Climbing Gear

Related Gear Features

• Ice Climbing Gear Essentials Winter Buyer’s Guide 2009

  The key to staying warm and stuck to the ice? The right stuff.

• Dressed to Climb Away.com

  Rock-climbing is one of those sports where your gear should be about function, not fashion. Bluntly, it’s really there to stop you becoming rock-kill. But now we’ve got the Ragu-inspired PSA out the way, we’ll admit that building a sheath of climbing gear is as much about fun and funk as it is full-on safety. Here we introduce the stuff you need to start your own vertical ascent.

The Gear Guy on Climbing Gear

• What are your thoughts on snowboarding with an ice axe?
• Who makes the ideal pants (stretchy, rugged, and comfy) for climbing?
• Can you give this climbing newbie a crash course in carabiners?
• Which rock-climbing shoes and harness are best for a beginner?
• How do I choose an ice axe?
• Are my hiking boots crampon compatible?
• What's a good boot for a McKinley summit?
• Are aluminum crampons tough enough?
• What shoe will hold its own on a big-wall climb in Yosemite?
• Can you rig a two-way radio hookup to a climbing helmet?

The Gear Blog on Climbing Gear

• Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampons
• Scarpa Vision climbing shoes

• Climbing: The Essentials
• Sport Climbing: The Goods