Ethan Caldwell

Crack climbing is one of the most rewarding disciplines in rock climbing, but it demands the right footwear. When you are torqueing your feet into finger-width seams or stacking toes in wide offwidths, the wrong shoe turns a beautiful splitter into a miserable sufferfest. I have spent years climbing cracks at Indian Creek, Yosemite, and … Read more

Walking onto a golf course for the first time can feel intimidating enough without worrying about whether your clubs are holding you back. I remember my first round vividly: borrowed clubs that were too stiff, too heavy, and completely wrong for my swing speed. I shot a 142 and spent more time in the woods … Read more

Finding the right pair of trad climbing shoes can make or break your day on the rock. Unlike sport climbing or bouldering, where you might suffer through a tight shoe for a single pitch, traditional climbing demands footwear you can wear comfortably for hours. You need a shoe that edges precisely on granite nubbins, jams … Read more

If you have noticed your drives sailing shorter and your irons feeling heavier over the past few seasons, you are not alone. Most golfers over 60 experience a natural drop in swing speed that makes their old clubs work against them instead of for them. I watched my own father struggle with stiff steel shafts … Read more

Finding the right pair of climbing shoes can make or break your performance on the wall. I learned this the hard way after struggling through an entire season in shoes that were two sizes too big, constantly sliding off tiny crimps that should have felt solid. After testing dozens of pairs across limestone crags, steep … Read more

Multi-pitch climbing demands a pack that disappears while you climb but carries everything you need for a full day on the wall. The wrong backpack throws off your balance, snags on chimneys, and turns an amazing route into a miserable slog. I have spent the last three seasons testing climbing packs on routes from the … Read more

When my daughter asked for a climbing wall in our garage, I thought it would be a simple weekend project. After three months of research and building, I realized that portable climbing walls for home use come in so many different forms that choosing the right one felt overwhelming. That experience led me to test … Read more

If you have spent any time around a climbing gym, you have probably noticed the hangboards mounted near the pull-up bars. Those textured training tools with their various sized edges are not just for show. After three years of consistent climbing and six months of dedicated hangboard training, I can tell you that adding a … Read more

If you have wide feet, you already know the struggle. Most climbing shoes feel like they were designed for feet shaped like pencils. You cram your toes in, suffer through a session, and limp back to the car wondering why you picked up this sport. I have been there. Our team spent three months testing … Read more

If you have narrow feet, finding climbing shoes that actually fit can feel like an endless cycle of disappointment. You pull on a pair that looks right, but your heel lifts on every heel hook, there is dead space in the toe box killing your sensitivity, and your foot slides around inside when you are … Read more