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GEAR REVIEW: Rock Solid Climbing Goods for Women

A quick rundown of the latest rock climbing accoutrements for female craggers.

Saddle Up: The C.A.M.P. USA Jade CR harness ($69.95) not only looks good—it also delivers the goods with women’s-specific adjustable sizing and extra padding in all the right places.

Top it Off: The C.A.M.P. USA Armour Lady helmet ($59.95) features side ventilation plus a fast and secure adjustment system for optimal comfort and protection.

Get a Grip: The Prana women’s chalk bag ($22) boasts elegant lines, colorful design, and a slightly petite size.

Drop Elegantly: The new Mad Rock HERA bouldering crash pad ($139.95) is designed with softer foam to make the pad lighter and give a better bounce for female climbers; $6 of the purchase price also goes to the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation.

Accessorize Well: The Mammut Smart Belay device ($29.95) serves up unparalleled safety even for thinner ropes with a dependable locking feature plus ease of use with easy rope management, allowing for longer cragging sessions.

Playing Through...all 848 miles.

Wombat holes, herds of hopping kangaroo, and oyster beds are just a few of the standout features drivers and putters will encounter along Australia's newly unveiled 848-mile Nullarbor Links golf course, which is billed as the world's longest golf course. Now taking reservations for mid-August, this par-71 Oz odyssey stretches along the continent's southern coast, winding through the countryside's arid desert, lush rainforests, and wild beaches galore.

Golfers need worry not about wearing out their walking shoes—this course has playing distances of just 6500 yards and boasts Jeep transport and a network of lodges in between holes for a complete 4- to 5-day golf tour Down Under. This sojourn, which delivers spectacular, one-of-a-king scenery, tees off in Denial Bay (which obtained its moniker due to the Aussie policy on beerless-ness) near Ceduna and wraps up in Kalgoorlie, the site of the country's first gold rush.

Seven of the holes are taken from existing golf courses and the remaining 11 are being built specifically for Nullarbor Links. The price to play, which is to be paid at the Kalgoorlie or Ceduna visitor's centers or any of the roadhouses in between, is a mighty reasonable $41 U.S. www.nullarborlinks.com.

Get a (Green) Grip.

If it's high time to swap out your old, cracked, faded handlebar tape on your road or mountain bike, know that there's a new, green choice in town. While standard tapes are packed with un-planet-friendly oil, Green Grips are fashioned of oh so eco-conscious 100% organic cotton.

Bonus: Green Grips bartape is perfect for riders with sensitive skin or rubber allergies. It also enhances breathability, which is downright sensible for those hot summer spins. If that wasn't enough, Green Grips can also be used to tape up everything from your gardening tools to your youngster's baseball bat.

This petrol-free product is sold in three-yard rolls complete with separate strips of finishing tape for a measly $6. Do yourself and the planet some good the next time you spiff up your ride. http://www.greengrips.org/

Are You a Survivor in the Wild?

You're lost...and alone in the woods. Somehow, you've gotten turned around and can't find the trail back to your car. Do you panic? Do you start to imagine those telltale crunching noises signaling the arrival of a bear or mountain lion? Do you fixate on the setting sun, fearing a night spent alone in the forest?

Even the most prudent of we adventurers have been here at one time or another in the outdoors, whether going it alone or with others. Adding fuel to the fear are the sensational headlines of misplaced adventurers around the globe—such as the teenaged Brit who was found freezing and dehydrated after spending 12 wintry days in Oz's Blue Mountains last week after heading out for a hike with two bread rolls, one water bottle, and no cell phone.

How can you side-step such outdoor ordeals? Plan ahead by packing enough gear to survive a night in the wild if need be—bare minimums would be a weather-appropriate jacket, cell phone, adequate food and water, and an emergency blanket.

To soothe your psyche, our recommended reading includes a new book that aims to quell our fears and equip us with the right psychological skills for survival. Outdoor Survival Guide (Human Kinetics, 2009) was penned by Randy Gerke, a survival expert who has been a technical advisor to the television programs Rescue 911 and Worst-Case Scenario and a former captain and a member of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team in Ouray, Colorado.

In his book, Gerke points to three key mental attributes of survivors:

1. Survivors maintain a positive attitude. He says successful survivors are stubborn, determined, and even fanatical about staying alive. "A positive attitude and persistence can lead to survival, but apathy and negative attitudes can lead to death," he says.

2. Survivors set an action plan. Gerke recommends setting a series of obtainable goals directly related to immediate survival. "This approach is critical to a successful outcome. First, you are completing tasks that are important for physical survival, such as building shelter or collecting water. Second, you are channeling thoughts and feelings in a positive direction."

3. Survivors stay determined. To stay focused, he says individuals must find an internal motivator. "You may suffer situational depression, but you must replace negativity with positive motion. Get up, get busy, and stay busy by doing something that contributes to your survival. You must believe you will survive."