Review: Black Diamond Spot Headlamp

Review: Black Diamond Spot Headlamp

Black Diamond Spot Headlamp

A headlamp is an absolute necessity in a climber's kit. It's one of those gadgets that you don't need at all... until you do. And when you do it's usually a sketchball situation where you're glad you have the headlamp. Our team had just such an experience lately and were fortunate enough to have a Black Diamond Spot Headlamp ($29.95 on Amazon) for the job.

Team RI was doing a leisurely 7 pitch trad route at First Creek Slabs with a team of four just outside of Red Rocks Canyon in Las Vegas -- It was supposed to be a quick day trip. A three hour touuur.... Lady Luck (5.7) is a great moderate slab haul with a huge variety of climbing: big hollow huecos, forgiving slab with balancey moves, some exposed arete areas, a couple of juicy fist crack sections, and basically everything you'd want out of an afternoon of moderate multipitch climbing. The descent, on the other hand, was a total bear. We ended up getting lost and rapping in the dark. You probably saw that coming.

Enter the hero of our story, Black Diamond's Spot Headlamp. Two of us on the team had this headlamp and the other two of us had some generic crappy ones from Wal-Mart. We going to credit the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp with keeping us from ending up as hamburger meat at the bottom of a sparsely-traveled sandstone cliff. We'd like to thank all the appropriate deities and BD for keeping us safe for the umpteenth time.

Black Diamond Spot Headlamp in action.

The lamp itself is BD's entry level device and the cheapest one they make. The 2013 model is for sale at $29.97, and it's one of the best value headlamps you'll find. Even though it's Black Diamond's lowest model, the headlamp performs better than either of the department store headlamps our team had. It's bright. We used it on our abseil fiasco and it allowed us to spot features and anchors in the pitch black of Nevada night from around 50 feet.

Since it's the entry level model, it doesn't have much in the way of features, but we're okay with that. At the end of the day, your headlamp has one job and must do it well. The Black Diamond Spot cranks out 90 lumens, which isn't as much as more expensive models, but it was plenty for pitch black rapping misadventures. Maybe if you're a kayaker or mountain biker, you might want a brighter lamp. For a climber, BD's 90 lumen light is plenty. The headlamp has several different LEDs on it, including a red one that is designed to preserve your night vision. The main light set has a fader which allows you to turn down the brightness. We could see that being useful in dusky situations or when you're trying to infiltrate an enemy compound or something. 

We totally didn't die. Thanks BD!

The hot

The BD Spot Headlamp is an affordable multi-lumen fiend from one of the most trusted names in alpine sports. It's $29 bucks. That's cheaper than a sandwich and a beer at a ski lodge. It's an incredibly high-value head lamp with great performance and a long battery life. 

The not

It's hard to find any gripes about it. It's a stripped down lamp without many features. It doesn't have rechargeable batteries, it doesn't have an over-the-head strap, and it won't call you back after a first date. It's 90 lumens. If you can find a better lamp for the price, let us know! 

The bottom line

The Black Diamond Spot Headlamp ($29.97 on Amazon) is a little powerhouse of a lamp at a great price point. We credit it on saving our hides on multiple occasions. If you want a durable, powerful lamp for a low price, look no further. The Black Diamond Spot Headlamp is a great value and doesn't skimp on performance.

Be safe, 

Ariel Castro

Rugged Innovations

Review: Osprey Manta 20 Hydration Pack

Review: Osprey Manta 20 Hydration Pack

Whether you live and breathe all-day multipitch trad epics or prefer to spend those hot, sunny afternoons projecting huge boulders, one thing is clear: you better bring some water. Hydration is critical to your performance as an athlete. 

We picked up the Osprey Manta 20 Hydration Pack recently and have taken it on three big trips so far -- a multipitch adventure in Red Rock Canyon, a sport climbing day in Owens River Gorge, and an afternoon of bouldering in the Buttermilks. We put some serious miles on this backpack, both vertical and horizontal. Here's what we found.

Osprey Manta 20 Hydration Pack camping in Owens River Gorge

One of the first things you notice about the bag is the quality of workmanship. From the seams on the zippers to the rough ripstop material; Osprey has put a lot of thought into making this backpack. It feels like you could drop it off a cliff and it would be waiting for you at the bottom without a scratch. It's just solid. 

Dog for scale.

The bag is covered in features. The front of the bag has loop zippers instead of pull tabs, which make opening easier. The zippers have exterior plastic seams, which protect them from warping and increase water resistance. The top front has small loop for mounting your helmet, a mesh pocket with snap closure for quick access goods, and a cinch for holding ski poles if that's your thing (I use it to strap down a light sweater for when the winds pick up). The hip belt has pockets on either side for snacks, cell phones, etc. The very front pocket has a key clip and separate mesh compartments for small goodies. The chest strap has a magnetic clasp for attaching to the hydration hose that is great for keeping the hose free of your hands but accessible when you need it. The only problem with the magnet here is that when you put the backpack on the ground, it picks up small iron and metal flakes from the dirt. After a day of bopping around in the desert your magnet is covered in metal flakes. 

Osprey Hydraulics reservoir

The 3-liter "Hydraulics" water reservoir is unique and of much higher quality than any Camelbak or other brand I've ever seen. The back-facing side has a stiff internal frame that matches the inside of the backpack like a puzzle piece. The internal frame of the water reservoir keeps it snug and distributes the weight more evenly along your back than a Camelbak hydration sleeve, which just reverts to a long cylinder and slides around inside your backpack. My one complaint about the water reservoir is that it can be a MONSTER to get open. Maybe some sand got into the thread of the cap of it? It's hard to open, even for a climber... and hand strength is kind of our thing. It will test your pinch strength, that's for sure. Another small nitpick is that if you forget to move the mouthpiece into the "locked" position, it can drip a little. Just don't forget.

