Gear Guy
Q:
Why do you never review foreign gear?
Why don't you compare gear from other countries to erican companies' gear? I have seen other gear from abroad and a lot of it looks like good-quality stuff with several really neat designs. How about some info on foreign gear? Steve Cullman, Alabama
Scarpa Freney XT
Secondly, while it's certainly true this site has a global readership, most visitors are in the U.S. So what good does it do to advise them to buy a brand they can't find? I don't dispute for a minute that gear makers in other countries make good stuff, and often very interesting stuff. But it's also true that the most competitive market in the world for outdoor gear is in the United States. So it stands to reason that gear designed here is, if not best in class, then absolutely cutting edge. And I'm not saying that out of any misplaced parochialism or jingoism.
Lead Photo: courtesy, REI