Rock climbing is slowly becoming one of the top methods that individuals spend their free time. However, rock climbing gear is vital for being safe and achieving your goals without taking all the risks. Once you have all the needed gear, you should be ready to take on almost every rock face with confidence.
What should you wear when rock climbing?
Rock climbing gear is specifically designed to ensure you have safety and keep you going on tough climbs. In addition, these clothing and gear garments will offer ventilation and versatility to ensure the journey is that much easier.
- Breathable and Comfortable Clothing
- Climbing Harness
- Helmet
- Climbing Shoes
- Climbing Chalk
- Rope
- Carabiners
- Belay System
To ensure that you have all the right equipment and gear, we have set up the following article to guide when selecting the top rock climbing gear. While we might not reveal the specific gear, we will focus on some of the top gear items to make your life that much better. After reading the article, you should know which gear to buy for rock climbing.
What To Wear When Rock Climbing?
One of the first things you need to keep in mind is that the gear and clothing need to be comfortable. Before you even think of safety, you will need an article on basic clothing that is comfortable to be worn for prolonged periods. Additionally, you need to wear this gear when you are in precarious situations and tough positions.
Rock climbing gear is centered around providing you with as much safety as possible. These gear items are vigorously tested for durability. Since you might be hanging from ropes or cords, each cord is designed to hold a specific weight. However, they can often hold more weight than the indicated weight capacity to ensure durability and safety.
It is not that easy to walk into a shop and buy the first rock climbing gear you see. It takes some time and effort to ensure the gear you have in mind will be good enough for you to trust it with your life. We have done the research you will find in this article to see the most important gear and what to look for when choosing the gear.
Top 7 Key Rock Climbing Items You Might Need To Consider
We have decided to list a couple of the most important items with a basic understanding of rock climbing clothing and gear. These items are non-negotiable, and you might need to swallow the pride of paying to ensure you get the best products for your personal use. Here are the key items one needs for rock climbing:
1. Harness
Price: $75-$200
The harness is probably the most important part of your gear. The right harness will keep you safe and hold all of your weight. There are numerous harness options with the basic options that could save you a couple of bucks. However, you might need a high-end harness if you are carrying heavier loads.
Check out our guide to pick the best climbing and repelling harness.
2. Rope
Price: Up to $200
The rope is a vital part of the gear, and you will need to have a basic rope or a more expensive option depending on the climbing. Most ropes for beginners are around 60-meters, and they have a diameter of 10mm. We believe the diameter should be at least 9.5mm.
Check out our guide to pick the best climbing and repelling ropes.
3. Belay System
Price: $25-$75
The belay system is pretty standard, and the main purpose of the system is to ensure you can control your descent. The belay will also help control the fall if you accidentally slip and keep you in control of the climb.
Auto belay systems can be a great option for beginners. Click here for our auto-belay device guide.
4. Helmet
Price: $60-$100
Moving to some of the basic gear, the helmet is one of the most vital options. It will protect your head from falling rocks. Additionally, it is a great way to have confidence in surviving anything from above.
Here is a great guide to help you pick the best rock climbing helmet for you!
5. Climbing Shoes
Price: $60-$200
The shoes you wear when rock climbing are essential. It would be best to have the right shoes to ensure that you have comfort and give you a grip. There are numerous climbing shoes on the market today that vary in price.
Here is our buyers guide for picking the best rock climbing shoes for you
6. Carabiners
Price: $10-$50
When it comes to important equipment, the carabiners are some of the most important equipment. They might be small, but they are responsible for holding all of your weight. Therefore, you must buy the best carabiners possible.
This article helps you pick the best climbing and rappelling carabiners.
7. Rock Climbing Chalk
Price: $5-$10
Climbing chalk is often overlooked but can be a huge asset when rock climbing. It’ll help you keep a better grip on the rockface. Here is a great guide on why rock climbing chalk is important when climbing.
7. Additional Items
Depending on what your doing, you may also need the following items:
- Belay Gloves
- Rock Climbing and Repelling Anchors
- Climbing and Rappelling Figure 8
Key Features Of Rock Climbing Clothing
There are numerous different clothing features one can look at. However, the clothing needs to adhere to some basic standards. The following guide will give you some insight and see which features these clothes need to adhere to. Keep in mind that this is a broad guide that covers all levels of rock climbing.
The Fit
The clothes must have a comfortable fit. You will need clothing that can sustain you for prolonged periods. The fit should be like a glove, and if you like baggy pants, you might need to make sure they are not too baggy. Ideally, you would want the clothes to stretch to ensure overall comfort for the user.
Fabric
There are special characteristics of the fabric that one needs to consider. For example, you want a breathable fabric with a lot of ventilation, but it needs to be durable. These two are the most important elements.
Weatherproof
While you cannot directly control the weather, it is something that you should avoid when rock climbing. However, bad weather can hit at any moment, and you need to be prepared. The clothing should be weatherproof or at least dry quickly to keep the elements from bearing down on you.
Rock Climbing Gear For Beginners Summary
Once you have the right climbing gear, you can set out and take on almost every rock face. Of course, there are many different clothing types and tons of gear brands. However, the above-mentioned guides will help you select the best value products and ensure your overall safety. Safety is vital when it comes to rock climbing.