RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLIMBING EQUIPMENT

 

Recommendations for gear is subjective, however, there are a number of questions each year on what kind of gear should you buy so this guide is to steer you in the right direction. While the choice of gear may be subjective there are some mistakes that should be avoided.  What we do in the AMC is called "trad" (traditional) climbing and gear for other types of climbing (gym, bouldering, sport, aid) may not be appropriate for use and you don't want to rely on the salesperson in the local EMS/REI who may climb 5.11s in the rock gym but has never been on a  multi-pitch route.  There is no need to buy any equipment for the Beginner classes.  Gear required for the Intermediate class is noted.   If you want to go on to the Intermediate classes  you can discuss specific brands/models of gear with instructors beforehand.

  

HARNESS (required for Intermediate Class)

 

I recommend a harness with a belay loop and gear loops.   I do not recommend using a “diaper type” harness like the Black Diamond Bod.  Fit is the most important criteria.  Adjustable leg loops are recommended if you plan on ice climbing. The Black Diamond Momentum harness is a good buy at around fifty bucks.

 

SHOES (required for Intermediate Class)

 

1) You should buy a pair of fairly stiff  lasted "all around" shoes that feel COMFORTABLE. Don’t get them too tight.  The shoe should fit snugly and your toe should lie flat in the shoe and not be curled up. You will not climb harder with your toes torqued into a painful bend.  In fact you may climb worse because all you are thinking about is getting the damn shoes off.  And you will avoid hammer toe, black toe nails and other unpleasantries after years of climbing.

2)  Don’t listen to anyone about what brand/model to get.  The three most important things are fit, fit, and fit.  Different people have different shaped feet and different manufacturers cut their shoes differently; Scarpa are cut narrow, 5/10 cut wide, etc. Go to a climbing shop and try-on lots of different brands/models. Buy the shoes that fit you and are designed for the type of climbing you do. 

3)  Don’t worry about what kind of rubber the shoe uses.  There have been a number of independent tests done by the climbing magazine and they found no discernable difference in “stickiness” between types of rubber on climbing shoes.  The only thing they found was some rubber is softer than others and wears out faster.  Some shoes have thinner rubber especially at the mid sole and conform to your foot better and this is mistaken for better stickiness.

4)  Don’t listen to the salesperson in the outdoor shop/climbing shop/rock gym.  They may have been climbing for a few months in the gym and they are an “expert.” You are the expert on how they fit.

CARABINEERS (BINERS) (required for Intermediate Class)

 

 You will need one pear-shaped locking biner for belaying and two general purpose locking biners.  Get screwgate biners.  Do not get autolocking biners.  It is helpful to have locking biners that do not have a notch in the gate that can get snagged on webbing, etc.  The Petzl Attaché and the Black Diamond  Positron and Black Diamond Mini Pearabiner fit this criteria.

 

BELAY DEVICE (required for Intermediate Class)

 

There are a slew of different belay devices on the market.  I recommend that you start off with a tube style belay device like the Black Diamond ATC-XP, Black Diamond ATC-Guide,, the Trango Jaws, Trango B-52, Trango Pyramid or Wild Country Variable Controller.  We do not use auto-locking devices like the Petzl GriGri in trad climbing.  We also do not use Figure 8 devices. 

 

 PRUSIK SLINGS (required for Intermediate Class)

 

 These are two 6mm nylon cords tied in a loop with a double fisherman's knot. One should be 28 inches for your waist and the other 48 inches for your feet to facilitate easy prusiking. These should be nylon (Perlon) cord and not high-tech, high-strength cords like Spectra, Gemini, or Vectra which are too stiff.  

 

SLINGS/RUNNERS (required for Intermediate Class)

 

 Get two 2 ft and one 4 ft sewn slings. These can be nylon or the thin Spectra or Dyneema slings.

  

 NUT-CLEANING TOOL (required for Intermediate Class)

 

Any kind but the ones with the built in biner are handy for clipping.  

 

HELMET (required for trips)

 

The AMC provides the helmets for the classes so you won't need one right away. When you do buy one I recommend that Petzl Meteor or Petzl Ecrin Roc.  Helmets are required to be worn while climbing with the AMC.

 

HEADLAMP (required for trips)

 

Headlamps are required for the climbing trips.  Sooner or later you'll need it.  Just try to hike off Cannon cliff in the dark without one.  I would consider the new LED headlamps, which are lighter in weight and the batteries last much longer than with standard of halogen bulbs. Black Diamond and Petzl have some nice models.

 

CHALK BAG

 

 While any bag will work this is your one and only chance at making a fashion statement with climbing gear.

 

ROPE

 

You won't need a rope unless you want to venture out on your own after the classes.  You can buy a class rope and the end of the course at half the price the AMC paid for it.  If you get your own I recommend a 10.5mm x 60-meter dry rope.  Read the reviews in climbing magazines or talk to experienced climbers.  

 

GEAR TO SET UP TOP ROPES

 

At some point (after the classes and after you're thoroughly addicted) you'll probably want to set-up some top ropes using stout trees and for this you'll need some anchor material.  There are a couple of options: Webbing is one choice but a bad one as it takes forever to equalize   Go with a static rope.  It should be 100 feet of 7/16" static line.  You will be instructed on how to use this in the classes.

 

WHERE TO BUY YOUR ROCK CLIMBING EQUIPMENT:

 

You can support your local climb shop if you are so inclined or the Web may be an option if you are sure you know what you are ordering.  There is a listing of local shops on www.climbri.com .

 

 ANYTHING ELSE?

Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills is  the trad climbers bible.  You can get a copy at EMS, REI, or a big chain book store. A good free "instruction book" is the Petzl catalog which has great illustrations. You can get one online or in climbing shops/gyms.