Gear

review by Julia Wakeling A comfy and versatile harness in fantastic colours! • Comfy – if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be here. It’s got a funky technology with a webbing in its core that distributes weight evenly so there are no compression areas which might pinch or dig in. This, while still being light and thin.  • …

review by Arno van der Heever When it comes vacuum flasks, Stanley needs little introduction. They’ve been leading the game since 1913, when the inventor William Stanley Jr fused vacuum insulation and the strength of steel in one portable bottle, inventing the all-steel vacuum bottle we know and love today. Since then Stanley has expanded …

South African woollen outdoor apparel www.coremerino.com by Tony Lourens For many years now South Africans (and the rest of the outdoor world) have been impressed by the many excellent woollen products that have come onto the market. And I am seeing more and more climbers and hikers using these products and really singing the praises. …

review by Tony Lourens I see more and more rope bags are becoming hybrids these days. Top brands are now bringing out rope bags that are actually rucksacks with an attached ground mat for your rope. Which, if you think about it for half a second, makes a whole lot of sense. Beal’s new Combi …

review by Andy Court  I recently had the privilege of testing out one of Black Diamond’s new Z4 cams. I took the green #0 up to The Ledge on Table Mountain and handed it over to Teo Iliev as he set off up the intimidating No Longer at Ease (25), a classic Tinie Versfeld test piece for the aspiring hard man. The …

review by Tony Lourens Not too long ago you may have been ridiculed at the crag for hauling out your fancy ‘Skin Repair Kit’, if there was such a thing. Not anymore. This sort of thing has become somewhat the norm in many climbers’ packs these days, and particularly boulderers. Spend one full day bouldering …

review by Tony Lourens For quite some time I have seen climbers at crags climbing in jeans. My thoughts were always, looks cool, but must be quite uncomfortable and restrictive, surely. I mean, from the super slinky and highly functional lycras of the ’80s and ’90s, which allowed absolute fluid movement with no impingement of …

review by Tony Lourens There are two major factors that can hugely enrich your experience when out in the mountains, whether on a traverse across the Cederberg or Drakensberg, a trip into the wild Hex, or even an overnight jaunt to your favourite climbing area. One is, you want to carry as light as possible. …

Review by Tony Lourens Oh great, a new headlamp from Petzl to review for the next issue of SA Mountain. I know. I’ll take it with me to Norway. What better way to test a piece of gear than on a five-week climbing trip? Brilliant idea! NOT! What I hadn’t factored in was that during …

Review by Tony Lourens I have always been a protagonist of the minimalist harness. Basically only one waist buckle, no leg loop adjustments, and a slim but comfortable fit. For me that is the ideal situation for fair weather climbing. Straight on and straight off, no fiddling with unnecessary bits and bobs. And indeed, that …