Holiday Buying (and Boycotting) Guide
Holiday Buying Guide from alpha climbing founder Aaron Hjelt
We support industry vendors whose values align with our mission. I strongly encourage you to consider these companies when purchasing holiday gifts. AND PLEASE BUY FROM LOCAL RETAILERS (like your local shop or gym). As I’ll mention and hint at throughout this writing, I’m not advocating for increased consumerism. As climbers we need equipment in order to have the climbing experiences that are so valuable and life affirming to use. Consumerism is necessary to this. I’m encouraging thoughtful and deliberate consumerism through this post.
Clothing
E9 Clothing - Passion and integrity define E9’s approach to making the finest climbing clothing. They have defined an often-imitated style but have remained true to their core values. In the past few years, they have made a concerted effort to reduce supply-chain waste and emissions, as well as attempting to eliminate single use plastic from their distribution chain.
E9 has also made a commitment to using more organic cotton and hemp in their products (reducing pesticides).
I love E9 because I love climbing, art, creativity, absurdity, and activism. E9 combines all of these passions into what I wear!
Look for E9 at your local climbing gym. And if they don’t sell it, ask for it! And please beware the copy-cat companies/corporations who don’t have values that align with yours. Is saving a few dollars worth it?
These are the questions I ask as a consumer:
Where was it made & where did the materials come from?
Who made it & does the company take care of them?
Who/what owns the company and what are their values?
Does my purchase support practice/use that is outside of my value system, such as war profiteering, discrimination, racism, etc.?
What is this company doing to be part of solutions?
Shoes
UnParallel Sports makes their shoes in their factory in Southern California. Started by former designers and employees of Five Ten, they’ve carried on the legacy of some of the most iconic shoes and stickiest rubber ever. Subtle improvements keep the emphasis on performance. Their shoes are product of tried and true designs. The NewTro is my all-time favorite climbing shoe, while the Vim and Regulus are brilliant slippers, about as close to perfection in a climbing shoe as I could proclaim.
Their prices are very reasonable compared to the rest of the performance shoe market. Their rubber is superb. Sang Lee and the rest of the team are very friendly, helpful, and passionate.
They also offer in-house resole services. I’ve had my first pair of NewTros recently resoled for a second time. I have no reason to toss them in the landfill when I can get a resole as good as what UP offers.
I’m really psyched on this company, their business model, their incredible products, and their heritage.
Bouldering Gear
I get asked frequently about what bouldering pads are the best. I don’t even let the question get finished before I say, “Organic.” I don’t even have to think about it. To say that owner Josh Helke and company are keeping it real in Philipsburg, PA is an understatement. It would be easy for me to say that Organic pads are the best, and that this is reason enough to buy your bouldering gear from them, but this isn’t my main reason for my endorsement. More than anything, I admire their business model. You can see that they put people over profits. They care about their employees, customers, the environment, and the marginalized of our society.
Aren’t all pads just foam and nylon? Parents ask me what the difference is. Good foam, good nylon, and craft make all of the difference. And Organic pads have all three. I’ve been climbing since ‘92. My first pad for my 1995 Hueco trip was carpet and foam from and upholstery shop. We stitched it together with grommets and cord. Since then bouldering has become a big thing. Through all of this, I’ve gotten a pretty good feel of what companies are keeping it real and those who are selling products to increase sales margins.
When I started alpha climbing, Organic was one of the industry businesses that I looked up to. Their practices are top notch. They build their gear with an insane amount of craft. And they really do care about doing good. It’s not performative. It’s not to appease shareholders. It’s because humans need to do good or we’re going to ruin it for ourselves.
Organic makes the best pads. They use the best materials. They minimize waste and use solar power. They support causes that desperately need to be supported. Enough said.
Beware the imitations. There are too many to list. But I will say this: if your pad is made by a corporate juggernaut and doubles as a fancy climbing gym bench, is that really what you want stopping your fall as your body collides with the ground over and over again? An Organic pad will outlive and outperform that cheap pad for years and years and you will be certain that you’re supporting a stellar business.
Hardware, Ropes, Headlamps, and Helmets
My go-to recommendation for hardware, ropes, headlamps, and helmets is the 100% family owned Petzl. When I use Petzl gear I’m confident that there are passionate human beings at the onset of that gear that care about my safety, as well as the safety of my partners and clients.
I’ve been trusting Petzl gear since 1992, when I bought my first Petzl Grigri and harness. It’s my equipment of choice when I’m with my athletes at the best sport climbing crags on earth, as well as when I’m pursuing personal objectives in the mountains, on vertical ice, and on technical ski descents. I trust Petzl.
