A proud Seattle native, Chris has been enjoying the Cascade Mountains literally all his life — his mother, an avid hiker, kept it up while pregnant with Chris. After graduating from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA in 2010 Chris returned to the Pacific Northwest to rock, ice, and alpine climb both in the Cascades and throughout the American West and Canada. When in Seattle he is a route setter and instructor at Stone Gardens Climbing Gym. A fascination with climbing ice prompted a move to Bozeman, Montana where he currently resides climbing, skiing, and enjoying a less urban lifestyle.
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Chris Simrell
Review Editor
Showing 1-15 of 21 by Chris Simrell
Montbell UL Thermawrap Jacket Review
The Montbell UL Thermawrap jacket is the lightest and most affordable model we tested. All features have been...Western Mountaineering QuickFlash Jacket Review
The QuickFlash is hoodless, light, and packable. This well-made jacket is perfect for fighting off backcountry chills.North Face Nuptse Review
The Nuptse is one of the cheapest product we tested in this review. The lack of a hood and its relative heaviness make...Mountain Equipment K7 Jacket Review
Combining box-baffle construction, quality fabrics, attractive style, and well designed (and unique) features the K7...Feathered Friends Hooded Helios Review
The Feathered Friends Hooded Helios is a great climbing belay parka that feels much more at home in the mountains than...Mountain Hardwear SummitRocket 40 Review
The Mountain Hardwear SummitRocket 40 is a very lightweight mid-capacity alpine pack at a reasonable price. Designed...CiloGear 30L WorkSack Review
The CiloGear 30L WorkSack has been refined over time until... perfection? The pack's capacity is best for day trips...CiloGear 30:30 WorkSack Review
With about 40L of space in a simple and durable package, the 30:30 WorkSack from CiloGear is an extremely versatile...REI Revelcloud Jacket - Men's Review
Of all the jackets we tested, this was the least expensive. It gets our Best Buy Award because it offers quality...Arc'teryx Atom SV - Men's Review
The SV has been discontinued. The current Editors' Choice is the Rab Xenon X. And our current highest rated Arc'teryx...Mountain Hardwear Zonal - Men's Review
The Men's Zonal Jacket has been discontinued. Check out our Insulated Jacket Review to compare all of the jackets that...Haglofs Barrier Pro Hood Review
This product has been discontinued and replaced with the Haglofs Barrier Pro II Hood. The Haglofs Barrier Pro Hood is...Ibex Wool Aire Hoody Review
Unique in this review, the Ibex Wool Aire Hoody is designed to look and function like any other light insulated...Montane Ice Guide Review
The Montane Ice Guide is a well featured and very warm jacket intended as a climbing or belay jacket for winter...Feathered Friends Volant Review
With 850-fill down, fully baffled construction, and weight saving features, the Feathered Friends Volant Parka puts...
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