How Can Having The Right Equipment Improve Your Climbing Experience
Climbing is an awesome hobby, a great way to keep fit, and a fun activity to do with friends. Whether you’re climbing in an indoor center, on an outdoor climbing wall, or sheer rock face with no support, there’s something in climbing for everyone. It’s thrilling, exhilarating, and a proper good workout.
If you’re just getting into climbing, you may not yet be fully clued up on the best equipment and how it can make your climbing experience even better. Even a more seasoned pro may still not have their perfect gear sorted out. Don’t worry, as below you’ll find all the top tips on how having the right equipment can help improve your climbing experience.
The Joy of Climbing
Rock climbing attracts more than 10 million participants a year in the US alone. This makes it one of the most popular extreme sports there is. It’s all about the personal challenge of climbing. Asking yourself whether you can push yourself that little bit higher and trust your body to get you there. This makes climbing an extremely attractive pastime for all kinds of people who are looking for a challenge and a great addition to their fitness regime.
Plus, with climbing, you can travel the world, facing new challenges everywhere you go. It’s no wonder so many people do it. But, how can different equipment change your climbing experience to make it even better?
Get a Helmet
Part of the attraction of climbing is the adrenaline rush and facing your fears. It’s natural to be afraid of heights, but climbers challenge themselves to reach new heights and reach them safely. Part of safety when climbing is, of course, a great climbing helmet, especially for those climbing outdoors or on non-man-made rock surfaces. There are all sorts of hazards such as falling rocks, debris, or even other climbers, and a helmet could save your life up there - or if you happen to slip and fall.
Protecting your head is key in many sports for a reason! Without a helmet, you’ll feel exposed and more worried about injury. A great helmet that fits right and gives you adequate protection will surely boost your confidence, helping you push higher up the rock face than ever before.
A Comfortable Harness
A harness is another part of adequate climbing safety, but it needs to be comfortable as well. Most of your weight will be put through the harness between climbing motions or when you are abseiling back down the rocks. If your harness is too tight, poorly fitted, or cutting into your skin anywhere, you’ll end up in a lot of pain. Plus, you want it to make you feel safe, not worried! So, it’s always best to try a few harnesses and find the one that suits you perfectly. It’ll make you feel far more inclined to push yourself.
The Right Shoes
The right shoes are also hugely important for climbers. Not only do they need to be comfortable, but they also need to be perfect for the job at hand. Your shoes will provide the majority of your grip on the wall or rock face, so professional climbing shoes are an absolute must. Again, you don’t want to have any fear in your gear, shoes included.
They also need to be comfortable. If they aren’t you’ll feel immense pressure through your toes and the arches of your feet as you try to get purchase on a rock, climbing handle, or any other surface. There should be no pain involved with climbing, and that starts right from the purchase of your equipment and shoes.
Carabiners and Belays
Finally, you need to make sure you have a great selection of belay devices and carabiners. This, once again, is mainly to ensure your safety and instill confidence. The belay device is used to catch climbers if and when they fall. You’ll use these when at the bottom, supporting another person on their climb. You want a high-quality belay, making sure that you understand how to use it properly and can adequately protect your climbing partner. Test it a few times and make sure you’ve got a hold of how it works. Then, you’ll feel confident that you can assist your fellow climbers on those high climbs.
Mostly, having the right equipment is about safety. But, there’s a huge amount to be said for your own comfort when climbing. Distractions such as poorly fitted clothes, carabiners, or harnesses can be super off-putting, which is something you don’t want when you’re hanging hundreds of feet above the ground!
