .2 pounds heavier, but I didn’t notice a difference packing it around; and, it packs down noticeably smaller in my rope bag than my 10.2, making it a great rope for traveling.

The bicolor pattern change is visible even in bright light (a complaint I’ve had about some of PMI’s bicolors, and even my Edelweiss). The rope comes with a narrow little tube-style rope bag which looks better equipped for carrying a rolled Thermarest than a rope, but maybe I’m just spoiled on my non-free rope bags.

Before leaving home, I flaked and reflaked the rope a few times to get the twisties out and to detangle it. The hand of the rope is quite nice; it felt really thin right out of the box, but at this point I’m getting used to the feel of 9.x single ropes, so it didn’t feel scary thin at all.

In real world use, the rope exceeded my expectations. We used it hard during the Red Rock trip — on everything from long easy multipitch to long hard multipitch to redpoint lead and toprope attempts. It caught falls comfortably, it feeds very nicely in a variety of belay devices including Petzl GriGris, ATCs, and ATC-XPs.

Edit: the Petzl Grigri technical specs show it rated for ropes sized 10-11mm. A number of online sources indicate that the range is “10-11mm (9.7 Accepted)” but I don’t have a test source or word from Petzl on that, so use at your own risk as always. Anecdotally, I caught one moderate lead fall on the rope with the Grigri without hesitation or any slip, but we didn’t take any huge whippers on the system.

The only catch we ran into was an unusually large amount of rope twist during our raps off of Eagle Dance — but that wasn’t the rope’s fault. I know that newer ropes are going to twist and curl more than older ropes on rappel; I also know that using a higher friction device (e.g., the ATC-XP in high friction mode) is going to aggravate the twist. After one epic-ly twisted rap and heroic rope rescue by Shawn after we had both rapped the lines on our ATC-XPs in high friction mode, we rapped in low friction mode and had almost no twisting on subsequent raps.

The rope (somehow) seems cleaner than my ropes usually do when I’ve put this kind of miles on ‘em at Red Rock… could be the dry treatment is just all spiffy and brand new, but the rope looks almost new even after several days of hard, dirty use.

All in all, I’m very happy with the Lightning Pro and look forward to pushing more limits on it on longer multipitch routes and hard sport climbs. I’m wishing I had the 60 meter version for everyday cragging, since it was noticeably smaller and lighter than my current 10.2 when the terrain got more challenging. The Lightning Pro also comes in an orange and turquoise “HERA” color scheme to raise funds for the HERA Womens’ Cancer Foundation, which is cool.

Bluewater will definitely be on my list to consider for future rope purchases after this. The relatively low weight, relatively high number of UIAA falls, the highly visible bicolor, and the rope’s performance in the field make this a solid choice for climbers looking for a dry rope in the 9.7 range.

For more information about the Lightning Pro and Bluewater’s other products, visit them online at http://www.bluewaterropes.com/ or connect on Facebook.

Filed under: Gear, Shameless commercialism

Outdoor gear roundup

Here are a few of the hot deals and gear tidbits that hit my inbox this week:

Much to the dismay of my credit card bill, Mountain Hardwear’s Women’s Nitrous Jacket has hit the market and is available from Altrec.com and REI.com among other retailers. I’ve been in lust with this puffy ever since seeing an early announcement from my buddies at Mountain Hardwear. Lovely quilting, 800-fill down, EcoSensor Ripstop body using recycled polyester… Mmmmmmm… beloved blue puffy is on its last legs, after all…

OMC’s winter stash sale has an enviable gear sale going at 35% off (including Black Dimond cams & Omega Pacific link cams and a bunch of climbing shoes)

Backcountry has Wild Country cams, Camp Tricams and other #climb goodies on sale, as well as up to 70% off premium outerwear.

Moosejaw has 20% off on select brands with coupon code 711 and new items on sale/clearance

Altrec has a 25% off coupon on all sale items, coupon code LUCKYYOU

The IBEX Womens’ outlet is stocked full of fantastic bargains…

and, last but not least, Patagonia just added a bunch of new stuff to their web specials.

Enjoy…

Filed under: Deals, Gear, Shameless commercialism

Outdoor gear roundup

Here are a few of the hot deals and gear tidbits that hit my inbox this week:

Much to the dismay of my credit card bill, Mountain Hardwear’s Women’s Nitrous Jacket has hit the market and is available from Altrec.com and REI.com among other retailers. I’ve been in lust with this puffy ever since seeing an early announcement from my buddies at Mountain Hardwear. Lovely quilting, 800-fill down, EcoSensor Ripstop body using recycled polyester… Mmmmmmm… beloved blue puffy is on its last legs, after all…

OMC’s winter stash sale has an enviable gear sale going at 35% off (including Black Dimond cams & Omega Pacific link cams and a bunch of climbing shoes)

Backcountry has Wild Country cams, Camp Tricams and other #climb goodies on sale, as well as up to 70% off premium outerwear.

Moosejaw has 20% off on select brands with coupon code 711 and new items on sale/clearance

Altrec has a 25% off coupon on all sale items, coupon code LUCKYYOU

The IBEX Womens’ outlet is stocked full of fantastic bargains…

and, last but not least, Patagonia just added a bunch of new stuff to their web specials.

