Mountain Project Logo

Beginner Climber Gear List

Original Post
The Maverick · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 0

Might anyone have any sound advice on climbing gear for the beginner? I literally did my first climb with some friends at Rumbling Bald. Of course, my friends had me doing multi-pitch climbs and I was too ignorant to know better.

A week later, we went to a climbing gym on a rainy day. By that evening, I confirmed my addiction to the sport. Further confirming my addiction,I purchased a Black Diamond Momentum AL harness, a couple of locking biners, a Mammut chalk bag, and Five-Ten Coyote lace ups.

Bottom line is, I need one of two things:

1. An affordable gear list
OR
2. A Climbers Anonymous (CA)rehab center

Help!!!

Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245

In order of necessity and general chronological order of most climbers' purchases (taking into account that you already have some of the basics):

1. ATC belay device
2. two 2 foot slings or daisy chain or PAS
3. two more 2 ft slings (anchors)
4. four more locking carabiners (anchors)
5. 70m 9.8mm dynamic climbing rope
6. climbing pack

This completes your top rope set up.

7. 10 - 12 quickdraws
8. 4 more 2 ft slings (alpine draws)
9. 8 non-locking carabiners (alpine draws)
10. (completely optional) gri gri
11. (completely optional) stick clip

This completes your sport rack

12. set of stoppers (I prefer DMM wall nuts. a lot of folks swear by BD) w/ nut tool
13. 2 - 3 larger sized hex nuts
14. set of c4s
15. set of c3s
16. set of big bros
17. set of tri cams
18. non-locking carabiners to rack above gear

There's your trad rack

19. repeat steps 1 - 18 as you see fit
20. remember to replace your harness and rope every few years and your metal gear before it wears to the point of being dangerous.

welcome to the club. :)

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

You should also have a "mentor" or someone to help you learn. Including which gear to buy.

The Maverick · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 0

Wow! Thanks for the quick reply. Very helpful. At this time, I like sport climbing, probably because the sport is still new to me. I am sure I will be getting into more aggressive climbs as I progress.

Hope you don't mind, I copied and pasted your list to Word.doc for my future reference.

Most grateful regards.

wivanoff · · Northeast, USA · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 674

In addition to what you already have: A belay device.

Wait on everything else until you have more experience. You'll know what you'll need when the time comes. It'll come soon enough.

I understand the excitement. And I know too well how to be a gear whore. But, buy now, and you'll end up with a bunch of stuff that you'll wish you didn't spend money on.

The Maverick · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 0

Frank,

Thanks, I do have some experienced folks helping me out. Actually, my neighbors are the one's who introduced me to the sport. They have all the "general" gear, but the items more specific to me is what I have been hunting. However, I would like to have a complete list of gear for future climbs with other folks as I progress.

Excellent advice on climbing with a mentor though. I did learn to belay using a Gri Gri with an instructor at a climbing gym recently.

scott cooney · · La Casa Taco · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 85
wivanoff wrote: buy now, and you'll end up with a bunch of stuff that you'll wish you didn't spend money on.
  • 1^^^^^ finish what you need now with a belay device of choice then get out with your mentor a lot, you'll pick up on whats needed as you get out more and thus save all the money from buying useless gear and instead spend it on better useful gear
FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

Helmet.

The Maverick · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 0

In Southern speak, "Thanks yawl"! Yep, super excited about climbing. Makes sense about not ending up with useless gear and spending money on superior gear. Next investment, belay device...and helmet. Lord knows, I don't need anymore self-inflicted injuries.

Honestly, I am whitewater paddler and mountain biker. I also backpack. Put ALL that together...I am already a gear whore! LoL!

Steven Groetken · · Durango, CO · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 390

Sharpen your skills before you can't pay the bills (I.e. get geardicted, it's way too easy to buy a set of cams that you wont need until you get better and "forget" to pay the electric).

