Gear Guy

Is there enough of a difference between a brush made specifically for rock climbing and a toothbrush to justify shelling out for the former? Gear Guy digs in.

How do you get stuck cams out of cracks?!

I sent a 5.12a then a 5.11d at the same crag, and the .11d seemed way harder. What’s up with the inconsistent rating of the Yosemite Decimal System?

Check out Gear Guy's author page.

Gear Guy's body is a temple. Except when he's on a big wall, when, he says, he'll happily "haul up a bicycle and eat it."

What should you carry in a first aid kit?

Gear Guy gives his picks for a few of the best multipitch shoes.

My harness is uncomfortable. It is fully padded but, like LBJ said, it “rides me like a wire fence.” What gives?

How important is dressing your knot? Gear Guy weighs in.

When should you be lowering and when should you be rappelling from the top of a route? Gear Guy is sure to push some buttons with this one.

Instead of taking the maximum fall factor, should you let the belayer feed out more rope, resulting in a longer fall but lower fall factor?