Climbing Gear

Rock Climbing Gear
By Roz Curtis

Rock climbing is an extreme sport which uses different gear to ensure a safe and efficient climb. It is important to know what type of climbing activity to pursue to be able to buy necessary equipment to use.

Climbing Ropes

They are essential safety equipment used in rock climbing and are made from braided nylon fibers. It is important to check the quality and construction of this rock climbing gear to see its strength can hold a person’s weight. Two type of climbing ropes are used: the dynamic and static rope. Dynamic ones are able to stretch under tension, especially during a fall. Static ropes do not have that flexibility, but are used in cases where a rope needs to be firm under tension, such as during rappelling.

Climbing Harnesses

They provide security and support for climbers. A typical harness used in climbing has a sewn nylon belt placed on the waist, and a pair of leg loops for the thighs. The support of the harness is directed towards the climber’s legs, making it comfortable for climbers during hang-ins.

Climbing carabiners

These rock climbing gear are constantly used. Carabiners are rings made of solid aluminium with a spring loaded gate to allow opening, and have different variations and designs. Most carabiners are inexpensive, strong, and versatile. It is important to be reminded that a climbing carabiner is safe until its gate is opened.

Active Protection: Spring-Loaded Camming Devices

A spring loaded camming device (SLCD) consists of a stem with an axle at one end holding four spiral-shaped spring-loaded cams. Climbers use this rock climbing gear to have a mechanism to retract the cams and place it in an area pointing down. It is then released which allows the mechanism to spring back against the rock making it more secure.

Passive Protection: Slings, Hexes, Nuts, Tricams

Passive protection uses different rock climbing gear which can be placed securely with no moving parts. Slings, hexes, nuts, and tricams have different specific uses. Generally they are lightweight, and are wedged into cracks of rock with difficulty in removing from one section, but easy to remove in another.

Climbing Helmets

Helmets are essential for protection in any type of climbing activity. These rock climbing gear are made from different kinds of materials such as plastic or fiberglass, and have an inner shell made of foam or a harness system. They should not be tight, but comfortable and have an adjustable chin strap. It should provide proper ventilation, and consider placing importance in choosing the right weight for your needs.

Roz Curtis has been practicing rock climbing for five years and writes articles for ABC-of-RockClimbing. Feel free to become a part of their community.

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Mountaineering and Trekking – Choosing the Right Equipment
By Benjamin Gorelick

Mountaineering novices (and, for that matter, experts) are presented with an astonishing and bewildering array of equipment to choose from. Getting geared up is a big investment, so how do you find your way through all the hype and arm yourself with your first set of gear that is good quality, suitable for your needs?

One important thing to keep in mind is that fancier is not necessarily better, especially when you are a beginner. The sad truth is that it’s not your gear that’s holding you back. A good reliable item is, in fact, sometimes preferable to the “high end” choices, which are sometimes made so light that they’re not durable enough for beginners to use. So don’t be talked into buying the latest greatest climbing axes when what you really need is a good versatile mountaineering axe.

Once you get more experience, and you get to try out other peoples gear, you will realize what you really like, and what you’re really good at. That’s the time to go back and seriously reinvest in more specialized gear.

This is not to say that you should buy cheap gear. Gear is important, very important, so buy good stuff from reputable brands. Shop around, talk to the staff. In most outdoor shops there is a huge continuum of knowledge, from bored kids working the weekend to total gear heads who love to talk gear and who have a genuine interest in getting you set up with gear that’s right for you. The good gear heads are like gold, so support them.

And don’t worry about buying the ‘wrong’ model or whatever. Mountaineering is a constant learning process, that’s one of its lasting appeals. You may buy a bit of unsuitable gear, and learn a bit. You can sell it on Ebay and buy something else…

Benjamin Gorelick is the owner of The Patagonia Mountaineering School. The Patagonia Mountaineering School has more than 50 years combined expertise providing incredible instructional mountaineering and trekking expeditions in remote Patagonia, Chile.

For those who have dreamed of climbing peaks around the world, the Patagonia Mountaineering School offers world class mountaineering training. Our expeditions are designed to foster independence and confidence in remote mountain environments, no matter where you climb in the world.

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Climbing Harness
By Roz Curtis

Rock climbing gear and equipment need important consideration. Not only do they provide you with safety, but also with the ability to perform any climbing ability. One important gear used is the climbing harness. Know about climbing harnesses and decide on which suits your needs and the nature of your climbing activity.

