What Gear Do I Need to Start Climbing?

So you want to be a climber. We don’t blame you–climbers are cool. Climbing is great exercise. And climbers post some of the most ridiculous, terrifying, and jaw-dropping photos on Instagram. If you’re not quite to Conrad Anker* status yet, you might be curious about just what gear you need to start ticking spicy* climbs off your list. We’re here to help.

SHOES
The purpose of any climbing shoe is to provide friction and edging. The rubbery part under your toes helps you stick to slippery flat surfaces and the sharp front edge of the toe lets you cling to tiny ledges on the rock. When you’re just starting out, Craigslist and eBay are both great places to find used climbing shoes. You may also find a decent used pair for sale at your local climbing gym. Why used? Well, there are different types of shoes for different types of climbing so you may not know exactly what type of shoe you prefer before you throw down wads of cash. But more importantly, climbing shoes are meant to be a tight fit–maybe not “cut off the circulation in your foot” tight, but a snug fit will offer you more precision. And climbing won’t be fun if your feet are in constant pain. So used shoes are a low-risk way to find your size.
Likely investment: $15–20 for a used pair online; $70-$100 new.
Skimp or Splurge?: As we said, skimp when you’re starting because you won’t know sizing or the type of shoe you prefer. When you figure out what you like, feel free to splurge.

CHALK BAG
Chalk gives climbers some much-needed additional grip but chalk bags are nothing fancy. Just a bag that clips to your belt for holding chalk.
Likely investment: $15–20 new.
Skimp or Splurge?: Well, it’s hard to really splurge on a chalk bag since they’re not that pricey in the first place. Some purists believe you don’t need chalk at all though so if you want to skimp, maybe forget about the chalk bag altogether.

HARNESS, BELAY, & CARABINER
Once you’ve decided you want to continue beyond the world of bouldering* you’ll need a harness, a belay device and a locking carabiner. This three-piece rig is a requirement to top-rope* in an indoor environment. Obviously the harness is what secures you to the rope. A belay device is a mechanical piece that acts as a friction brake on the rope and helps your climbing partner stop your fall. And a locking carabiner is standard climbing gear that you’ll end up using in a bunch of different ways but in this context its basically just a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate that keeps your harness, your belay device, the rope, and your partner connected. All of this equipment you can rent at any gym but the cost will soon exceed what you’re paying to rent so you do the math based on how often you think you’ll be climbing and how likely you are to continue.
Likely investment for harness, carabiner, locking cam: $150.
Skimp or Splurge?: As long as you’re not sacrificing safety, used gear isn’t a bad idea and it’s easy to find. For a little peace of mind, go new.

ROPE
Once you graduate from climbing in a gym to climbing outside, you’ll need some additional equipment, most notably a rope which is likely to be the most expensive single item in your climbing kit. 60 or 70 meters is a good length to start with and they also come in various thicknesses. A 9.5mm to 10mm thickness should do just fine. Important note: if you’re climbing outdoors, it’s important to have proper instruction from a certified guiding service before you head outside.
Likely investment for a new rope: $150-$400.
Skimp or Splurge?: Skimping on rope is a bad idea, especially for beginners.

I’ll need more equipment before I start climbing outside, right?
For sure you will. Additional equipment like more locking carabiners, webbing, static line, a personal anchor system, and quickdraws are critical but if you’re climbing outdoors with either a guide or an experienced group, they’ll have all of this equipment and you can figure out what you need to invest in as you go. For a decent beginning set up of this miscellaneous gear, we’d guess $100 and up.

What other tips do you have on getting started?
Bouldering at an indoor gym is a great, inexpensive way to start out. Most gyms have beginners classes or beginners lessons that you can sign up for. Once you’re on your own, you’ll need a partner if you want to start top-roping but climbing gyms (and Gociety) are full of potential partners. Speaking of Gociety, beginning climbers can always join one of the constantly-running indoor Gociety plans to practice together.

What about climbing with more experienced folks?
Depending on who you’re climbing with, there may be a slight stigma to being the noob. Everyone was a beginner at some point though, right? And joining up with better climbers is a great way to improve. Offering to bring something to the table–beer, gas money, cooking dinner–in exchange for some knowledge will always be well-received. And lastly, be as up-front as possible about your ability level. Don’t pad your climbing resume. One of the more frustrating things for experienced climbers is linking up with someone you don’t know who turns out to be less experienced than advertised.

*Glossary
Bouldering: Climbing that is done without ropes or harnesses and at lower heights. Usually with climbing shoes and chalk.
Conrad Anker: Just one of the all-time greats.
Spicy: A route that is considered challenging and dangerous. Definitely don’t say this on your first day.
Top-rope: When the rope runs from a belayer at the foot of a route through an anchor system at the top of the route and back down to the climber. This prevents the climber from falling.