Gear Guy

I am hiking Aconcagua next January, and, being a dirtbag climber, would like to use the gear I already own. I have Asolo TPS 520 GV hiking boots, and ...

Would you trust CCH Alien cams that were produced after the dimpled batch and are marked tensile tested? Also, can re-testing weaken your hardware?

Will sports drinks freeze more slowly than water? I'm going into the mountains and would like to freeze-proof my beverages.

I use Black Diamond Camalots, but half the time I need to extend the sling with a quickdraw, which is a waste of gear. I’m considering replacing the original single sling with a doubled loop of Spectra cord so I can extend it when I need it. Is that safe?

I bought a few Metolius Offset TCUs and, upon reading about them, learned that they are designed primarily for use in flares and pin scars. Can they hold lead falls when properly placed in parallel cracks (i.e., splitters)? I don’t see why they wouldn’t.

You can argue that all falls shock load the rope, because the rope instantly goes from not being loaded to being loaded.

I have seen folks jury-rig various scraps to the shafts of their old tools trying to retro them for modern leashless climbing.

Note that your substance in question is a “supplement,” meaning it is in addition to something else. That other thing is a good diet, rest and structured exercise.

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Get a mill bastard (not again!) file, available at hardware stores and your pappy’s tool shed. Clamp your crampons in a vice if you have one.

DHave you noticed how your rope only gets worn on one side? The fraying is uneven because the rope always seems to orient itself so that...

I understand the designations for ropes and the corresponding limitations for their use, but am confused about double (half) ropes. I get that they are supposed to be clipped individually into your pro, never together, yada-yada.