The Maverick · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 0
Steven Groetken wrote:Sharpen your skills before you can't pay the bills (I.e. get geardicted, it's way too easy to buy a set of cams that you wont need until you get better and "forget" to pay the electric).
Funny....kinda sums it all up, right? LOLOLOLOL
tsmartt · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 130
here's a useful link about picking climbing shoes

super topo has a collection of gear reviews that could be helpful.

who knows, the 5.10 coyotes may be excellent shoes, but the day may come when you're looking for something else. many climbers have multiple pairs of shoes. i'm a big fan of the la sportiva miura lace ups, a shoe that feels at home on just about any terrain.

for quickdraws, the black diamond positrons are very nice for the price range they're in.

jury is out on the big bros. tri cams are really cool, but i rarely use mine, could just be due to where i climb. i don't often see hexes used either, sold mine a few years ago and haven't missed them.

some may scoff at this, but a couple quicklinks from a hardware store can be really handy for all kinds of things, as well as lots of prusik cord.

a stick clip is very cheap, and easy to make. painters pole and a small clamp.

hope i was at least somewhat helpful, have fun climbing!!
J. Stark · · Iowa · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 649

If you're sport climbing definitely get a grigri and a stickclip.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

experienced people to go with over and over again ... thats what you need ...

dont bother buying anything for the first while until you figure out in real life, not on the intrawebs, what you should buy ...

Em Cos · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 5

You have shoes and a harness, the next thing you need is a helmet. Unless you're going to be exclusively climbing inside, you should get one and wear it. Fellow climbers are much more likely to have a spare belay device to lend you than a spare helmet.

1. helmet
2. belay device

After that, climb with your friends on whatever gear they have and by the time you're ready to need your own gear you'll know what you want from trying out what others have.

Have fun!

will smith · · boulder · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 35

2nd to
1. helmet and
2. belay device

then go climbing and ask a lot of questions, not only of the people your climb with but the other you meet as well. See how things are done, what you like and don't, I like rocks other than bd stoppers as they tend not to get stuck as easily IMO. When you are ready to start leading start thinking about what to buy. Have fun, be safe.

ErikaNW · · Golden, CO · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 410

3rd (or 4th, 5th?) to helmet and belay device.

I would also invest in a rope (60m or 70m depending on what crags you are hitting) - simply because ropes wear out and it is a really nice gesture to share that expense with your climbing partners/mentors, even if you aren't leading yet, rather than relying on their gear all of the time.

Have fun and climb safe!

Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245

i always forget about the helmet

wivanoff · · Northeast, USA · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 674
ErikaNW wrote:3rd (or 4th, 5th?) to helmet and belay device. I would also invest in a rope (60m or 70m depending on what crags you are hitting) - simply because ropes wear out and it is a really nice gesture to share that expense with your climbing partners/mentors, even if you aren't leading yet, rather than relying on their gear all of the time. Have fun and climb safe!
It IS a nice gesture. So is buying the beer after climbing. So is carrying your friend's gear for them.

To the OP:
You had some advice about buying a skinny rope. But, if you're going to buy it for youself and use it for toproping, I'd recommend you buy a fatter rope that will take the abuse. Doesn't have to be a dry treated rope. Check out what you're friends are using. If you get something similar they'll be more prone to use it. By the time you're ready to lead, you'll want to replace that first rope anyway.

Oh, and forget the Big Bros. Forget the 'set' of Tricams. When you're ready you might want 0.5 - 2.0 Tricams. But, likely not a full set.

And +1 on the helmet. There are some that will accept a ponytail nicely. Look at the Petzl Elias.
Mike Belu · · Chicago, IL · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 135

If you stick with it in NC, you're going to end up trad climbing. To save some $, get the guide ATC from the start. If u get the regular ATC, you'll just end up buying the guide ATC down the road. Have fun.

NC Rock Climber · · The Oven, AKA Phoenix · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 60

It has been said by others, but I will add my vote for the buy a helmet and an ATC Guide, then just go climb A LOT with more experienced folks.

There are all sorts of options for each piece of gear. After you get a few hundred pitches under you, you will start to develop a preference for what brands / styles you like, and what you really need to do the climbs you like. Gear is cool! We all like shiny stuff! IMHO, the best thing you can do at this stage is to concentrate on getting better at climbing and learn how to use the gear. Worry about spending a lot of your money later!

Climb safe and have fun!!!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Climbing Gear Discussion
Post a Reply to "Beginner Climber Gear List"

Log In to Reply

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.