This week, we take a look at Women’s Climbing Fest founder Shelma Jun’s favorite climbing gear, hear from outdoor editors on how they test women’s product, and much more.
What I take to work: Shelma Jun
The gear Flash Foxy founder relies on for a day of sending
Shelma Jun on Lidija's Mouth in the Buttermilks, photo by Aurel Baker
When Shelma Jun’s not working on projects for the all-women production company Never Not Collective, she’s spearheading the Women’s Climbing Fest. The annual event brings hundreds of women together to participate in clinics and workshops, listen to the Women in Climbing panel, and climb some of the 1,200 bouldering problems and 1,000 sport and trad routes in Bishop, California.
Here’s the gear Jun grabs for a day of bouldering in the Buttermilks during the festival.
Organic full pad + briefcase pad combo ($210 + $95): “The big pads are awesome but too cumbersome to travel with. I like that I can strap the briefcase pad easily to the full pad to add a little extra cushion and that it folds so you can cram it into random crevices to make a safe landing.”
Outdoor Research Sonata Ultra down jacket ($225): “I hate being cold and will always carry extra bulk for maximum warmth. This puffy is 800 fill so it keeps me toasty between burns and at belay stations. It stuffs into its own pocket so I can clip it to my harness, the hood fits over my helmet, and it's this sweet teal color. The only thing I wish it had is double zippers so I could unzip from the bottom when I'm belaying—but I hear that the newest model comes equipped with that!”
La Sportiva Testarossas ($180) or TC Pros ($185): “I've totally become that climber with multiple pairs of shoes for different conditions. For bouldering anything steep, I love my La Sportiva Testarossas. They fit my foot perfectly and are great for heel hooking and pressing down on small feet. I'll throw my La Sportiva TC Pros on for any of that famous Buttermilk granite slab.”
Black Diamond Notion pants ($80): “I like cotton for bouldering because for me, it always ends up being a full contact sport. I like the durability of cotton (canvas, jean, etc.) when I'm desperately thigh barring on a topout. So I love climbing in jeans and jean shorts. Lately, I'm also really into the Black Diamond Notion pants because they are cotton, have a bit of a higher waist and good pockets, and they’re fitted into a jogger style at the bottom.”
Any old men’s button-down: “It's very likely you'll see me in a loose, long-sleeve, button-down men's shirt—denim, flannel, canvas—it's my favorite fit of shirts to climb in!”
Behind the gear-testing curtain
We polled five publications—starting with our own—to find out who’s reviewing women’s outdoor gear, and how they’re doing it
Outside
How we test
“I assign gear pages based on who has the most expertise in a certain product category. But while there may be a male test director for certain categories, he will get together a group of testers—women included—to put the latest and greatest to the test. They'll call in testing samples of both men's and women's gear, ideally getting the widest range of what's new for that year. It works that way with bikes, skis, jackets, sunglasses, hiking boots, sleeping bags, etc. Men will test men's, women will test women's, though sometimes people crossover to try the other gender's stuff. Then after the test is done, the test director gets feedback from everyone and aggregates it all to pick the best of the best. The upcoming Winter Buyer's Guide takes another step, as we have teams of men and women co-writing a bunch of the applicable Gear of the Year sections. We always have both men and women testing the gear, but now we'll actually have dual bylines.” —Will Egensteiner, senior gear editor
What we’re looking for
“Fit is my biggest concern when trying on a new piece of outdoor apparel. I’m petite and curvy, and if a piece of apparel fits my hips and without gaping at the waist, I’m happy. (Don’t get me started on shorts with too-short inseams).” —Ariella Gintzler, assistant gear editor
“The item has got to fit and be optimized to my body shape and size. Not all women are short and light, but I am. And it’s got to help make my performance better than it would be on my own. ‘Just’ that.” —Kelly Bastone, contributor, XX Factor columnist
“Historically, a lot of women's gear sizes are super small, which just doesn't make sense given the wide range of athlete body types. Sure, that works for some women, but some of us are taller. Some of us have wider hips and thighs. Some have broad shoulders or larger feet. Women athletes come in all shapes and sizes, so I look for gear companies that offer their products to a broad customer base.” —Abigail Wise, online managing editor
“I don’t limit myself to the ‘women-specific’ label, especially in certain categories of hardgoods, like skis and bikes. Sure, I’m almost always going to buy, say, a ski jacket that’s cut for a woman. But I test skis and bikes that suit my riding style and ability—not ones that are simply marketed to women.” —Axie Navas, executive editor
Powder
How they test
All editors test and review gear. “We write about the gear that we use,” says Julie Brown, managing editor.
For the annual Powder Week ski test, Brown and the other organizers aim to be “conscious of our array of men and women.” At the 2018 Powder Week, almost 50 percent of the testers were women—more than the publication has ever had before.
Powder encourages its women testers to try women’s skis. If a brand makes different men’s and women’s versions of the same ski, Brown rides them both back-to-back to compare.
What they’re looking for
“With outerwear, fit is a big deal. With skis, we make sure that there’s a lot of thought and process that goes into designing women’s gear, and that the brand isn’t just producing a toned-down version of the men’s ski.” —Brown
Bicycling
How they test
“We test women’s gear the same as we test all our gear: we ride the hell out of it. We put a bike or product in its intended situations and others, stress it to its limits, compare it to its peers, and assess whether we’d recommend it to its intended rider.” —Gloria Liu, features editor
What they’re looking for
“We look for the same things in both men and women’s gear: quality (comfort and durability), value (how it stacks up to its price), function (whether it makes the ride more enjoyable), and style.”—Liu
Climbing
How they test
Climbing magazine relies on a network of women testers for its gear coverage—a combination of in-house staffers and freelancers. Where possible, the tester writes the review. Otherwise “an editor here will build the review out of her notes,” says Kevin Corrigan, digital editor.
Rock and Ice
How they test
Like its peers, Rock and Ice has women test all women’s gear, largely in-house. Alison Osius, executive editor, has been in the game for decades and remembers the days before padded harnesses—let alone women’s-specific ones. “I started climbing in a swami belt,” she says. “Then I added leg loops, then finally got a Whillans Sit Harness. Now there are tons of choices out there.”
What they’re looking for
These days, when testing new harnesses, Osius looks for a few basic things: “Weight and comfort when belaying, hanging on the rope, and falling.” If she doesn’t notice the harness at all, that’s a good sign.
Expert tested
Ultrarunner Mirna Valerio shares her two favorite things to run with right now
Merrell Bare Access Flex shoes ($90): “I’ve been wearing them since summer 2017 and they have proven to be my go-to shoe for road running and cross training, like lifting and body weight exercises. They’re light, flexible but sturdy, and have a classy, simple design.”
Tifosi Optics Sport sunglasses ($40-$100): “I just bought Tifosi Optics Sport sunglasses a few weeks ago, and I’m in love. They are functional and stylish, and they do not slip off my sweaty nose while running. Available in traditional of polarized. And they’re under 100 bucks!”
Ladyshred deals
Our favorite gear at a great price
Gear shed
Last week, we asked Dawn Patrol readers to submit photos of their gear. Here’s how Charlsea Ewing stores hers.
“My life revolves around having the right gear at the right time because you never know when the waves will be good, a trail will appear, or the dog will insist on a run. I custom built a platform that would allow me to store the gear in containers shown in the second two pictures underneath and sleep on top. These pics show all the gear and equipment I took when traveling for a couple of months through the Pacific Northwest and Canada last summer. One of many trips of a lifetime!”