I tried this out looking for a tougher Nalgene replacement for climbing and mountaineering. The plastic collar on the lid came off one bottle rendering it useless, and the taste is not as good as other metal bottles. In my mind bad tasting water is not only unpleasant, but may be a sign of something you'd rather not drink in the water (paranoia - likely). The lack of durability and improved taste eliminate the two main reasons to go with a metal bottle. I'd recommend a Kleen Kanteen or Sigg. I prefer the KK for it's wider mouth, but Sigg bottles tend to be more durable, both bottle and lid.

Tough feeling, smooth handling, tangle free rope. I bought this on clearance with middling expectations. I love my 70m Marathon Pro 10.2, but it tangles easily and its nice soft sheath is now thrashed. I like my Levatator 10.5, but at 50m it's often too short. The Arete is as light at the Levatator without feeling like a skinny rope. The only time I notice the thinness is on belay or rap, the rope feeds a little more smoothly and quickly than my other ropes. I recommend using it with an ATC XP or similar device that handles thinner ropes well. I've been using the Arete for about 6 months and it isn't yet showing signs of heavy wear, something I can't say for my other ropes. Other ropes I've used with a sheath this durable were all stiffer and more difficult to handle and tie in to, especially when new. I like the way the Arete handles, and knots have been easy to tie since day one. For the first time with a new rope I experienced no twisting or tangling on the first use (I have always flaked it out new ropes before using). While I would prefer a bi-pattern rope the midpoint is well marked and easy to find.

Pros:
Good handling
Tough sheath
Resists tangling
Midpoint clearly marked
Cons:
No bi-pattern
Thinness can be an issue in ATC or early Reversos

Not the lightest, but they have a good shape, solid feel, and decent gate opening for the size - unlike some ultralights (Camp Nano). They snag significantly less than my Trango ultralights. The colors in the rack pack are nice for those who match cam colors for rack management. They rack beatifully and are fine for sport if you have relatively thin fingers.

I bought these for the biners; it was cheaper at the time to buy 4 draws than 8 biners. These are now my favorite sport draws, I just wish I'd picked up the longer dogbones. The keylock is one of the greatest innovations in climbing technology. I love the rubber sleeve on the dogbone for holding the biner in place in use, but I hate it when I'm raiding my sport draws for the positrons to use with trad gear and draws. I just need to get more Positrons.

After a few months of use I'm very happy with my Reverso. On belay it feels about the same as an ATC, but is smoother when lowering. It is also a little smoother on rappel. Belaying a second is where this really earns its place. The autolocking is amazing, especially the ability to autolock on two ropes. Ascending works surprisingly well, as long as you have a way to un-weight the device. This is now my primary belay device. One minor complaint: this is a noisy piece of equipment when hanging (banging) on its metal keeper.