Two heads are better than one, the saying goes. Our friends at Backcountry took that advice to heart when creating their听new climbing collection, teaming up with brands like Black Diamond, Edelweiss, Metolius, and others听to develop a special line of gear. Backcountry also added exclusive in-house apparel to the mix. After a few weeks of testing, here are our takeaways on four key pieces.
Backcountry and听Black Diamond Stone Garden Crag 30 Pack ($130)
I鈥檝e been a fan of ($190) since it came on the market a few years ago. The haul-bag-style construction affords cavernous, no-fuss storage space for my rack, shoes, and rope, yet the front compartment and its smaller inner pockets lend organization for my keys, phone, headlamp, and sunscreen. In its collaboration with Black Diamond, Backcountry took the Creek and, in many ways, made it better with its user-friendly . But there are some things I miss from the original.
First, the pros:听The outer compartment is now on the side of the pack, and听though slightly smaller, it still has as much functional space as I need for accessories I want to keep separate and out of the main body. And kudos for the addition of a dedicated shoe pocket on the bottom; if I have听heavy gear in the main compartment, my kicks get squished when I put the听bag down, but it鈥檚 nice to have them quarantined from the rest of my equipment鈥攅specially at the end of the day when they鈥檙e a bit ripe. One of my favorite features on the Creek is its vertical side zipper, which makes pulling out buried gear much easier. Backcountry didn鈥檛 mess with this too much, but the brand lengthened it into a J zipper, so I can splay the whole pack open and more easily see and access what鈥檚听inside. A small change, but a smart one. What stays the same (thankfully) is the drawcord cinch top, which adds a bit of capacity to accommodate loads larger than the Stone Garden鈥檚 listed 30 liters, and the rope-securing strap over the top.
As for gripes, I would love a more amply padded hipbelt. I have no problems with the Creek鈥檚, but the Stone Garden鈥檚 is more minimalist鈥just two lightly padded wings with a thin strip of webbing鈥攁nd it digs uncomfortably into my waist if I鈥檓 carrying a lot. (The hook-and-loop closure, as opposed to buckles, is also a bit fussy.) Load lifters on the shoulder straps would听be nice, though to be fair, the Creek 35 doesn鈥檛 have these either. And a thicker back panel between me and poking听carabiners and other hardware wouldn鈥檛 go unappreciated.
Those are minor inconveniences, and overall the Stone Garden gets a thumbs-up from me, particularly on trips to the crag that involve short to midlength approaches. It鈥檚 much the same as one of my favorite climbing packs, with a few intelligent improvements. Not to mention it costs 60 bucks less than the most comparably sized Creek. 鈥擶ill Egensteiner, senior gear editor
Backcountry and听Edelweiss Echo Climbing Rope ($100 and up)
There have been times on lead routes when I鈥檝e longed for a thinner, slinkier rope that didn鈥檛 feel like I was tugging on a thick jib sheet every time I clipped. Backcountry and Edelweiss found the panacea with , a 9.6-millimeter dry-treated rope that鈥檚 a reliable option for the crag and the gym.
After testing the 60-meter version ($160) of the Echo, it pleasantly surprised me. I fully expected a long break-in period, but it felt send ready听after a couple of top-rope laps at the gym. It weighs in at just under eight pounds, which isn鈥檛 ultralight听but also isn鈥檛 heavy. And I didn鈥檛 run into any problems when packing it. Unlike the stiff ropes that seem to twist and coil on their own terms, the Echo flaked into my burrito bag with ease, and coiling it was never a headache. I love the feel of a broken-in cord (minus the grime that coats your hands after one belay), and after only a handful of sessions, the Echo felt fluid and familiar鈥攍ike a rope I鈥檝e used for months on end.
The Echo also has a dry-treated sheath, which is what you want when Mother Nature throws you a wet curveball. Climbing in foul weather is never ideal, but I鈥檝e gone through my fair share of surprise sufferfest-type conditions, like听belaying my partner from above in a wet storm (in which pulling the soggy听line felt like hauling up concrete bags)听and rainy rappels where a dry-treated rope like the Echo would have been a game changer. I can鈥檛 say I鈥檝e drenched this rope or taken gigantic whippers on it, but I trust that it would handle well in those conditions鈥攁nd better than the standard sport ropes I鈥檝e abused for years on the wall. 鈥擩eremy Rellosa, reviews editor
Backcountry Steort Climbing Pants ($80)
My main requirement with climbing pants is that they don鈥檛 get in the way. And in that regard, succeeds. Backcountry says it built the pair in a regular fit, and the Steort听is definitely a bit looser than my other climbing pants听but not so much that it听swishes around as I鈥檓 making my way up the rock. That looseness may even help the breathability, since the Steort isn鈥檛 Saran Wrap tight around my legs, providing more room for sweat to evaporate. I haven鈥檛 had to use them yet, but there are cinch cords at the cuffs to keep them snug and out of the way.
As for the fabric, it鈥檚 so light that I assumed the Steort听wouldn鈥檛 be very durable. But it鈥檚 actually a burly Cordura-nylon blend, and despite a spring spent pulling myself up over scratchy conglomerate and welded tuff at the crags near 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 home of Santa Fe, the pants have yet to show signs of wear. And that nylon鈥攑lus a touch of spandex鈥攂oosts stretch for high stepping plus gives them a quick dry time, which one of our female editors found out when she unexpectedly had to wade across a river. (She was wearing 听pant, made with the same material.)
Another thing I prize in climbing pants is one zippered pocket. (Call me paranoid, but I like to keep my wallet on me even when I鈥檓 tied in, though others might want to keep their phone there for a glory pic from the chains.) The Steort has one high on the right leg, though it鈥檚 awkwardly positioned, making it somewhat onerous to adjust the leg loop on my harness so it doesn鈥檛 pinch the wallet against my thigh. But once I cinch everything up, both stay put, and I forget about them when climbing.
The best praise I can give is this: these pants are plenty capable but still oh-so comfortable. Even after a day spent baking and sweating in the sun, I don鈥檛 want to take them off. 鈥擶.E.
Backcountry Coral Bells Tech Tank ($50)
The beauty of the is its simplicity. With a听high neck and slight A-frame cut, it hugs my body in all the right places and then flares out at the hips, keeping it both flattering and loose enough for good airflow. Crisscross听straps add a touch of style in the back, but beyond that, this is a听no-frills workhorse that鈥檚听tough enough to stand up to snags on rough conglomerate rock.
The Coral Bells has now become my favorite shirt for the gym, the crag, and everything in between (read: hiking, short runs, the farmers鈥 market, and sometimes even the office), and luckily the Polygiene anti-odor treatment means I can wear it all the time, washed or not. I recently packed this as the lone tank on an unexpectedly warm weekend climbing trip in northern New Mexico. Though I came back covered in sweat and dirt, with hair reeking of campfire smoke, I can confirm that the anti-odor fabric treatment successfully warded off stink.
My only complaint? Although I love the purple hue of the eggplant color (the Coral Bells also comes in basic black and a light sage), the nylon-modal-spandex blend doesn鈥檛 just show sweat stains鈥攊t screams them. But the top听dries quickly, and besides, that鈥檚 a small price to pay for a functional, comfortable, and flattering top that gets me compliments at every crag. 鈥擜bigail Wise, online managing editor