Field Notes
TESTED
Field Notes
THE LATEST AND GREATEST FROM OUR DILIGENT TESTERS By Julie Ellison
[Ultimate camp and crag shoe]
[Smart triggerfinger design]
PAKEMS CLASSIC LOW-TOP
[Rugged but pajama-soft bottoms]
PHOTO BY ANDREW BYDLON
STONEWEAR DESIGNS COMPASS CAPRI
Ladies, if you want an alternative to the skin-tight legging craze in climbing, look no further than this ultra-cozy but high-performing three-quarter-length pant. A fully elastic and wide waistband layers under a harness comfortably, and with zero buttons or zippers, bathroom breaks while climbing were straightforward and seamless. Testers found that despite the very soft feel of the fabric (“I sleep in these a few nights a week after evening gym sessions”), it held up to butt-scooting down boulders in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and hip scumming in Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado. Eighty-eight percent nylon provides durability and a soft feel, and 12% spandex let testers high-step, stem, and back-step. They were breathable and airy in a sweat-filled gym, preventing moisture buildup (aka swamp butt). $82; stoneweardesigns.com
“The world would be a better place if all shoes felt like Pakems,” one tester said after basically not taking them off for three months, climbing and camping throughout Tennessee, Utah, and Colorado. “They’re as comfortable as a slipper, but they have a decently sticky and lugged sole to offer purchase on rock and trail. And they’ve proven to be very durable to boot.” A touch of synthetic insulation keeps feet warm in shoulder seasons, while a water-resistant DWR coating and ripstop nylon outer provide protection from the elements and abrasion. Each pair of Pakems comes with its own carrying bag with compression straps to help it pack down to about the size of a 32 oz. water bottle. While we don’t recommend doing technical approaches or descents in these, testers loved them as crag/ belay shoes: “Get off a route; your feet are aching from those downsized climbing shoes. Wear them all day and then at the fire at night.” $60 (low-top), $65 (high-top); pakems.com
BLACK DIAMOND INDEX ASCENDER
[Fully featured lightweight alpine pack] GRIVEL DRUS 30
Usually the bottom weight category of packs means they are stripped down and minimalist, but the Drus 30 breaks that trend with tons of extra widgets but not extra ounces. “Even with the loads of climber-friendly features, it’s still one of the lightest packs in the 30-liter category,” one tester said after multi-pitch ice climbing and high-country missions in the Northeast and Quebec. “And its featherweight doesn’t come at the expense of durability.” At almost 2 lbs., it includes ice tool attachments (double as ski carriers), compression straps, side pockets, top lid, crampon pouch, beefily padded shoulder straps and waistbelt (which also features a handy stash pocket). One tester also lauded the tapered, streamlined design, which “worked really well in chimneys and slots, cinching compactly for a long and variable conditions day to adapt to different loads.” $115; libertymountain.com
Most ascenders, so named because they enable you to ascend a rope, position the release lever (which you flick to take pressure off the rope) to be operated with the thumb, which can be awkward and inefficient when you need to down-jug or remove the units. The Index places the release lever so it can be activated with your pointer finger, similar to the trigger of a gun, which led to “seamless operation, less frustration, and faster movement,” one tester said after taking a pair to El Potrero Chico for 40 pitches of jugging. Whether you’re big walling or following a hard alpine route, this feature is especially great for small-pawed testers, who in the past struggled to operate thumb-centric designs because the release lever sits so far away from the handle. The Index is lightweight at 7 oz. per unit, and an ergonomic grip with dual-density rubber (hard part for support and soft part for comfort) offers a solid hold without fatigue. $80; black diamondequipment.com
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Field Notes
THE LATEST AND GREATEST FROM OUR DILIGENT TESTERS By Julie Ellison
[Ultimate camp and crag shoe]
[Smart triggerfinger design]
PAKEMS CLASSIC LOW-TOP
[Rugged but pajama-soft bottoms]
PHOTO BY ANDREW BYDLON
STONEWEAR DESIGNS COMPASS CAPRI
Ladies, if you want an alternative to the skin-tight legging craze in climbing, look no further than this ultra-cozy but high-performing three-quarter-length pant. A fully elastic and wide waistband layers under a harness comfortably, and with zero buttons or zippers, bathroom breaks while climbing were straightforward and seamless. Testers found that despite the very soft feel of the fabric (“I sleep in these a few nights a week after evening gym sessions”), it held up to butt-scooting down boulders in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and hip scumming in Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado. Eighty-eight percent nylon provides durability and a soft feel, and 12% spandex let testers high-step, stem, and back-step. They were breathable and airy in a sweat-filled gym, preventing moisture buildup (aka swamp butt). $82; stoneweardesigns.com
“The world would be a better place if all shoes felt like Pakems,” one tester said after basically not taking them off for three months, climbing and camping throughout Tennessee, Utah, and Colorado. “They’re as comfortable as a slipper, but they have a decently sticky and lugged sole to offer purchase on rock and trail. And they’ve proven to be very durable to boot.” A touch of synthetic insulation keeps feet warm in shoulder seasons, while a water-resistant DWR coating and ripstop nylon outer provide protection from the elements and abrasion. Each pair of Pakems comes with its own carrying bag with compression straps to help it pack down to about the size of a 32 oz. water bottle. While we don’t recommend doing technical approaches or descents in these, testers loved them as crag/ belay shoes: “Get off a route; your feet are aching from those downsized climbing shoes. Wear them all day and then at the fire at night.” $60 (low-top), $65 (high-top); pakems.com
BLACK DIAMOND INDEX ASCENDER
[Fully featured lightweight alpine pack] GRIVEL DRUS 30
Usually the bottom weight category of packs means they are stripped down and minimalist, but the Drus 30 breaks that trend with tons of extra widgets but not extra ounces. “Even with the loads of climber-friendly features, it’s still one of the lightest packs in the 30-liter category,” one tester said after multi-pitch ice climbing and high-country missions in the Northeast and Quebec. “And its featherweight doesn’t come at the expense of durability.” At almost 2 lbs., it includes ice tool attachments (double as ski carriers), compression straps, side pockets, top lid, crampon pouch, beefily padded shoulder straps and waistbelt (which also features a handy stash pocket). One tester also lauded the tapered, streamlined design, which “worked really well in chimneys and slots, cinching compactly for a long and variable conditions day to adapt to different loads.” $115; libertymountain.com
Most ascenders, so named because they enable you to ascend a rope, position the release lever (which you flick to take pressure off the rope) to be operated with the thumb, which can be awkward and inefficient when you need to down-jug or remove the units. The Index places the release lever so it can be activated with your pointer finger, similar to the trigger of a gun, which led to “seamless operation, less frustration, and faster movement,” one tester said after taking a pair to El Potrero Chico for 40 pitches of jugging. Whether you’re big walling or following a hard alpine route, this feature is especially great for small-pawed testers, who in the past struggled to operate thumb-centric designs because the release lever sits so far away from the handle. The Index is lightweight at 7 oz. per unit, and an ergonomic grip with dual-density rubber (hard part for support and soft part for comfort) offers a solid hold without fatigue. $80; black diamondequipment.com
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