Your Go-to Packing List for Rock Climbing & Bouldering
Contributed By: Wild Earth
//
15 October 2020
The gear you need to climb on indoors and out.
Rock climbing is an inherently simple sport; you start at the bottom and climb to the top. At its simplest it may seem like all you’d need are shoes and a vice-like grip, but as you branch into harder climbing the gear list increases. That's why we've put together this handy gear list for the next time you pack for a day at the crag or session in the gym:
INDOOR BOULDERING
Shoes - We recommend a precise but softer shoe for indoor bouldering, as it allows you to smear on volumes but also stand on those smaller edges.
Liquid Chalk - Stay #covidsafe and keep the friction with this stuff!
Hold Brush - great for cleaning those small, friction-dependent holds.
INDOOR ROUTE CLIMBING
Harness - A low-profile, lightweight harness is ideal for indoor leading, as it fits away in your pack when not in use.
Shoes - a softer shoe is generally recommended for indoor climbing where you may have to ‘smear’ or be dynamic.
Chalk Bag - it's important you get a chalk bag that’s big enough to fit your whole hand.
Rope - Generally, your indoor climbing rope only needs to be 30-40m in length. So it's good to have a dedicated indoor rope to save weight.
Rope Bag/Bucket - Great for keeping your rope organised and clean.
Quickdraws - Many indoor route gyms already have permanent quickdraws in place, so these may not be needed.
Belay Glasses - Save your neck when belaying on overhanging routes by investing in these.
OUTDOOR BOULDERING
Crash pad - Try to link up with other bouldering friends and combine crash pads to make for a safer, softer fall.
Shoes - you may want a selection of 2-3 shoes to choose depending upon the style of your project.
Chalk Bucket - These are great as they can hold more chalk, be shared and store your brushes and tape.
Hold Brush - keep the holds clean and chalk-free for yourself and the person that climbs it after you.
Warm-Up Cliff Board - warming up on a portable hang-board is a great way to avoid injury and climb at your maximum.
OUTDOOR ROUTE CLIMBING
Shoes - For outdoor sport climbing you will want to choose a shoe depending on the terrain you are climbing (ie. Steep Climbing = Aggressive Shoes)
Chalk Bag - keep your hands try and maximise friction.
Harness - Try to select a harness that has some cushioning, this will make it more comfortable to sit in for long periods if you're working a route or on a multipitch.
Rope - to prolong the life of your rope we recommend selecting a rope that is thick enough to withstand the repetitive forces of falling and jugging - generally a rope with a diameter greater than 9.5mm.
Rope Bag - Protect your rope from getting dirty and extend its lifetime by keeping it in a rope bag.
Belay Device
ATC - it's recommended to get an ATC with ‘Guide Mode’ capabilities so you can top belay safely.
Planning to get vertical? Why not share your adventure or challenge with us, Tag @wildearthaustrlia and #mywildearth for a chance to be featured!
SHARE
Leave a comment
Read Related Articles
Tips and Essentials for Beginner Rock Climbers
These four short performance tips coupled with the bare essentials will ensure you kick-off your climbing the right way. 1. Focus on technique. It may sound counter-intuitive but rock-climbing is predominantly a ‘skill-sport’, with performance being a
Planning a climbing trip or dreaming of distant rock, make sure you put these areas on your hit-list. 1. Grampians National Park. An area of cultural significance and phenomenal rock, The Grampians exist as one of Australia’s premier crags.
Hang In There - 5 Hangboard Exercises to do at Home
Simple in construction though capable of excelling your climbing to the next level, the humble hangboard is an essential training-tool for any climber.
Using Afterpay you can pay for your order over 8 weeks. There's no interest or added fees* and nothing to pay today. Payment will be automatically taken from your debit or credit card in four equal payments each fortnight over 8 weeks, and you will receive your order immediately.
more time to pay
Afterpay allows you to pay for your order fortnightly over 56 days.
no wait
Your order will be shipping instantly. Just like a normal order.
spend up to $1500
You can use Afterpay for all orders up to $1500.
no catch
No interest, added fees, and nothing to pay today.
You simply need:
A debit card or credit card
To be over 18 years of age
To live in Australia
To use this service simply:
Add your items to your shopping bag, and checkout as normal. Valid for amounts up to $1500
On the checkout page select Afterpay as your payment method.
Enter your details with Afterpay and you're done.
Approved AfterPay buyers will require the funds for the first payment to be available on their card at time of checkout, however the first payment won't be deducted for 14 days. First time AfterPay buyers will need to make the first instalment payment at the time of their purchase.
If you wish to return your goods you can choose to receive an exchange, or the Afterpay payment plan can be cancelled before the first payment at no charge. *If you fail to have sufficient funds available for AfterPay to automatically deduct payment on due instalment dates you will be charged a late fee of $10, and if the instalment payment remains overdue, an additional $7 will be charged one week later.
With AfterPay, there's no waiting and we'll ship out your order immediately as normal.
Buy Now. Pay Later.
When you want to go now, sometimes it's handy to pay later. That's why, we offer interest free payment plans from two of Australia's favourite Buy now, Pay later services.