1. Helinox
Chair One
Lounge between burns in this 33-ounce, portable and quick-to-set up chair. We’ve carried it everywhere from Golden’s Quarry Wall to Suesca, Colombia, and have written many a story (and gear review) while plopped in its comfy alloy and nylon design. $124 | helinox.com.au
4. Petzl
Sirocco
Weighing in at just 170 grams (six ounces) this lid represents a welcome improvement over the previous generation Sirocco. It’s no longer in-your-face orange, (now it’s black and orange), rides lower on the head and hybrid construction strengthens its ability to deflect blows. Plus, it’s headlamp compatible.
$130 | petzl.com
2. Petzl
GriGri +
First there was the original GriGri, the industry standard in assisted-braking belay devices, which came out 25 years ago. Then came the GriGri 2, which worked on smaller diameter ropes. The GriGri + works on even smaller cords, down to 8.9mm (and up to 10.5mm). This useful tool is built for heavy use and has two has modes, top-rope and lead. It also has an anti-panic handle.
$150 | petzl.com
3. DMM
Rhino Carabiner
Of all the non-rotating belay carabiners we’ve used (there are a lot on the market), this one is the simplest. DMM put a horn above the spine, a simple nub, so the GriGri + (or other belay device) is far less likely to cross-load. This durable 72-gram locking carabiner comes in screwgate, quicklock and locksafe configurations.
$15-$24 | dmmclimbing.com
5. Edelrid
Bulletproof Quickdraw
Many a climber uses two opposite and opposed quickdraws as their top-rope anchor on sport routes (guilty!). Dedicating Bulletproof draws, made with high-use steel baskets, saves your other quickies for stringing up your project. Available in straight and bent keylock gates, it weighs 118 grams.
$29-$30 | edelrid.com
6. Patagonia
Crag Daddy 45
Duffel-style packs excell at the crags. You can reach inside to grab a soggy PB&J or swig of water without having to pull everything out. Made of abrasion resistant 630-denier nylon with a polyurethane coating, this baby is large enough to carry an entire kit (rack, rope, draws), and opens up wide for easy access to goodies.
$179 | patagonia.com
7. Expedition 
Hot Sauce
After nearly three decades of wolfing down bland climber food, we can still manage to down junk…thanks to Expedition Sauce. A bland packet of tuna? No problem, when you put a dab of this spicy pepper and tomato concoction on it. It’s great on hard-boiled eggs and leftover pasta.
$6 | rei.com
