Ice Climbing - Doug Dobkowski

WARNING: Ice Climbing is DANGEROUS. Here are some of my favorite gear picks for it.

Products in this list

C.A.M.P. Geko Ice Pro Gloves by Camp — These are hands down my favorite gloves for technical winter activities They are the perfect balance between insulation and dexterity. I find the sizing to run normal. I wear XL in most gloves and these XL's fit perfect on me. I put these on at tree line. They provide the warmth but still have the dexterity to be able to do all the things I need to do along the way.
Petzl Nomic Ice Tool by Petzl — If I had to have 1 tool, it would be these. I love them for how secure they feel when you stick them in the ice. They also work great in moderate mixed terrain. I like to use the "Pur Ice" pick if there is no dry tooling on the route. The Pur Ice pick is thinner, and penetrates deeper. I also like the "Dry" pick, which works well on ice and is a little beefier if you need to place it directly on rock. I think these shine in WI 4 and WI 5. They work well enough in WI 3. I would not take these up WI 2, but then again, who wants to climb WI 2?
Petzl Pur'Ice Pick Black by Petzl — If I know I will the route is 100% ice with no mixed climbing or dry tooling, I love these picks for their penetration power. They are thinner than other picks and therefore it takes less effort to get secure sticks.
Swix Chrome File 6 In by Swix — An ice climber's best friend is a file. Keep your picks and your crampons sharp. This is a great compact file.
Petzl Dart Crampons Orange by Petzl — These are my all time favorite crampons for ice climbin. Those front points are very well designed--sharp, durable, secure. These crampons are modular meaning that you can swap out different front sections with this crampon and save some money or weight in your pack. You can also have 1 front point (that's what I usually use) or 2 front points--I like having 2 front points on convex surfaces, but you have to make the decision before you leave the house.
Julbo Fury Sunglasses Black Reactiv Performance 1-3 by Julbo — Eye protection is important, but light conditions can be annoying. These are a great pair of reactive lenses. They are good in low light to moderate light so you can keep your eyes protected across a wide range of light conditions. I even wear mine in the dark.
BLUE ICE Aero Lite Ice Screw by Blue Ice — The most important feature of an ice screw, in my opinion, is ease of placement. That's why This earns my pick. I suggesting getting the "Lite" version because the weight adds up. I'm often bringing 12-14 screws with me. Going "Lite" will save about 350 grams on your rack. My rack contains: 1 x 7cm, 1 x 10cm, 3 x 13cm, 4 x 16cm, 3 x 19cm, and 2 x 22 cm. 
Petzl Caritool Evo Ice Screw Holder Black by Petzl — You will need a way to attach the ice screw to your harness, many call these devices, "Ice Clippers." The Petzl Caritool Evo fits on almost every harness out there securely. Most people attach 2 - 4 of these on their harness.
Trango Low-Bulk Dog Bone by Trango — I love having a locker draw when ice climbing which consists of a dogbone and 2 locking carabiners. This plays a critical role when rapelling off of an ice thread. It also is a fast and convienient way to make a rappel extension.
Petzl Sm'D Triact-Lock Carabiner by Petzl — This is my prefered locker for a locker draw. You will need two of these, one for each end. I like having the gates face opposite directions on my locker draw.
Petzl Ange L Wiregate Carabiner Blue - Doug Dobkowski | Rendezvu by Rendezvu — This is my prefered carabiner for the end of my Quick Screw. I also use these carabiners for alpine draws. Gray is for gear side and Blue is for Rope side. 
Petzl Ange Finesse L/L Quickdraw Set White 17 Cm - Doug Dobkowski | Rendezvu by Rendezvu — This is my prefered quick draw when ice climbing. (I also use these when trad climbing).
Mammut Contact Sling Dyneema 8.0 Alpine Sling by Rendezvu — This is my prefered sling for alpine draws. You will also need two carabiners. I use the Petzl Ange L Gray for gear side and Blue for Rope side.
G-Screamer by TAZ — I usually have 1 or 2 of these with me when I am ice climbing. They are a quick draw. If you fall on it, the stitching rips. Sounds bad, but the purpose is to minimize the force on the piece of protection. I clip this to screws that are questionable. Maybe it's a stubby. Maybe the ice is airated. Being safe in the mountains is all about stacking the odds in your favor.
Quick Screw Sling And Holster by Salewa — I use this device to rack my 13cm and 16 cm screws. It comes with two benefits: a) It allows me to rack some screws on my gear loops. b) It has a built in quick draw and you only need 1 carabiner. It takes a little getting used to deploying and clearning, but I love these things. It works with ice screws from all different brands.