How much climbing gear do i need

It keeps the bag closer to your reach, and it doesn't swing wildly while you're moving. You don't need chalk, but it helps. Helmets are for protecting yourself from rock fall and ice fall if you end up getting into ice climbing. It's important to have one when outdoors.

You will get hit with bits of rock and gravel; it just happens. You can bypass the helmet if you'll only be climbing indoors.

Foam helmets are great at dissipating impact forces, and the vents keep your head cool in warm weather. I dig the Wall Rider because of its hybrid construction, with a partial hard shell and foam. The shell keeps smaller rocks from pelting you in the noggin while retaining all the benefits of foam. It has an inner liner that allows the outer shell to rotate slightly, so it reduces rotational forces to the brain. You won't need wire gate carabiners if you're only climbing indoors. Outdoors, you'll want a handful in addition to a couple of locking carabiners.

Wire gates have mostly replaced standard solid gates as they're lighter and less susceptible to gate chatter or gate flutter—that noise you hear in a fall when the weight of the gate briefly makes itself pop slightly open. It's very rarely a big deal, but climbers are always thinking about risk-management. Photograph: Backcountry. Photograph: Scarpa. Photograph: REI. Fun fact: ATC stands for air traffic controller. Wire Gate Carabiners C. Previously, he spent a decade as a freelance writer covering automobiles, motorcycles, and lifestyle stories for magazines.

Writer and Reviewer. Topics outdoors gear Shopping buying guides. While running the climbing and abseil events in my adventure group years ago, many people thought this amount of money is quite substantial. I have always disagreed. Other outdoor activities, such as boating or SCUBA diving for example, are far more expensive, in both startup and ongoing costs.

Think about this: after 6 months of the fitness classes, you would have bought ALL the gear you need to continue climbing independently for 3 years approximately before needing to replace some of the gear for safety.

Items such as belay devices and carabiners and all gear made from alloy for that matter last a lifetime unless damaged. Helmets tend to last many years as well. And as mentioned earlier, you will be able to share gear and costs with items such as ropes and quickdraws among friends and partners, reducing individual costs. This makes climbing quite affordable in comparison to many other activities or sports, and also allows you far more freedom to have a variety of adventures and see new places all around the world.

Also, climbing in almost all locations in the outdoors is FREE. A bit of gas money to get to the climbing areas is the only extra ongoing cost. Once you have the gear and some instruction, it's then time to find some routes to climb! Taking that first step can be hard, so never be afraid to ask questions no matter how silly they seem.

Enjoy climbing in the outdoors! Got questions? Comment below or contact me! Remember: Safety is your responsibility. No internet article or video can replace proper instruction and experience. Do you like the content on the vertical adventurer? You can support me via a one time Paypal donation, or become a Patreon! Not ready to buy me a coffee? You can still help me out by sharing this post on social media, subscribing to the blog, and following me on Facebook and Instagram!

The environment is under threat from human impact! Respect natural places and leave them clean. You can learn more about the leave no trace principles HERE. Learn more! Recent Posts. Hiking the Routeburn Track in Winter! Your guide to Hiking in Winter! Canyoning Down the Eagles Nest. Search By Tags. Check out these! Always remember this Ideally, your harness should comfortably work with your clothing to ensure a full range of movement. Padding, extra-wide webbing, ventilation, and moisture transport are just some of the key features to look for.

The waist belt fastens yep, you guessed it around your waist. Given that a harness is designed to keep you safe, you need to examine the harness for defects or damage even when buying one new. The below video can help you identify them:. Not that long ago, more than dangerous harnesses were seized from an eBay seller — showing how important it is to do your research before buying one. However, we highly recommend practising in a controlled environment first, particularly with help from a climbing instructor.

There are three types of belay devices to choose from, depending on the type of climbing you want to do — tubular, assisted-breaking, and Figure 8. A carabiner, in simple terms, is a device to which you can attach things without fear of them becoming detached. This gate then shuts to prevent the equipment from slipping out of the carabiner. Carabiners, along with ropes and your harness, are usually the crucial pieces of rock climbing equipment that stand between safety and serious injury, if not worse.

For this reason, you should invest in carabiners with long-standing reputations for quality and strength, such as those made by Petzl , Black Diamond , or the Tommy Caldwell endorsed Eldelrid. There are several different types of carabiners, including the wire carabiner, the straight gate carabiner, and the locking carabiner. There are other types, but they largely fall somewhere between those three, with minor variations. This video will help you identify which type of carabiner is best-suited to you:.

We did say carabiners are used for all sorts of things in rock climbing — one of these is the quickdraw. The idea is to attach one end of the quickdraw carabiner to a bolt hanger on a route, and your rope to the other. This gives you some slack on the rope by allowing the rope to move around while remaining attached to the bolt hanger. Once again, YouTube is your friend for this one — the below clip will help you pick the right quickdraw for your climb.

Incidentally, this philosophy of conservation and ethical climbing is held by climbing pioneer and Yosemite big wall legend Yvon Chouinard who founded the outdoors clothing company Patagonia, amongst other achievements.

Unfortunately, rock faces and mountains occasionally have a habit of spontaneously fracturing, sending stones, rocks, and sometimes boulders tumbling down below. This is obviously a hazard for any climber, which is why the helmet is another key piece of rock climbing equipment. The untouched aspect of wild mountains makes the rock unpredictable, while the well-worn routes of trad and sport climbing can sometimes mean the wall has weakened.

Some though not all climbing helmets are also designed to provide protection in the event of a fall. Ideally, your helmet should fit snugly and sit flat on your head but not feel too tight.