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Rocktober is upon us, which means that the leaves are turning, the humidity is about to drop, and snowfall is just around the corner. Whether you’re anxiously waiting for crisp conditions on your sport proj, for water-ice to freeze in the alpine, or for that manky sitstart to dry out, Prime Day is a decent* opportunity to replenish your battered climbing gear at a steep discount. (Prime Day’s full name is actually “Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Sale” but who the hell has time to say that?) October Prime Day Deals run from October 8-9 and include big-label climbing brands like Friction Labs, Julbo, Arc’teryx. We’re only listing our personal favorites here.
*Most big climbing retailers seem to boycott Amazon’s Big Deal Days, so the deals are relatively limited. But there are some!
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The Atom hoody has been around for decades and, in our opinion, for good reason. The latest iteration of the Atom SL is about as “four-season” as insulated jackets come, with 40 grams of synthetic insulation providing a reasonable summer-time belay jacket—or, in winter, a breathable, high-output midlayer.
The Atom SL’s breathable face fabric saves it from the humid, garbage-bag feel of other lightweight insulated jackets, allowing us to wear it for far longer throughout a day while staying comfortable. We were much more likely to reach for the Atom SL for an alpine scramble or ice-climbing approach than, say, the Nuclei (not on sale), whose wind-proofness makes it better suited for long belays in alpine environments. The Atom SL’s fabric is, at best, wind-resistant, but it is finished with a DWR coating to provide a bit more protection from the elements.
Buy Arc’teryx’s Atom SL Hoody here.
The Julbo Ultimate Cover is a super light, super protective pair of sunglasses intended for harsh mountain environments. The Ultimate Cover has an easily removable nose guard and side shields, a cord attachment to secure the glasses in exposed terrain, and large vents to prevent fogging when you’re working hard on the uphill.
Read our full review here.
Get ye some Ultimate Covers here
Do you remember a time before Friction Labs? We do, and it was sad. While FL now has competitors, their entry into the chalk market ~ten years ago was an absolute game changer for the sweaty-fingered among us.
Ok, ok, we haven’t actually tested this. But Friction labs makes great chalk, and tape is important. So we’re buying some.
We know: these are mostly meant for runners and cyclists and other crazy people. BUT they’re pretty awesome for climbers too—particularly if you want a non-filling energy boost before ripping one last end-of-day effort on your project.