Ethan Caldwell

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

If you have been climbing for a while, you already know the feeling: you are one move from sending your project, and your fingers just give out. That is exactly why I started hangboard training at home. Finger strength is the single biggest limiting factor for most climbers, and a quality hangboard is the most … Read more

When I first walked into a climbing gym five years ago, I grabbed a pair of rental shoes that smelled like they had been through a hundred sweaty sessions. My feet ached, my toes cramped, and I spent more time thinking about the pain than the wall in front of me. That experience is exactly … Read more

Getting to the crag is half the battle. Whether you are slogging up a loose talus field, scrambling over granite slabs, or navigating a sketchy descent through wet rock, the right approach shoes can make or break your day before you even tie in. Our team has spent the past three seasons testing approach shoes … Read more

Getting your surfboard to the break should be the easiest part of your session. But if you have ever watched a board slide sideways on a bare roof at 65 mph, or spent twenty minutes wrestling with tangled straps in a parking lot, you already know that the wrong rack setup can turn a dawn … Read more