Enjoy…

Filed under: Deals, Gear, Shameless commercialism

On the other hand: "pink gear" done right

OK. We’re having a LIVELY discussion about frustrations with finding gear and apparel for us climbergirls over on yesterday’s post. I promise, after this, it’s going to be back to my regularly scheduled programming and we’ll take a little break from industry chatter, but we’ve talked a lot about our frustrations with manufacturers and retailers, so I wanted to flip it around and give some credit to some of the folks that I think are doing right by girls. This is not at all an exhaustive list, since it’s just based on the gear I actually own and use … so please share your comments about the gear that you actually own and use, fellow outdoorsygirls, with a little bit about why you love it.

My favorite things…

My Marmot Neve Sweater (aka my Blue Puffy). I seriously tried on every puffy in several stores before settling on this one. While mine is a robin’s egg blue, which wasn’t my first choice in color, it’s the only puffy that actually kept my midriff covered when I lifted my arms above my head, and that had a zip-up front (for ease of tying in/checking my tie in/etc.) I saw somewhere that the newest release may have a hood (but haven’t confirmed)… that would make it the worlds most perfect puffy for me. I’ve worn mine for about two years, I think, on trips and in daily life. I’ve washed it several times, and it’s still hanging in there (though is starting to show its age, mostly because of the light color of the shell). I heart my puffy.

My Five Ten Womens’ Insight Approach Shoes. I have two pair… one in a size 9 for hiking and approaches, and one in a size 8.5 (those are my “dress” approach shoes for those occasions that require a clean, less scuffed pair of approach shoes — dates, black tie events, etc). I may not be the one for girls to listen to on shoe fit, since I actually tend to fit men’s shoes better than most women’s… but these are the best approach shoes I’ve ever worn. The outsole is so sticky that I can’t wear anything else (they’re not nonstick, FYI). I’ve gotten so used to my traction in these, that the thought of trying to descend a sketchy slab at dusk in anything else terrifies me. Approach shoes done right. Five Ten has relegated their women’s line to it’s own “tab” on their website, and I’m having trouble finding a lot of suppliers who still have the women’s Insight available but I don’t see a “newer better” model on the Five Ten website, so fingers crossed they’re going to keep this shoe around.

My Mountain Hardwear Butter Hooded Topper. This is a newer fave… but you know when you buy a piece of apparel for climbing and it finds its way into regular circulation in your wardrobe, and really it’s the only thing you ever want to wear? So, you do, and it becomes part of you, and on laundry day you just don’t know what to put on since you have to eventually wash it? Well, that’s this top for me. It feels like “buttah,” it fits perfectly, the thumb holes mean my hands stay warm when I need something less than gloves, and it has a hood. The hood makes me look like a hood, but I don’t care. Plus, I have it in green, which color coordinates with my afore-mentioned sage colored dress approach shoes, which means jeans + tank + butter topper + dress approach shoes and I’m good to go. I wish I could have an entire wardrobe made out of this fabric. So far, I’ve had this a few months and have worn it on trips and around the gym, and the fabric is holding up surprisingly well. I don’t see this piece being relegated to the “climbing gym / trips basket” (as in, too worn to wear in my daily life lest some concerned citizen report me to Adult Protective Services) anytime soon.

My Patagonia Active Classic Unmentionables. The active classic cami is my go-to modesty layer on trips… I can wear it for days without discomfort, even day and night and climbing and filty and everything. The active undies get two thumbs up too. If it’s a low-hygiene trip, they hold up better than most. If you have the luxury of an overnight for a wash, they hand wash and dry in a snap. For me, this line is the epitome of fit, function, and comfort for my outdoorsygirl life.

While I’m on the topic of Patagonia, I have yet to find a replacement for my beloved The North Face A5 climbing pants which I’ve worn the ass entirely out of (and have patched twice with denim) but still wear (carefully, reminding myself that I need to keep the long johns on lest I show a little more than I’m bargaining for. I keep hearing good things about Sickle pants, and two of my climbing partners swear by them, so I’ll let you know how they work out once I get my recent order and take them for a spin. Fellow climbergirl Lizzy advocates Pagaonia’s Stand Up Pants (presently on sale at 50% off at Patagonia.com)… I’ve never had any luck fitting Patagonia pants, but they may be worth a look.

It’s funny, though — once it gets beyond apparel, my gear stash is heavily unisex or men’s. Favorite climbing shoes, favorite packs, favorite helmet — all come in “pink gear” versions but for all of those I’ve wound up choosing unisex or men’s versions instead of the women’s because of either fit, comfort, or function. One of my upcoming purchases will be a new sleeping bag, and I do expect I’ll shop the newer assortment of bags targeted at women before buying. I keep trying women’s (and men’s) harnesses to try to find a replacement (or replacements) for my old Black Diamond Primrose, since the newer BD harnesses aren’t working out for me.

How about you? Which manufacturers and retailers are getting it right in women’s gear, and why? What are your “pink gear” favorites?

