Courtesy of Black Diamond Equipment.
Black Diamond Distance 8: the value of keeping things within reach
A researched look at the Distance 8 backpack: vest-style storage, fit, pole carry and why access matters as much as its eight-liter capacity.
Gear to be prepared for anything.
One manufacturer at a time — who owns them now, what they actually make, and who each one is not for.
one hundred thirty-one brands rated · eighty-one guides · forty-three journal entries
The Journal
Latest from the Journal
All forty-three posts →
Product photography courtesy of Boker.
Boker Plus Kazy: a small folder with a distinctive shape
A researched look at the Boker Plus Kazy: its compact format, Nitro-V blade, G10 handle and the everyday handling questions photographs cannot answer.
Product photography courtesy of COAST.
COAST FL97R: a headlamp with another way to change the light
COAST’s FL97R combines voice control and adjustable beams. A researched look at its controls, power options and published output limits.
Guides
Questions people actually ask
All eighty-one guides →What is actually supposed to be in a 72-hour emergency kit?
Ready.gov's basic disaster supplies kit list opens with one gallon of water per person per day, for several days, for drinking and sanitation. Kits sold as 72-hour kits ship four-ounce pouches instead, and the four we counted carry seven to ten percent of that figure. Radio, flashlight, whistle, dust mask, sanitation and tools they generally do carry.
Read the guide →What does ED glass actually mean?
ED stands for extra-low dispersion — a glass type that reduces chromatic aberration, the color fringing you see on a high-contrast edge. HD, HDX, UHD and APO are marketing labels, not glass grades, and manufacturers apply them inconsistently. Almost nobody publishes which elements are ED, how many there are, or what glass they use.
Read the guide →What actually protects a rope at an edge?
Physically, a pad, a roller or a rigid guard. On paper, almost nothing: manufacturers publish sizes, weights and materials for edge protection, not protection ratings. Two makers state in writing that their fabric protectors are not for sharp edges. The only rated figure we found is one roller's working load limit.
Read the guide →How does an avalanche beacon work?
An avalanche beacon is a 457 kHz radio that transmits a pulsed signal in send mode and receives it in search mode. A searching unit compares signal strength across two or three antennas to show direction and a distance number. That number tracks signal strength, not measured meters.
Read the guide →Product guides
A closer look at the gear
Browse all product photos →Battery systems, camp lighting and everyday tools. Explore the products, compare the details, and find what fits your next trip.
Battle Born Elite 120W vs 230W: which solar panel fits your camper?
Compare Battle Born Elite 120W and 230W rigid solar panels with official photos, roof footprints, weight and practical system-planning checks.
Black Diamond Moji R+: a rechargeable lantern for small camp spaces
Review the Black Diamond Moji R+ lantern: rechargeable power, hanging and magnetic placement, lighting modes, and a specification discrepancy to check.
Boker Atlas Backlock Big vs Multi SW: which pocket tool fits the task?
Compare Boker Plus Atlas Backlock Big and Atlas Multi SW with official photos, exact SKUs, blade mechanisms and everyday camp uses.
COAST CL20R: a clamp light for camp repairs and stationary work
Review the COAST CL20R clamp light: mounting options, mode-specific runtime, rechargeable power, and how it differs from a headlamp.
Dakota Powerbox 10: what does the shell-only package include?
Review Dakota Lithium’s Powerbox 10 shell: battery and charger exclusions, connections, water-resistance limits, and who it suits.
Brands We Love
Who makes gear worth owning
All one hundred thirty-one brands →
Petzl
Fifty years of French vertical-safety engineering, and the spine of most rope access kits — including ours.
Battle Born Batteries
Lithium batteries and power-system components for life and work away from shore power.
ACR Electronics
Fort Lauderdale, since 1956 — the rescue beacon that talks to a government satellite system and never asks for a subscription.
Sterling Rope
Maine-made life-safety cordage since 1992 — the rope the other five brands' hardware runs on.
Harken
Pewaukee, Wisconsin, since 1968 — two brothers, a plastic ball-bearing block, an Olympic sailing habit, and the employee-owned company that now owns SMC.
CAMP Safety
From a blacksmith's forge in Premana, 1889 — the brand that made professional PPE light enough to forget you're wearing it.