Physicist from United States, CA Public Profile

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Reviews by Physicist

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Innovative design with a flaw

Written on Mar 29, 2019

Review for Petzl Ange S Carabiner

In terms of specifications, these biners are hard to beat. I tried using them both in draws and for racking. They felt weird at first, but I got used to them eventually. There is one serious problem however. The gate seems to be easy to bend sideways, and once that happens, it does not close properly unless you push it in. A fatal flow in any biner that I expect to work at full load, in my opinion. This actually happened to only one of my Ange biners, but it feels like this can happen to any of them, single-wire gate just does not offer enough rigidity in that direction.

0 of 2 found the following review helpful.

Petzl SUMMIT Classic Mountaineering Ice Axe

Lightweight and functional

Written on Nov 10, 2018

Review for Petzl SUMMIT Classic Mountaineering Ice Axe

My favorite all-around ice axe for not-too-technical terrain. Simple, lightweight, works well with every grip and position. An excellent compromise between weight and functionality. The EVO version comes with a profiled shaft that is supposed to improve the grip under the head, but it is slightly heavier.

Well-made Polartec® Power Stretch jacket

Written on Apr 09, 2018

Review for Arc'teryx Rho AR Zip Neck - Men's

Very well made Polartec® Power Stretch jacket. I found the fit a bit tight around armpits.

Power Stretch is my favorite fabric for the base layer in cold and windy conditions. It adds noticable wind resistance and warmth without significantly compromising breathability. The downside is that it does not dry as fast as some other base layers.

Arc'teryx being Arc'teryx, this jacket is seriously overpriced at MSRP. If you can get it at deep discount though, I would recommend it. And soon, we might not have a choice - most manufacturers seem to have abandoned Power Stretch in favor of newer fabrics that do not perform quite as well in this role.

Excellent all-around rope for intermediate and advanced climbers.

Written on Dec 12, 2017

Review for Mammut 9.5 Infinity Dry Single Rope

Arguably the best all-around single rope at the moment. My personal favorite, anyway. Excellent handling, light for its diameter.Change of pattern in mid-rope lets you identify the center instantly. Very effective dry treatment in both sheath and core. And the 9.5 mm diameter puts it just above the domain of really skinny ropes with all their special requirements and limitations. If I need a single rope that works well on a variety of trad, sport, or mixed routes, Infinity Dry is my first choice. Beginners might prefer a somewhat thicker rope though.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful.

Nice fabric, non-standard fit.

Written on Nov 17, 2017

Review for Rab Windveil Jacket - Mens

The fabric feels soft, stretchy, and windproof. Unfortunately, I will not have a chance to test it in real life - returning the jacket to campsaver. The reason is sizing and fit. I normally wear size M, and jackets from most major manufacturers fit me at least reasonably well. With Rab Windveil, I had to go all the way to size XL before it stopped cutting into my armpits. And by the time I got to XL, whether the fabric is stretchy became a moot point - there is a lot of it flapping around.