Arc’teryx Konseal Harness Women’s

The Konseal harness is a supportive harness made for versatility and comfort. The waistband is padded only around the sides of the hips, leaving just a flexible mesh panel across the center of the back. I found this design to distribute the load well, reducing pressure on my lower back when hanging or holding a belayer. The thicker style padding also handled heavier loads of draws or cams on the gear loops, without any creasing or folding of the waistband as can happen on some thin harnesses. I generally prefer fixed leg loops, but the pre-threaded buckles on the Konseal were minimal and made the harness more versatile for climbing in a variety of bottoms.

My only complaint is that there are no clips on the elastic straps that keep the leg loops from drooping (leg loop suspenders?). For single pitch climbing, it was no big deal. But on occasion I need to pee on longer routes, or while wandering around a crevasse-riddled glacier tied to a bestie. Without clips in the back, I couldn’t pull my leg loops down with my pants, complicating an already fraught endeavor. Bathroom breaks aside, this harness has served me well.

Têra Kaia High Cut MARA Basewear Top

Têra Kaia has dropped a new, higher support, full coverage bra and crop top. And, staying true to their thoughtful product development, they nailed the fit. The High Cut MARA Basewear Top and Crop Top felt supportive, but not restrictive with ample room to move through the shoulders and neck. The wide, flat straps provided enough support for running or high impact activity without feeling smashed down. And the gently scooped neckline felt secure, giving me confidence that I wouldn’t suffer any unintended nip slips. The crop top version has several extra inches of torso coverage, making it ideal as a standalone top on hotter than hell climbing days. The extra length also kept the crop top from creeping up while climbing. The MARA is made from a smooth, quick drying recycled fabric; it feels like a beefier version of swimsuit material. It’s easy to wash in a campground sink and hang dry off the mirror of your van and is great for an apres-climb swim. The MARA is also reversible, so it’s like getting two color-ways for the price of one, win and win.

District Vision Keiichi Sunglasses

I avoid bright sun in my eyes like a vampire, so I was pretty psyched to try out District Vision’s lightweight performance sunglasses. The Keiichi is a mid-size gender neutral frame that fits my face well, and once I’d adjusted the flexible nose pieces they didn’t budge. These shades felt light and comfortable all day. And no matter how hard I sweated, they never fogged up. I also loved the lenses which were dark enough for midday Utah without feeling like sensory deprivation in the shade. And, when climbing in the direct sun (it happens to all of us!) the Keiichi had great coverage for looking down towards my feet, and never slid down my nose while I desperately searched for holds. In addition to top tier performance, I think the Keiichi are pretty sweet looking, helping me stay edgy as always.

La Sportiva Mantra

La Sportiva has brought back the original no-edge shoe, the Mantra. This remake is an incredibly soft and sensitive shoe that pays homage to its predecessor with a wrapped, completely edgeless sole. With no midsole, the Mantra broke in after a few problems, quickly forming to my foot as the leather softened. I was pretty shocked by how much more confident I felt on weird gym forms and volumes when wearing the Mantras compared to other climbing shoes, even relatively soft ones. The insanely thin 2mm vibram rubber allowed me to wrap my feet onto holds in a way I’ve never experienced before. It made gym climbing immediately more fun, and less painful, which just happens to be what I’m looking for from life in general these days. Beyond a climate controlled gym, the Mantra’s range of use is limited to steep sport routes and bouldering, these are by far the softest climbing shoes I have ever worn. The slipper style design pulls on and off easily and feels comfortable yet precise. The Mantras are my new favorite gym partner, and they haven’t flaked on me yet.

Hydro Flask Outdoor Kitchen

My camp food game got a major upgrade with the Hydro Flask Outdoor Kitchen plates and serving bowls. Goodbye flimsy plastic, chipped enamel and prison-inspired steel. Hello sturdy, vacuum insulated dishes in attractive powder coat colors. The bowls all come with lids which makes them super useful for storing leftovers or transporting meals that I prep at home. The double walled design kept hot meals warmer longer and cold stuff from getting soggy in summer heat. All of the dishes were easy to hand wash at camp because they don’t have any seams or crevices to catch food bits. But, if you’re amongst the 99% of campers who roll home with a bunch of dirty dishes after a weekend of fun, all of the Hydro Flask Outdoor Kitchen is dishwasher safe. My two serving bowls, plate, and cup all nest together neatly into a delightfully tidy and compact package. These pieces are pricey but the quality is superb and they’ve already survived several fumbles without nicks or dents.

Petzl Meteora Helmet

Let your ponytail free! Or at least stop pinching your hair between your neck and helmet. The Meteora is a lightweight, well ventilated helmet that has a small, but effective arch in the back to accommodate long hair. The ponytail cutout is minimal, I definitely still have to do a “low pony”, but it does keep the helmet from pushing my long hair onto my neck. Overall I liked the fit of this helmet, it felt airy and low profile, with easy adjustability in the headband and chin strap. The magnetic buckle took a little practice to get used to, but once I got a feel for it, the functionality was smooth. The Meteora is approved for ski touring in addition to climbing and holds a goggle strap or headlamp with an elastic toggle at the back so you can have happy helmet hair year round.

Opinel No.12 Explore with Tick Remover

Nothing says summer in the mountains like blood sucking insects. Be prepared to ditch eight-legged hitchhikers with the Opinel No.12 Explore with Tick Remover. This handy tool can slice up dinner, cut the frayed end off a rope and, if you’re so unfortunate, safely remove a tick from you or your furry friend. This sturdy knife has a 4-inch locking blade that collapses easily, a built-in whistle, hooked slicing tool, and a detachable tool for removing ticks from humans or dogs. I love the beefy rubberized handle on this knife and the simple, rotating locking mechanism that keeps it closed inside my pack.

Black Diamond Mission LT Approach Shoes

The new Mission LT approach shoe from Black Diamond is a comfortable, breathable shoe that handles long approaches and scrambly terrain well. The seamless knit upper held my foot securely and kept my tootsies ventilated on warm days. I found the midsole cushioning to be middle of the road, neither overly stiff nor flexible. And the wider toe box of the Mission LT felt great on long walks, but was somewhat clunky in more technical fifth-class terrain. I loved the bootie style ankle cuff and integrated tongue, it was easy to pull on and off and kept rocks out of my shoes. These are versatile approach shoes that make my feet happy on hot summer days.