Their innovation transcends their physical products by providing an incredible wealth of instruction and best-use-practices through their “tech tips” and videos. I’ve modeled much of my risk management strategy and mentoring on Petzl’s educational materials.
I use Petzl products because I know that my safety is their priority. They put people over profit. Can you say the same about the executive chairman of the competition, who oversees boardroom decisions based on profit margins? Integrity in climbing equipment manufacturing and distribution is everything, and I trust Petzl because integrity is front and center in their business.
And besides, Petzl equipment works well. It’s simple. It’s not fussy. They are constantly improving and innovating. I also sincerely appreciate that they don’t try to flood the market with a bunch of price-point and/or superfluous items that don’t relate to their mission. There’s a reason why Petzl equipment is the most ubiquitous and universally appreciated at crags around the world. Their authenticity allows them to develop the most effective and imitated equipment.
They also recognize that youth is the future, and make high quality gear for young climbers.
Through the Petzl Foundation, they fund projects to address conservation of the environment, accident prevention, and the pursuit of knowledge. The Petzl Technical Institute provides high level training for work-at-height professionals. Their acquisition of knowledge on how to stay safe sets the standard for the industry. This trickles down to how I keep myself and my athletes safe.
When you purchase Petzl equipment, you support these efforts. Where does your money go when you purchase equipment from a mega corporation whose executive chairman and shareholders are primarily concerned with profit and dividends?
Why I’m Boycotting Black Diamond
In November, 2016, alpha climber and mentor Quinn and I traveled to the Standing Rock Reservation to stand in solidarity with the thousands of water protectors gathered to protest the building of the Dakota Access oil pipeline underneath the Missouri River. A number of times during the course of the protest, peaceful protestors, who were standing in the river, were blasted with tear gas manufactured and sold by Safariland LLC, which is owned by Warren B. Kanders. Kanders is also the Executive Chairman and primary shareholder of the Clarus Corporation. Clarus brands include Black Diamond Equipment, Sierra Bullets, Barnes Bullets, Pieps, and Skinourishment. These brands are not autonomous companies - their profits and losses are leveraged and strategized to create wealth for Kanders and the other shareholders of the company.
From Kanders in the 2019 Clarus annual report:
“…strategic decisions will be prioritized around maximizing the organic growth and profitability of our brands. We strongly believe this will provide the highest levels of return on invested capital. We also take a strategic and disciplined approach to our capital allocation. We regularly evaluate opportunities to opportunistically acquire similar super-fan brands to complement our portfolio and where we can deploy our unique “innovate and accelerate” brand strategy. But we will prioritize our strong balance sheet, liquidity and the preservation of shareholder capital first and foremost.”
Kanders has made millions profiting from instruments of harm, and in some cases, death. Purchase of Black Diamond, as well as the other brands of Clarus, only furthers his enrichment. The pursuit of profits over people, as well as a laundry list of questionable practice in this pursuit, does not align with my values or the mission of alpha climbing. In fact, it is quite antithetical. The business model that Black Diamond is currently contained within is offensive, to say the least.
I have made a personal pledge to boycott Black Diamond until Kanders is removed from his leadership role. I will continue to abstain from the purchase of all brands of the Clarus Corporation and will encourage my friends, partners, clients, colleagues, and community to do so. If you would like a full listing of reasons and resources I have for this boycott, I’d be happy to share my sources with you.
As a consumer, you have a choice.
Other Shout Outs and Final Thoughts on Consumerism
Grips for Good climbing holds - finely crafted hand made hardwood climbing holds made from salvaged or reclaimed lumber by yours truly.
Mio Mi - handmade clothing and climbing accessories made with love in Bozeman, Montana. I love Miriam’s style and colors and her attention to detail.
Edelrid - I don’t have much experience with this company but I do admire their business model and ethics. They make some pretty cool and innovative equipment.
Mystery Ranch - another family owned company from Bozeman, Montana. The Ranch carries on the tradition of over 40 year of design and innovation of its founders. They support come great causes. I have a lot of respect for their roster of athlete ambassadors.
Finally, what I’m really encouraging through this series is to be a conscious and considerate consumer.
Do you really need more gear, or is experience more valuable to you?
Who is profiting from your purchase? What are their values?
Can you repair your gear? Or spend a little more to get better gear in the first place?
Can you donate what you aren’t using to someone less fortunate?
Do your loved ones need stuff or need love? How else can you show that love them without buying them something?
Have a safe and joyous holiday season (if you celebrate any of the upcoming holidays). If you don’t, I still want you to be safe and to find joy! -Aaron