Gear Guy

I have been trying to get a pair of size-18 rock shoes. Does anyone build, or is anyone willing to build, a large shoe? I sport climb barefoot, and I am reaching the point (5.12) where it is extremely difficult to progress without better traction on my feet.

First you tell us to wash our ropes in Ivory Flakes. Now, in the last issue, you said Ivory Flakes are good for washing down as well. Dude! Ivory Flakes were discontinued over 10 years ago! Any alternative suggestions for suitable soaps?

Manufacturers add them only because, while few of us can grasp the real magic that locks a cam into place (the constant angle), we know from experience that teeth bite.

I was getting ready for summer up here in Canada, and noticed that I had burned through three pairs of shoes last season. My shoes delaminated on the inside toe and wore through at the toe rand. I want to salvage these shoes and protect new ones from premature death.

Know that even in the best circumstances, rappelling is never safe and is the number four killer of climbers, experienced and novice alike. Of course, it is conceivable that you can rappel on a static and dynamic cord and survive, but you must know a thing or two about those ropes.

Can I use a 9mm half (double) rope for a three-man rope team for glacier travel? What is the best way for the middleman to tie in? With an eight on a bight, bowline on a bight or butterfly with two lockers?

Manufacturers add them only because, while few of us can grasp the real magic that locks a cam into place (the constant angle), we know from experience that teeth bite.

What's the deal with roped soloing? Everybody says it's unsafe, but I have no friends. Is there a "safe" way to do it?

I heard that ice screws should be angled slightly down to maximize the strength of the threads. If this is true, why don't the threads run the full le...

As a subscriber and a 48-year-”old” climber, I would like to know how the old, good climbers train. Have any articles been written on this?

All three gases are canister fuels. Stored under pressure, the fuel vapors compress into liquid, making it possible to pack a lot of fuel into a small canister.

It's easier to set an ice screw into an existing hole than to place one from scratch, but does reusing a hole compromise the placement's strength?