Most people assume that they don’t need too many things for Mountain or Rock Climbing. However, anyone who comes out to a store like the Clymb or REI might end up noticing a large variety of products used for climbing purposes.
The fact is that there are many parts of climbing gear that must be used before heading out to the trail. These climbing materials are often used for protection, support and to make it easier for anyone to get around a mountain.
Shoes
Climbing shoes are designed with special surfaces used to provide anyone with the necessary friction for getting around a mountain. A large rubber layer is also required around the sole to add to this grip. The heels also have to be relatively short in order to keep the feet from feeling more pressure than necessary.
There are even times when climbing shoes might have soles that feature a curve in the middle. This is particularly noticeable with shoes from brands like La Sportiva or Mad Rock.
Helmet
A helmet must be used for one’s protection. It is used to protect anyone from any debris that might fall while climbing. It’s particularly useful considering how unpredictable some climbing areas might be.
A climbing helmet may include a series of special items like EPS foam that is properly molded around an area. Some vents may also be added to the sides to allow for some circulation in order to prevent overheating from occurring.
Climbing Holds
These products from brands like Metolius and Black Diamond are designed with secure grips that can be fastened to a surface to make it easier for anyone to get an appropriate grip on an area. These holds are similar to what people might find on rock climbing walls.
Nuts
A nut is a small bit of metal that is attached to a wire. It can be used by moving it into a narrow crack in a rock. This is used to make it easier for people to get grips on certain areas around a mountain. Nuts can even be designed with different thickness levels in mind for different kinds of surfaces that need to be held onto.
Tricams
These are blocks that are attached to a tape. The block can be pushed into a crack so there is some kind of grip. Anyone who pulls against the crack will be able to get a tighter grip on the rock.
An interesting part of tricams is that they can support cracks of many sizes including ones of up to five inches in length. This is according to the size of the tricam being used though. Climbers should pack several tricams with them so they can find different options based on the sizes of the cracks they might come along.
Cords
These are also needed to secure anyone’s ability to descend down a mountain or rock. Cords have to be made with nylon because it is a very durable fabric that should handle an average person’s weight while moving downward. A few quick draw clasps can also be used to allow anyone to loosen one’s grip on an area to make it easier for the climber to be removed from the cord as needed. It should be easy to find these products from brand names like Black Diamond or New England.
Belay Gloves
This type of glove is made with leather and has some form of padding on the palms. The padding is used to not only provide heat to the user but to also improve a user’s grip. It is also used to prevent rope burns while descending down an area.
Belay gloves are often made with visible padding materials that should feature different textures when compared to whatever else they are trying to use. They may also be found from a large variety of brand names like PMI, Metolius and Black Diamond among several others.
People should be aware of the many rock climbing items they have to use. Climbing gear involves all of these products to make sure anyone can easily get onto different surfaces.