One Manta 20 please, on the rocks

The back panel is brilliantly designed. There's a curved internal frame with ridges that allow airflow and then an inch-deep space followed by a tight mesh that touches your back. The result is a small meshed window between your back and the bag that allows air to flow freely and keep your back cool. Bicyclists take note!

There are several straps that are used to cinch the bag down closer to your body. This is designed to lower the surface area of the bag to reduce wind resistance and to keep the weight of the bag closer to your center of mass which increases your stability. I've noticed that you can also use the straps to clip other items to your bag. I like to cinch my helmet down close to the bag so it doesn't bounce around. 

There is a rain cover hidden in a secret compartment in the bottom. It takes about ten seconds to deploy and has the added advantage of being bright red -- great for visibility on the cloudy, dark days when you'd be most likely to need a rain cover. It's removable, which is great because we live in Nevada where yearly rainfall is usually around ten inches and the days when it does rain are usually just a light sprinkling. Nevadans just don't really need rain covers. Still, the rain cover is a nice detail and I can see it being quite handy in weathery areas. 

Deploying the rain cover on the Osprey Manta 20 Hydration Pack

Bottom line: 

The Osprey Men's Manta 20 Hydration Pack ($139 on Amazon) is about as advanced a backpack as I have ever seen. It packs so many useful features into 1220 cubic inches that it will take you a few days just to figure out how to use it to its potential. As a climber, the pack's main pocket is just big enough to hold a pair of climbing shoes, a harness, and chalk. If you're planning on using it for more than a basic climbing day, you may want to upgrade to the Osprey Men's Manta 28 Hydration Pack ($149 on Amazon) or the Osprey Men's Manta 36 Hydration Pack ($159 on Amazon), which are only slightly more expensive but hold much more. The pack's water reservoir holds three liters, which is enough to keep one person hydrated for a full day of hard athletic activity. I highly recommend this bag for trad climbers that need a lightweight day bag, boulderers who are looking for a all-in-one session pack, and bicyclists who want a low profile hydration bag for long rides.

Review: Adayak's Organic Cotton T-Shirts

Review: Adayak's Organic Cotton T-Shirt

Adayak Organic Cotton T-Shirt

Adayak is an apparel company with a strong focus on outdoor ethic and conservancy. They've been operating since 2010 and they really deliver on that focus: they've joined up with the Nature Conservancy to run a campaign where they donate $1 for every t-shirt sold to the Plant A Billion Trees fund.

We talked to David, the founder of Adayak, and he was nice enough to send us one of their 100% hand-spun Brazilian organic cotton t-shirts. I took the shirt out for a day of outdoor climbing and had a few thoughts.

First of all, the organic cotton material is great on a hot day. It's a thin, summerweight cotton shirt that is light and breathable, but the construction is rugged enough to withstand some rock-related tugging and abrasions. I'm a clumsy climber and things get bumpy sometimes.  My closet is the result of decades of sartorial natural selection. Weak clothing gets destroyed. Only the strong survive!

The color of the shirt is ideal for climbing. As a climber, wearing dark clothing while climbing in the High Sierras is a big no-no. The Adayak shirt is a nice light tan color and it has found its way into my climbing day rotation. The design on the shirt is pretty cool, too!  I am not sure who the figure is; it looks like Tommy Caldwell rappelling to me. It may be hard to tell from the pictures, but the image looks like it is hand-painted. It's already become one of my favorite shirts.

If you're looking for a new shirt or hoodie -- either for yourself or for a climber in your life -- I suggest avoiding the big manufacturers and supporting Adayak's small business. Their products have fun designs, the quality is great, and the prices are reasonable. Adayak's conservation efforts will help protect our crags and valleys for the next generation of explorers.

Be safe.

Ariel Castro
Rugged Innovation

Review: Castle Brook Paralace Boot Laces

Review: Castle Brook Paralace Boot Laces

Castle Brook Paralaces in situ.

Castle Brook got in touch with us about reviewing one of their rugged boot laces recently. Touted as "the toughest bootlace on the market", we knew we had to check them out. We're Rugged Innovations, after all. We don't mess around with no sucker swag! We took Castle Brook's laces for a bumpy ride in the high Sierra mountains to see what they're made of.

Actually, it turns out their website already tells us what they're made of. The laces are made of seven nylon strands wrapped in a 550 lb. test Nylon Kernmantle sheath. The aglets are made of poloyefin, which is the same material as Frodo Baggins' sword sheath. The construction is solid and feels like it can weather a storm. They're like mini climbing ropes.

The first order of business was to determine if the laces were up to snuff. I got the 60" Shadow Black Paralaces and put them on a pair of waterproof Merrell boots. What better test of gear's mettle than a hot summer day hiking and multipitch trad climbing up in Donner Pass, CA!

On the road. 

My climbing partner and I got lost on the way to the route and had a bit of an epic. You don't realize how diverse an ecosystem of mosquitoes, gnats, and flies can be until you're miles away from your car, irreversibly lost in a dank alpine forest. We tromped around in the woods like a bunch of Smurfs and finally ended up at the climb. The laces held up just great against nature, the elements, and an increasingly frustrated wearer (me). The paralaces didn't cut or even scratch when bumped against sharp rocks, stumps, or fallen logs. Excellent! We put the laces through as much abuse as we could handle.

We're pretty pleased with these laces so far. They are rugged, strong, don't stretch or hold a shape after being tied up, and look badass. At $7.99 direct from their website, the value on these laces is incredible. We'll keep putting miles on these boots and let you know if anything comes up, but I have a feeling the Castle Brook Paralaces will last for years and years.

Be safe.

Ariel Castro
Rugged Innovations