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• QC LAB: Gear Doesn't Last Forever—Ice Tool Picks

  This month is first part of a series the QA engineers are doing on gear lifespan. Gear, no matter how well designed and constructed, doesn't last forever. First off, they'll focus on ice tool picks. Read more >

• QC Lab: Girth Hitching a Stopper

  In this post, KP weighs in on a weird one, but curious nonetheless. What happens when you girth hitch a stopper to a bolt hanger? Read more >

• QC Lab: How Sketchy Is a Sharp-Edged Carabiner?

  I've yanked a lot of worn, sharp-edged biners off of routes, and I've tested a lot of them. It's not the ultimate strength that makes me the most nervous; it's the risk of cutting a rope. Read more >

• QC Lab: How strong are Himalayan fixed lines?

  Our QC Lab posts aim to answer some of climbing's most common gear-related questions. This month features fixed ropes from the Himalayas. Read more >

• QC Lab: How strong is the Spinner Leash?

  In this post KP weighs in on the intended use and risks of using the Spinner Leash. Read below for more knowledge and insight from our Director of Global Quality. Read more >

• QC LAB: OFF-AXIS AND TRI/QUAD-AXIAL LOADING

  Recently, Kelly Cordes emailed KP and the QC crew, posing a lengthy question about the dangers of off-axis loading while at the belay. Our lab answered the question and got inspired to do a few more tests along the way. Read more >

• QC LAB: Remounting previously drilled skis

  Our QC Lab posts aim to answer some of climbing's most common gear-related questions. This month, KP and the crew tackle the issue of mounting a pair of skis that have been previously drilled. Read more >

• QC Lab: Retiring Old Ropes

  Our QC Lab posts aim to answer some of climbing's most common gear-related questions. This month, KP and the crew look at retiring ropes. Read more >

• QC Lab: Sling Strength in 3 Anchor Configurations

  A few weeks ago a crew of super badass climbers rolled through the QA lab and one question came up more than just a few times: "What is the strongest way to rig an anchor at a belay?" Read more >

• QC Lab: Autoblock Misuse

  Lately I've been getting quite a few questions on the use of the Black Diamond ATC-Guide and/or similar "autoblock"-style belay devices—and another installment of QC with KP was born. Read more >

• QC LAB: Can a hot belay device melt my slings?

  Our QC Lab posts aim to answer some of climbing's most common gear-related questions. This month—how hot do belay devices really get? Read more >

• QC Lab: Can I Use a Sharpie to Mark the Middle of my Rope?

  Here's the question I get asked/emailed probably more than any other: "Can I use a Sharpie to mark the middle of my rope? "My answer: "I don't know." Read more >

• QC LAB: Choosing the Right Carabiner

  Our QC Lab posts aim to answer some of climbing's most common gear-related questions. This month we talk about carabiners. Read more >

• QC Lab: Connecting Two Slings Together

  Our QC Lab posts aim to answer some of climbing's most common gear-related questions. This month we talk about connecting slings. Read more >

• QC LAB: Daisy chain dangers

  I see it all the time. People at the cliff with one or two daisy chains girth hitched to their belay loop or tie-in points, and using them as a personal anchor system when at an anchor. Wrong. Read more >

• QC Lab: Dangers of rope worn carabiners

  There was an accident a few weeks ago at the Red River Gorge where a climber fell going to the second bolt and the rope was cut completely through by the fixed draw's sharp-edged, rope-end carabiner. Read more >