Rock Climbing & Trad Climbing: Gear, Hardware & Equipment

If you’re getting more into your climbing, although you can hire equipment from the gym, you might want to buy a few key pieces of gear, or start building your own rack. It’s definitely more comfortable to have your own harness, helmet and quickdraws. A decent pack makes it easier to carry everything – especially your rope.

It’s nice to have your own harness, unless you plan to only go bouldering. Different types of harness have different pros and cons. The right harness for you depends on the type of climbing you’re doing and your body shape. Climbing harnesses come in different sizes and shapes, but generally have the same basic features: a padded waist belt with buckles, leg loops, a belay loop and gear loops. Some harnesses are designed specifically for particular types of climbing, while others are versatile enough for all types of climbing. Bear in mind that the waist belt should fit snugly over your hips and should be comfortable to hang in.

Climbers love it. ‘Chalking up’ dries your sweaty fingertips and gives you improved friction. You’ll also need a chalk bag to keep yours in. Attach it with either a mini carabiner, webbing belt or length of accessory cord. The most popular type is powder chalk, but liquid chalk is also seeing increasing use. Some gyms insist that you use a chalk ball or liquid chalk.

You can rent a belay device, but ultimately, it’s an essential piece of gear that you’ll want to own. You’ll also need a big, locking HMS carabiner to attach it to your harness. The two most common types are tubular and assisted-braking belay devices. They all work by applying friction to the rope, (e.g. if your partner falls), so that you can hold their weight and lower them safely.

Tubular belay devices, aka ‘tubers’ are best for multi-pitch and trad climbing, sport climbing and gym climbing. They’re lightweight, compact and easy to use. There are also tubular belay devices with assisted braking. To abseil, you’ll need a belay device with two slots.

Assisted-braking belay devices, aka ‘semi-automatic’ or ‘manually assisted locking’ belay devices, such as the Wild Country Revo, are ideal for sport climbing and gym climbing. These devices tend to be a bit heavier and mainly only function with a single rope, which means you can’t abseil with them. They have an assisted locking function that brakes the rope, offering very high safety reserves.

It’s no bad thing to have your own rope, as you can be certain where it’s been and what it’s done. For most climbing, 50 or 60 metres long is fine. Depends on where you’re climbing though. Ask your friends, your gym or consult the topo.

Having your own set of quickdraws means you can lead climb sport routes, so bolted routes. Quickdraws generally get sold in packs of six. We recommend having at least ten – this will cover most climbing walls or outdoor routes.

You need a robust backpack that’s comfortable to carry and can store everything such as your harness, climbing shoes, gear, chalk, boulder brush, guidebook, drink, food, spare layers, headlamp, phone, etc. While there are lots of packs that could do the job, climbing-specific backpacks have special features, such as dedicated attachment points for carrying a rope or hauling a pack and detachable tarps to protect your rope – a tarp helps extend the life of your rope by keeping it out of the dirt and grit at the crag.

If you’re planning on climbing outside, get a helmet. Many climbing accidents are avoided by wearing one.