Climbing Gear

The rock shoes you buy, even your first pair, is one of the most important climbing equipment purchasing decisions you will make. Learn here how to decide what rock shoes to buy and what kind of rock shoes you need.

You're just learning how to climb and want to buy a new pair of rock climbing shoes. Learn the essentials here about what kind of shoes to buy and how they should fit your foot.

A climbing harness is a key piece of your personal climbing equipment. Your harness, with a waist belt and leg loops constructed of sewn webbing, connects you to your climbing rope with a knot. Learn here about the evolution and types of harnesses.

Carabiners are an essential piece of climbing equipment that you use every time you go climbing. Learn more about carabiners, the types of carabiner gates, and how they are used in the climbing safety system.

Your carabiners get dirty and the gates stick. What's the best way to clean your carabiners? Read here and find out the best way to clean the carabiners you use when climbing.

Here's the equipment you need to go sport climbing, including rope, quickdraws, locking carabiners, and personal gear.

Here's what you need to get out top-rope climbing, including rope, carabiners, slings, and personal gear.

If you climb long enough, then you’re going to need to wear a climbing helmet. Climbing helmets protect your head from falling rock and in falls. Find out here about why you should wear a helmet.

A daisy chain, used in rock climbing, is a length of webbing with variable-length sewn links which can be clipped into anchors with a carabiner. Learn here about daisy chains and how to properly use them.

Climbing equipment takes a beating. Learn about caring and maintaining your climbing gear, including how to check and store gear, take care of your rope, and when to retire gear.

A review of Spiky Plus ice cleats, which are attached to hiking and climbing boots for hiking and climbing on snow and ice slopes and trails.

The holidays are coming and you have to figure out what you’re going to ask Santa for. “Okay,” you think, “I want to climb stronger cause I wanna send my project so I’m going to ask for Chris Sharma’s strength and style.” Then you think, “Oh right, Santa’s not a genie. He can’t make me into Sharma.” Chris Sharma, of course, is one of the world's best climbers. Year after ye…

Climbing slings, simply lengths of webbing that are tied or sewn into closed loops, are an essential piece of rock climbing equipment. Learn all about slings, how climbers use slings, the different materials used to make slings, and the differences between sewn and tied slings.

The slings on your cams wear out and need to be replaced. Find out why you should replace cam slings, how often they need replacement, and who can do the replacement job for you.

You're going to need a pack whenever you go climbing, whether it's sport climbing at your local cliff or scaling a big mountain in the Rockies. Find out what are the five types of climbing packs you need to carry everything for your adventure and which pack is right for you.

Locking carabiners are essential climbing equipment that keep you safe on the rocks. Learn all about locking carabiners, auto-locking carabiners,...

Climbing helmets wear out from regular use and from exposure to UV light. Learn when you should retire your helmet and buy a new one, and how to take care of your helmet to make it last longer.

An ice axe is an essential piece of climbing equipment used in mountaineering from traveling across snow and ice. There are lots of different kinds of ice axes and ice tools available. Which ice axe do you need? Find out here how to determine which ice axe is best for your climbing adventures.

Crampons are essential climbing equipment for climbing hard snow, ice falls, and mountains. Crampons, spikes attached to the bottom of your boots, allow you to climb all kinds of wild terrain. Learn more about crampons, the history of crampons, and the basic types of crampons.

You want to go underground and crawl around in caves? Here's all the essential equipment that you need to get out caving, including helmet, headlamp, oversuit, and personal gear.

Spring-loaded camming devices (SLCDs) are essential pieces of climbing equipment for your rock adventures. Cams are placed in cracks for protection while you're leading or for belay anchors. Find out more about cams, what they are, how they work, why they're easy to place, and which ones you should buy.

Spring-loaded camming devices or SLCDs are an important part of your rack of climbing gear. While cams are easy to place, they are only safe and secure if you place them correctly. Learn how to place camming units; which cracks are best for cams; why you use quickdraws on cams; why cams aren't great for top-rope anchors; and how to remove stuck...

Climbers use chalk or magnesium carbonate as a drying agent on their hands and fingers to decrease moisture, reduce slippage, and increase performance. What is climbing chalk and how does it work? Does it actually help you climb harder? Find out all about climbing chalk and the answers to these questions.

Climbers use chalk to dry sweaty hands and to enhance their grip on handholds. Find out here about the four types of climbing chalk that you can buy and use on the rock.

White climbing chalk leaves unsightly blotches on the surface of cliffs and boulders, as well as damages the rock surface. Many climbing areas, including most national parks, require climbers to use colored chalk which matches the color of the rock. Find out more about colored chalk and how to Leave No Trace of your passage when you're climbing.

Here's all the personal equipment that you need to go trad climbing with a buddy, including rock shoes, climbing harness, belay device, locking carabiners, personal anchor system, and a climbing helmet. Also shop and buy all the guide-recommended climbing gear you need.

What do you need to buy to build a basic rack of equipment for traditional climbing? Here are my suggestions for starting to build your trad rack, including cams, nuts, slings, and carabiners.

The BlueWater Titan Loop Chain is one of the best, lightest, and strongest personal anchor tethers available for rock climbers to clip themselves into anchors. Read this review for the BlueWater Titan Loop Chain, an important piece of guide-recommended climbing equipment.

Aiders are the most important piece of gear for aid climbing. Aiders, taking the place of footholds, allow you to ascend blank faces by stepping up these ladders made of webbing. Read more about aiders, the 3 types of aiders, and what to know before you buy aiders.

It's important to stay properly hydrated when you're rock climbing, especially when it's hot outside. Learn how much you need to drink to stay hydrated and how to determine how much water to bring for a day of rock climbing.

Ascenders, mechanical devices used to ascend a fixed rope, are an essential piece of equipment used for climbing big walls and followoing aid routes. Learn all about ascenders, which ascenders you need for rock climbing, and important safety tips to follow when you are using ascenders.

Chalk bags are simply small fabric sacks that are filled with climbing chalk and carried on a belt around a climber's waist. Learn more about chalk bags, their different sizes and shapes, how to buy a chalk bag, and how to carry a chalk bag.

Nuts, also called wired nuts, chocks, artificial chockstones, and micro nuts, are essential pieces of climbing equipment. Nuts are simply small pieces of metal that are wedged and slotted into cracks. A climber then attaches a rope or a knot to the nut with a carabiner, creating a solid and secure anchor. Find out all about nuts, what they are,...