Types of Rock Climbing Harness

Each kind and type of climbing harness is designed for a specific purpose. Know what you need with the different types described below:

Sit Harness: has waist belt and leg loops, worn around the hips, to provide security and mobility for climbers.

Chest Harness: enables to stay upright during climbs. Can be worn with a sit harness if ascending or descending with a heavy pack, or during a glacier climb. Adds support to the climber.

Full-body Harness: similar with using both sit and chest harness in giving both support and security. You can choose to connect sit and chest harnesses with full-body harness permanently, or semi-permanently.

Rock Climbing Harness Care and Maintenance

Climbing harness gives you support and security, thus you need to maintain the high performance of the gear by caring and maintaining its quality. Here are some tips to care and maintain Climbing Harnesses:

See to it that your climbing harnesses do not show signs of wear and tear. Prevent damage by checking for abrasions and signs of deterioration.

Wash with water and mild detergent only, and avoid using or contact with harsh chemicals. Hang to dry and keep away from direct sunlight. It is more possible to look for signs of deteriorations once the climbing harness has air dried.

Never compromise quality with the cost. Replace climbing harnesses as soon as there are signs of deterioration and fraying, especially if you have had frequent falls.

Store your clean and dry climbing harnesses in suitable conditions, preventing sunlight and rain which can damage your harness.

Always check your climbing harnesses before and after climbing. Remember it is valuable for your security and support.

A climbing harness can last longer if treated with right care. Practice these tips to be able to use your climbing harnesses longer and efficiently.

Roz Curtis has been practicing rock climbing for five years and writes articles for ABC-of-RockClimbing. Feel free to become a part of their community.

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Making Sure You Have the Right Climbing Ropes
By Victor Epand

Many climbers are hard on climbing ropes, but they do not try to be it is just the way it turns out, especially with all the climbing that they do in different areas. You may clean your ropes and use a rope bag to keep them out of the dirt and rocks, but some times it is hard to keep them dry, but still your ropes end up becoming pretty worn out. When a climber looks down at their blackened palms, then you know that your ropes are telling you that they need to be washed. Many climbers can not figure out what it is that they do that is so hard on them, but it does put them in a great position to search for new ropes to purchase.

There are a lot of ropes on the market these days and depending on what kind of climbing you are going to be doing that is the key to choosing the correct rope. The New England Ropes G-50 10.5mm 50 meter are the maxim climbing rope, which are made in New England, who keeps the prices of their ropes down by offering the rope with limited options. The G-50 has a very supple feel to it and feeds through the belay device very well and there are no frills to this rope.

This rope can be used to top-rope, rappel, and to lead sport and trad pitches. This rope is ideally suited for beginning climbers. Beginners are going to be doing mostly top-roping, rappelling, working a route, and this rope would suit all of those needs. New England also offers the G-50 in a 60 meter configuration that will be called the G-60.

Another great rope on the market today is the Blue Water Lightning Pro 60 meters Double Dry, so when it comes to ropes thin is in, and the Blue Water Lightning Pro is one of the thinnest ropes on the market. The Lightning Pro lives up to its name as well being the lightest single rope on the market at 9.6 mm and weighing in at less than fifty-eight grams per meter. The Lightning Pro is a great rope and is initially meant for alpine climbing at the extremes, it is also being used by top sport climbers for hard red points.

Clipping the quick draws on a sport route was very smooth and the Double Dry treatment and low profile lets it feed through the biners with little resistance, not to mention keeping the rope from getting soaked. This rope handles really well while climbing and while belaying. The Lightning Pro is offered in two colors, as well as a bi-color where the rope changes weave patterns at the midpoint, and in 50, 60, 70 meter configurations.

Another rope is the Sterling 10.2 mm 60 meter Dry Rope, which is a nice compromise of strength and weight. The Sterling 10.2 mm rope is a good all-around climbing rope and this rope is at home on sport routes, trad routes, ice climbing, top-roping, basically whatever you can throw at it. This rope was nice to climb with and handled well in the protection and the belay devices. The better braid technology that this rope has gives it a tight weave to the sheath, which makes the rope feel very secure and makes it resistance to wear. The DryCore treatment is applied to every fiber to control the absorption of water, but this rope has a little bit of a tendency to twist, which comes in 50, 55, 60, and 70 meter lengths as well as custom lengths.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for sweatpants, sweatshirts, outdoor gear, sports clothing, and model motorcycles. Click here when you want to find sweatpants, sweatshirts, climbing ropes.

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