REI’s Winter Sale Has Seriously Good Deals for Climbers
Still holiday shopping for the climber in your life? Think it’s time to treat yourself, no occasion required? Look no further than REI’s annual winter sale, on now until November 25, with deals from top brands including Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Scarpa, and Edelrid. Our picks below have all been independently field tested and come highly recommended from our editors.
Our Top Sale Picks
La Sportiva Miura VS
One of the all-time best-selling shoes in La Sportiva’s lineup, and beloved by sport climbers and trad craggers alike, La Sportiva’s Miura VS is a moderately downturned, highly asymmetrical, three-velcro shoe designed for vertical and slightly overhanging climbs that demand both precision edging and powering into incuts. The Miura VS’s subtly updated 2023 re-release includes a slimmed down heel, slightly altered velcro positions, and the inclusion of more recycled materials—none of which diminish the original Miura VS’s strengths. It comes in two fits: the men’s version, which is stiffer and meant for heavier climbers, and the women’s version, which is made with a softer rubber. Read the full review here.
C.A.M.P Alpine Express Dyneema Quickdraws
Some folks, particularly those who are counting grams like the high-school pot dealer carefully weighing out his product, prefer the lightest gear. But we find that those tiny/micro/nano/what-have-you carabiners can be more of a curse than a blessing when you’re trying to fumble the rope in at the crux, especially with gloved hands. Though the Photon carabiner on each end of the Alpine Express is extremely light—at just 30 g/1.1 oz, Camp bills it as “the lightest full-size carabiner in the world”—it isn’t obscenely small. It has a healthy-sized, smooth-actioned wiregate and a nice big basket for the rope to sit in. The action in particular has been great—despite a number of trips to the desert and days getting tossed around in the dirt (yes, we should treat our gear better), all the carabiners on our Alpine Express draws are as snappy as ever.
Buy a 4-pack for $75 (25% off)
Black Diamond Camalot C4 Cam
Black Diamond’s C4 cams are arguably the most beloved cam in the climbing world. It’s hard to argue otherwise—the trigger is snappy and easy to grab when pumped, the lobes have a wide usable range, and our racks of C4s has lasted us a very long time despite some overwhelmingly rough use. For folks building their first rack, or those headed to Indian Creek’s endless splitters, this is a great deal.
Buy here for $63-$112 (25% off)
Edelrid Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry CT 9.3 mm Rope
Ropes are like cars. You want them to be dependable, economical, and long-lasting. They should handle well on all types of terrain. They should be sleek and sexy. Edelrid’s Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry CT 9.3 mm: is all that, a best-in-class convertible Mercedes, the type your friend’s cool mom drives.
One of the first things you notice about this rope is its dual colors: pink and blue, like wild berry-flavored Poptarts. Using ColorTec technology, the rope switches from one color to the other at its midpoint, creating a permanent and clearly noticeable center mark. The bobbins that wove the rope switched from weaving the outside to weaving the inside at the midpoint, creating the color change. For most other bi-pattern ropes on the market, the weaving process is stopped and oftentimes the bobbins are cut so that new colorways can be spliced in. In this case, however, the bobbins are never stopped and thus the tension on the strands remains constant throughout the weave, creating a smoother and more aesthetic rope.
Buy here for $232-$292 (25% off)
Scarpa Quantic Climbing Shoes
The Quantic is a soft, indoor-focused all-arounder that does everything laudably well, is comfy and light (13.4 ounces, size 40.5), and given its softness (epic smearing!) does almost better in the gym than on rock. The last is relaxed but pointy and precise—and the shoes are sensitive and excel on slightly overhanging terrain. For vertical or slabby micro-edging in, you might want something stiffer. These were built by legendary Scarpa shoe designer Heinz Mariacher with the intention of offering “a multi-purpose performance shoe, a mix of lightness, sensitivity, and good precision,” representing a step up into more advanced footwear for newer or intermediate climbers.
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