Tools and Tips

Gearing Up:

There are as many gear websites as there are opinions on gear! Here are a few that have proven valuable over the past few years:

• WeighMyRack.com - In addition to posting some pretty phenomenal "gear porn" pictures, WeighMyRack lists almost every iteration of every piece of climbing hardware available. Interested in the difference in grams between Camp wiregates and DMM wiregates? How about between every brand that manufactures wiregate carabiners?! WMR has you covered.

• Outdoor Gear Lab - Thorough reviews of outdoor gear including climbing equipment. Weigh the opinions of their experts against your needs and make an informed decision to help your outdoor dollars go further!

Gathering Beta:

There are a staple few websites that are known as the go-to places for information. Most of the "beta" (information about a route, conditions, etc.) is user-contributed, with the usual caveats that implies.

• Mountain Project - MP also has a fairly functional app for iPhone and Android that makes it easy to dig through routes. Check out the different regions they offer for a more- or less-zoomed-in view of the routes in a given area.

• Mountaineers - Routes and Places - The Mountaineers website offers a fairly large archive of route descriptions, trip reports (sometimes including GPS tracks!), access information, and more. Check here for supplemental information when headed out on a climb. Notice, too, that you can narrow down the route listings by category with the checkbox filters.

• Summit Post - Summit Post offers great trip beta and frequently has trip reports. The main page for a peak has access information and an overview. On the left panel you can see more detailed route descriptions and trip reports.

• Peak Bagger - Peak bagger is a somewhat primitive site that can be used to catalog your climbs. A more helpful feature of the site however are the GPS tracks. You can find GPS tracks for some really obscure climbs here.