HardGoods

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THIS SPRING, MAMMUT LAUNCHED A NEW LINE of backpacks for alpine and rock climbing. The Neon 45 joins the rock fleet, and it’s one of the best “crag packs” I’ve used.

The past couple of years, carabiner manufacturers have burned the midnight oil liposuctioning away precious grams. Now, CAMP has unleashed its latest creation, the Orbit Twist Lock, which, weighing 1.85 ounces, is the world's lightest twistlock carabiner (there are lighter screwlocks, such as the 1.46-ounce DMM Phantom.)

The Summit weighs 1 pound 3 ounces, for the 59-cm version without a leash. The few extra ounces and steel head let you set the pick in water ice, often with one swing, and give the adze enough oomph to chop a stance.

Wild CountryElite Men's Ziplock$69 | www.wildcountry.co.uk | 4 Stars I've spent the past two years infatuated with the lightest, sleekest climbing harness.

Alpine harnesses are the ninjas of the alpine world. They are ultra-light and compact and can remain hidden in the tiniest corner of a pack until the assault begins. Black Diamond's new Couloir Harness exemplifies what you want and need in an alpine harness.

Wild Country Vision Sport$50 | www.wildcountry.co.uk 4 StarsThe Vision Sport is two ounces lighter and is the sportier, less bulky of the two Wild Cou...

The Cyborg is Black Diamond's teched-out crampon for ice and mixed climbing. Its materials, bindings, finish and adjustments are the same or similar to those used on the Sabretooth, so we'll stick to the details that are different.

Scarpa Phantom Guide mountaineering, ice and alpine boot field tested by the climbing magazine Rock and Ice.

Black Diamond enters the stainless-steel crampon arena, replacing its chromoly steel (aka carbon steel) Cyborg, Sabretooth, Serac and Contact (latter two not reviewed) with stainless-steel versions.

The new Black Diamond Fusion is a retooled version of their former mixed and ice tool of the same name, and is heads and tails better.

These are the lightest steel crampons in the world. Paired with Scarpa's new super-light Phantom Guide (reviewed here), they create a performance combo that nearly competes with a fruit boot, but is warmer, and more versatile.