Filed under: Gear, Shameless commercialism

The Taper, The FISH Pig, The REI Dividend, and The Priorities

I’m going to think of my non-climbing weekend as a taper, before my next big trip… but really, that’s a bit of sunshine blowing since I would have been climbing but for having to work both Saturday and Sunday. In between work, though, I did get to my mailbox to adopt my newest pet… a cow-print baby pet pig, made by FISH Products. Russ, at FISH, was quite generous with his time answering my question after question, and since receiving my bag I’ve discovered some unexpected benefits… like, that it appears to be just the right size for an airline carry-on. I’m going to pack it as a “hopeful” carry on for my next trip so that if they put the kibosh on it I can check it without drama, and will report back.

For those of you who’ve been living under a rock (or who don’t pay attention to such things — no judgment), REI dividends have shipped. The customary 20% off coupon goes live today with the coupon code “MEMSAVE” through 3/29/2009. I took a little field trip to my neighborhood REI yesterday (the Tacoma location) for a couple of basics and found a steal on the
small Thermarest stuff sacks (which I’ll use as ditty bags) for $3.83 each (regularly $13.95). You rarely see ditty bags in this size below $5, so that was a good little find. The website doesn’t reflect that price, though, so it must be an in-store thing.

I also picked up a Petzl E-Lite Headlamp to keep in said ditty bag, in pack, at all times as a backup headlamp.

On the shameless commercialism front, our guys in Redmond at Altrec.com have a bunch of coupon codes out this week. Here are the highlights:

• Spring MSR Sale – 10% off. Coupon Code: MSR10
• Mojo Sale – Additional 20% off Sale prices. Coupon Code: MOJO
• Marmot Apparel Sale – Additional 15% off. Coupon Code: MARMOT15
• Mountain Hardwear Sale – 15% off. Coupon Code: MOUNTAIN15

Finally, today’s the last day of the Backcountry.com “biggest sale ever,” so enjoy it while it lasts.

No other news to report… I’ve got a post in the works for rockclimbing.com thanks to y’all who have written in and taken the time to tell me your “on the road” stories, so I’ll be following up as I write. If I disappear this week, though, don’t worry — I’m just slammed at work, and may have to prioritize climbing over blogging about climbing this week…

Filed under: Gear, Shameless commercialism

The Taper, The FISH Pig, The REI Dividend, and The Priorities

I’m going to think of my non-climbing weekend as a taper, before my next big trip… but really, that’s a bit of sunshine blowing since I would have been climbing but for having to work both Saturday and Sunday. In between work, though, I did get to my mailbox to adopt my newest pet… a cow-print baby pet pig, made by FISH Products. Russ, at FISH, was quite generous with his time answering my question after question, and since receiving my bag I’ve discovered some unexpected benefits… like, that it appears to be just the right size for an airline carry-on. I’m going to pack it as a “hopeful” carry on for my next trip so that if they put the kibosh on it I can check it without drama, and will report back.

For those of you who’ve been living under a rock (or who don’t pay attention to such things — no judgment), REI dividends have shipped. The customary 20% off coupon goes live today with the coupon code “MEMSAVE” through 3/29/2009. I took a little field trip to my neighborhood REI yesterday (the Tacoma location) for a couple of basics and found a steal on the
small Thermarest stuff sacks (which I’ll use as ditty bags) for $3.83 each (regularly $13.95). You rarely see ditty bags in this size below $5, so that was a good little find. The website doesn’t reflect that price, though, so it must be an in-store thing.

I also picked up a Petzl E-Lite Headlamp to keep in said ditty bag, in pack, at all times as a backup headlamp.

On the shameless commercialism front, our guys in Redmond at Altrec.com have a bunch of coupon codes out this week. Here are the highlights:

• Spring MSR Sale – 10% off. Coupon Code: MSR10
• Mojo Sale – Additional 20% off Sale prices. Coupon Code: MOJO
• Marmot Apparel Sale – Additional 15% off. Coupon Code: MARMOT15
• Mountain Hardwear Sale – 15% off. Coupon Code: MOUNTAIN15

Finally, today’s the last day of the Backcountry.com “biggest sale ever,” so enjoy it while it lasts.

No other news to report… I’ve got a post in the works for rockclimbing.com thanks to y’all who have written in and taken the time to tell me your “on the road” stories, so I’ll be following up as I write. If I disappear this week, though, don’t worry — I’m just slammed at work, and may have to prioritize climbing over blogging about climbing this week…

Filed under: Gear, Shameless commercialism

Would you like to see your [fill in the blank] featured on RockClimberGirl.com?

No, I’m not a walking billboard. I’m just a girl, who camps and climbs and plays outside, a lot, and then writes about it. That means, I use a lot of gear, and I write a lot about that gear. And lately I’ve been getting more and more inquiries from companies who would like to connect with RockClimberGirl.com in a mutually beneficial way.

While I don’t see any big changes in store around here, I am excited about opportunities to connect with retailers, manufacturers, and public relations folks in the biz. Whether you’ve got a project in mind, or whether you’d just like to trade contact information so that we can keep in touch, please drop me a note and introduce yourself.

Filed under: Gear, Shameless commercialism