Ice Climbing Kit - Jarrod Blundy
Everything I bring out for a day of ice climbing in the Adirondacks.
Jarrod Blundy's expert gear recommendations on Rendezvu
Products in this list
- Petzl Nomic Ice Tool by Petzl — Great swing, great balance. Love that they come with head weights pre-installed.
- La Sportiva G-Summit Mountaineering Boots by La Sportiva — Technically, I wear the G5 Evo boots, but you can't get them anymore. These are what I'm eyeing up next, and think they make the best upgrade from the Evos. I won't go back from BOA, and they climb and hike super well. I've done many 12+ hour days in them.
- Petzl Dart Crampons by Petzl — I rock these in mono point, and have been super impressed with their durability, modularity, and ability to service them in the field. They climb great, of course!
- BLUE ICE Aero Ice Screws by BLUE ICE — By far, the best ice screws on the market.
- Black Diamond Vapor Climbing Helmet by Black Diamond — Light and comfy.
- Arc'teryx Men's AR-395a Harness by Arc'teryx — Best all-around harness I've ever used. Comfortable for long belays.
- Edelrid Giga Jul Belay Device by Edelrid — Best all-around belay device. You get the security of a brake-assisted device with the versatility of a regular tubular device. With steel parts, it's mega durable and long-lasting too.
- Petzl GRIGRI Belay Device by Petzl — I carry one primarily for building/accessing anchors to rappel. They're also nice for top belaying a single follower on non-icy ropes in the winter.
- KONG Gigi MULTIUSE Belay Plate by Kong — My ultralight backup belay/rappel device. Sometimes I use it to top belay my follower so that my Giga Jul is free for me to start pre-rigging my rappel.
- OCUN Condor HMS Twistlock Carabiner by OCUN — Excellent belay carabiner that prevents cross-loading and has a nice round stock for the rope to run smoothly over.
- Freino Autolocking Carabiner by Petzl — The built-in spur for redirecting the brake strand on the GriGri is so convenient that it negates the other oddities about this carabiner and it just lives with my GriGri.
- Edelrid HMS Bulletproof Screw Carabiner by Edelrid
- Petzl Attache Carabiner by Petzl
- Petzl Sm'D Twist-Lock Autolock Carabiner by Petzl
- Petzl Caritool Tool Holder by Petzl — Quality ice clipper. (The Caritool Evo is also good if you don't have dedicated ice clipper slots on your harness.)
- BEAL EXPRESSO FIT Adjustable Lanyard by beal-planet — Adjustable lanyard that makes it easy to attach your device to rappel. No knots to tie with gloved hands.
- Sterling 6.8 mm HollowBlock2 Loop by Sterling — Better than a tied-off accessory cord, this lives as my backup friction hitch loop for buddies and building pulley systems.
- Beal Opera 8.5 mm x 70 m Dry Rope Green 8.5 Mm X 70 M by Beal — Awesome ice rope that performs well for leading and top roping! I prefer the Golden Dry treatment for winter.
- Mammut Contact Sling Dyneema 8.0 by Mammut — Lightweight slings. I carry one each of the 120cm, 180cm, and 240cm for anchoring, extending pro, and personal tethering. And the 60cm ones for my alpine draws!
- PETZL Multihook Threading Tool by Petzl — Excellent tool for pulling your rope/slings through a v-thread, and it's got a built-in serrated knife so that you're never without one!
- Magnetic V-Thread Tool by TAZ — My backup tool for pulling rope/slings through a v-thread. Sometimes easier to use than the Multihook and so lightweight that I don't mind carrying both.
- Petzl Actik Core Headlamp by Petzl — My go-to headlamp for all activities. I prefer it's one-button operation, rechargeable battery (that also takes AAAs for backup), and ideal brightness settings.
- Petzl Swift LT Headlamp by Petzl — The backup headlamp in case my partner forgets theirs, or I have an issue with the primary one. It's so small and light that I often forget that I packed it!
- Black Diamond Blitz 20 Pack by Black Diamond — Great lead/multi-pitch pack! But the metal ice tool keepers kinda suck. But you don't need them if you just slide your tools into the slot and attach the velcro.
- Stache Ice 50 by Blue Ice — My ice "crag" bag. Big enough to carry everything and more for a full day out in the mountains. Great crampons slot and ice tool keepers.
- C.A.M.P. Geko Ice Pro Gloves by C.A.M.P.
- Punisher Gloves by Black Diamond
- Alpine 3-Finger Mitts by Black Diamond
- SHOWA 282-02 Waterproof Breathable Insulated Winter/Ski/Ice Glove by Showa — For wet climbing days, these will keep your hands dry and warm.
- Men's Mission Down 3000M Hoody by Black Diamond
- Mountain Equipment Men's Makalu Jacket by Mountain Equipment
- Men's Vapour-Rise™ Summit Jacket by Rab — Technically I wear the Mountain Equipment Kinesis, but this is a near match since the Kinesis has been discontinued. It's my go-to winter midlayer as it sheds wind and water quite well, and is both warmer and more breathable than you'd expect. Another every day layer.
- Conduit Crew by Rab
- G2 Mountain Men's Pant by Mountain Equipment — I wear these pants almost every winter day (that it's not raining) in the mountains — ice climbing, hiking, and skiing.
- Conduit Tights - Men's by Rab — My favorite wicking baselayer bottom. Warm, but not too warm. Comfy. (Wish it had a fly.)
- Power Stretch® Beanie by Mountain Hardwear — My under-helmet beanie. Keeps my ears and head warm without any bulk.
- Seamless Friction Loop by Zartman Cruising — This is replaced the Holloblock as my primary third-hand friction loop. It's easier to use, and grabs better. Not dealing with a bar-tack is fantastic.