Category Archives: Gear Reviews

Every climber worth their chalk knows you can never have enough gear! Pros and cons of gear I’ve used, loved, and hated!

Icebreaker Gear Review (and GIVEAWAY!!!)

Dec 07 2011

Some of you may recall the name Icebreaker from my Holiday Gift Guide post last week, where I recommended them as our family’s favorite go-to brand when it came to baselayers. However, that hasn’t always been the case…read on to find out why I recently turned from my Polypro ways and became a Wool-Wearing-Fanatic almost overnight! (And don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to score some new Icebreaker threads for the little crag-baby on your Christmas list!) Its no secret that merino wool reigns supreme when it comes to baselayers. It has the unique ability to wick moisture away…Read the rest of this entry →

A Wishlist for Cragbabies (and Cragmamas, too!)

Nov 28 2011

I’ve said time and again that one of my main hopes for this blog is to inspire other families to get outside and teach their kids about the value of adventure. Armed with a sense of humor, a dash of patience and some high quality gear, our family has learned to adopt the motto that “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing!” So what are the all-weather must-haves for the average, run-of-the-mill adventuring family? While it may be true to some extent that you get what you pay for, the budget-conscious among us will hopefully be pleasantly surprised at…Read the rest of this entry →

How to Use Your Stick Clip (a Collaboration with the Crag-Daddy)

Oct 25 2011

For those of you that remember my recent post a few weeks ago regarding the DIY stick clip, you may also remember that I promised a subsequent post on how to use your handy dandy new pole. (Or you may have forgotten all about it since it’s taken us so long to finally take these videos…sorry about that). Anway, since my hubby prides himself in his mastery of stick clip tricks (and while I have no trouble hanging a draw, compared to Steve my “trick” skills are that of a mere apprentice), an instructional post like this was right up his…Read the rest of this entry →

Gear Review: Kelty FC 3.0 Kid Carrier

Oct 12 2011

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the day when Cragbaby could hike his 25 pound self into the crag on his own two feet, and my husband would for sure be lying if he said he won’t be waiting to replace that weight with 25 pounds of gear from his own pack on the day that happens! But for now, we’ve got a pretty good system – hubby hikes in ALL of the climbing related gear – rope, quickdraws, rack, harnesses, shoes, etc (thankfully our “third man” can usually take some of that burden), while I hike…Read the rest of this entry →

To Stick or Not to Stick (Clip)…

Sep 23 2011

What is long, collapsible, assembled from a seemingly random assortment of items from the local Home Depot, and always within arm’s reach of most bolt-clipping sport monkeys? If you answered stick clip, you’d be mostly correct…add in the word MACK-DADDY and you’d be right on! For my non-climber readers who think I’m talking about a strange way to interact with zoo animals, here’s a quick primer in Sport Climbing 101… A route is designated as “sport” if the line is protected by bolts every so many feet all the way to the top. The first climber (leader) ties into the…Read the rest of this entry →

“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN