Archive for the ‘Rock Climbing Gear’ Category

Climbing Shoes

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

Methods to help you choose a good first pair of Climbing Shoes

When you are buying your first pair of rock climbing shoes you may find yourself with a wealth of choice and no way of deciding what shoe is the best. The thing about climbing shoes is that they are all made for different shaped feet. My first pair of shoes I bought on price alone and the shoes killed my feet! I would be limping around after 10 minutes of wear and had a hard time just getting them off.

When I decided to buy a second pair I made the choice to be more flexible on the price of the shoes as I realized paying more was worth not crippling my feet! A good pair of rock shoes need to be as tight as you can stand them so that you get the most grip while climbing in them.

The trick that worked for me was to find a tight but comfortable possible pairs to try. I tried them on before climbing and then again afterwards. By trying them on a second time after a few hours climbing my feet were slightly swollen because of the effort in climbing. I was able to narrow down my options this way and after a few different climbing sessions trying on different makes and models I was able to settle on a really good pair.

The climbing shoes I settled on were the Red Chillies spirit velcro impact zone. These shoes do seem to be popular as I see them on the feet of other climbers often. The price of these shoes is actually very reasonable and well worth every penny. I like them so much I have 2 pairs of them now, one to be repaired with fresh rubber where it is wearing thin and a pair to use while I wait for the first to be repaired. I would recommend them but I know a few people who have found other shapes and brands better for them.

Once you have successfully found a pair that suit your needs the subsequent pairs you buy will be much easier. My second pair of red chillies were purchased online in a big sale meaning I knew I was ordering the right pair without having to go through the process of trying on numerous shoes before and after a climbing session. I love my shoes but my advice would be to try on different pairs when you go climbing, before and after until you have found the right pair for you. This way you will know what is most important in the shoes you choose in the future.

On a last note I would like to remind you that while climbing shoes will make climbing easier you can wear rubber soled street shoes to climb in while you decide that you like climbing and want to invest in the right pair for you.

Happy Climbing!

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Outdoor – Kids Helmets

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Kids – most climbers agree, all kids should wear helmets!
To avoid to much repartition
I also recommend you read the adult outdoor helmets section.
Adults – Read the ‘Outdoor – Adults Helmets’ post

Factors to consider…
What are the risks?
How valuable is Your Kids Head?
What do the Majority of other young climbers in your area do?

There are NOT many kids helmets on the market.
Measure your kids head and find out from the supplier what is the minimum size the helmet will fit.

Here are my opinions…
Outdoor Climbing Helmets for Kids
Kids need to wear helmets until they are old enough and confident enough to ask not to wear one.

Some adults, particularly adults bouldering outdoors do not bother with helmets, most other climbers do wear helmets. Ultimately it is your choice and the choice of your kid. Any child in my care I would insist on a helmet. Impacts from any direction are likely and good protection is important. Kids also have less experience at protecting their head and can need the backup of a helmet where an adult may find it not necessary.

More Kids are wearing helmets for more sports, so it should not be too hard to encourage them to wear one for rock climbing. Remember if you are also wearing a helmet, the kid is unlikely to think of wearing one as anything other than normal.

Remember the choice is ultimately yours and your childs.
I hope that this has been of some help to you. :)

Clive

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Outdoor – Adult Helmets

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Adults – Your an adult and should be able to assess your own risk!
Kids – Read the ‘Outdoor – Kids Helmets’ post

Factors to consider…
What are the risks?
How valuable is Your Head?
What do the Majority of other climbers in your area do?

Shoes, Harnesses and Helmets are all very personal and you should try on as many different makes and models as you can, find the Right one of each for You.

Here are my opinions…
Outdoor Climbing Helmets for Adults
Ive climbed on quite a few different surfaces.
Ask yourself, what are the chances of things like rocks falling on you from above?

Sandstone and Gritstone there is not much of a chance, when the stone weathers it turns into grains of sand, rather than breaking off into chunks of rock.
Other types of rock are more likely to break off into bigger and smaller chunks and fall on you from above.
Climbing Helmets either have no holes for ventilation on the top of them or they have grills over holes so that things falling on your helmet from above cant reach your head.

If you are alpine climbing, you wont need or want air holes in your helmet. If you are climbing in warmer climbs you will appreciate a well ventilated helmet and this is what most people do. Some climbers will do both and own more than one helmet.

If you decide on a ventilated helmet it MUST be a climbing helmet, No other helmet will do!
Some helmets can include a visor particularly for ice climbing.

Most helmets can take minor scrapes and grazes and still be ok to use.
Plastic helmets with a cradle can take more damage than the lighter polycarb helmets. If you are At All Worried, replace your helmet as soon as you can. If you are not sure, try to find someone who is an equipment expert to check it. It is also possible to scan the structure of your helmet though a new helmet will probably be cheaper.

Helmets do come in different sizes and different fits, remember to try on as many different types as you can and ask questions, most people selling helmets also use them and have expert advice to pass on.

Try to assess the place you are climbing and the activity you are doing. I found climbing on sand stone mostly did not need a helmet. Exceptions were climbs that involved cracks which needed to be chimney climbed. It is easy to get minor bumps chimneying and having my helmet on was a very good thing under those circumstances. Ive also climbed on granite and other hard stones and been exceptionally grateful for my helmets in every case.

Ultimately you have to decide where you are happy wearing and not wearing a helmet.
I hope this has helped you :-)

Clive

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Indoors – Kids Helmets

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Kids – most climbers agree, all kids should wear helmets!
Adults – Read the ‘Indoors – Adults Helmets’ post

Factors to consider…
What are the risks?
How valuable is Your Kids Head?
What do the Majority of other young climbers in your area do?

There are NOT many kids helmets on the market.
Measure your kids head and find out from the supplier what is the minimum size the helmet will fit.

Here are my opinions…
Indoor Climbing Helmets for Kids
Kids need to wear helmets until they are old enough and confident enough to ask not to wear one.
Indoor climbing is a much safer activity than outdoor climbing and the chances something will fall on your head are small. Be aware that climbing walls have to ensure to the best of there ability that everything you use is secure. Also remember you have to sign a waver form and guardian form for most indoor walls.
Side impacts are much more common on indoor walls. If the climber falls for any reason, the swing effect of being tied to a rope can pull you in any direction, including towards the wall. Ive bumped my head a few times this way and only once did i draw blood.
Using helmets indoors can help you get used to the extra weight you will experience when you climb outdoors.
in conclusion, any head gear that can absorb an impact is good enough to use on an indoor wall.

I hope you found this helpful :)
Clive

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Indoors – Adults Helmets

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Adults – Your an adult and should be able to assess your own risk!
Kids – Read the ‘Indoors – Kids Helmets’ post

Factors to consider…
What are the risks?
How valuable is Your Head?
What do the Majority of other climbers in your area do?

Here are my opinions…
Indoor Climbing
Most adults dont wear helmets as most adults know to try to keep head impacts to a minimum. Indoor climbing is a much safer activity than outdoor climbing and the chances something will fall on your head are so small that it is almost negligible. Be aware that climbing walls have to ensure to the best of there ability that everything you use is secure. Also remember you have to sign a waver form for most indoor walls.
Side impacts are much more common on indoor walls. If the climber falls for any reason, the swing effect of being tied to a rope can pull you in any direction, including towards the wall. Ive bumped my head a few times this way and only once did i draw blood.
Using helmets indoors can help you get used to the extra weight you will experience when you climb outdoors.
in conclusion, any head gear that can absorb an impact is good enough to use on an indoor wall.

Good Luck and Happy Climbing :)
Clive

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Something on Ropes

Friday, September 25th, 2009


Your rope is your most vital bit of kit and making the right choice of rope can be a bit tricky when you are new to out door climbing. If you make a poor choice you may find this very expensive bit of kit suffers damage more then another rope would have in the environment you are climbing in. 

There are many types of rope to pick from when you go shopping. You have size and diameter to consider, weight of the rope and how much stretch in a fall. Some ropes will absorb some of the forces generated when you fall supporting your body more when the rope stops your fall. Some climbs will be too short for the rope to have as much stretch to it, meaning it has to catch you faster. One last choice to make is between regular (classic), dry and superdry ropes. 

You will want to take in the conditions of the rock you are climbing on. Some places ask for a certain type of rope to be used in order to protect the rock face. On a rock like sandstone you need to think about how that sand is going to wear your rope.

No one can actually just say go out and buy x y and z for outdoor climbing and advise the right rope for you so I am not going to do that. My suggestion is to investigate the conditions you are planning to climb in and talk to local experts.

Find out how far you are going to have to walk to get to the rock face, if its not far you may be able to ignore the weight of the rope.

Does the site have any suggested requirements?

What kind of damage is the rope likely to be exposed to like sand or wet weather? 

When you have all this info collected you can use it to ask a sales person at your favorite climbing stores what they have and what they suggest. I would not recommend buying from the first sales person you talk to to be honest. If you shop around you can sometimes find real bargains and can even blag those bargains by playing one store off the other. Not everyone is comfortable haggling or pushing that nice sales person to make a deal and I can sympathize (I don’t really like doing it). If you can muster up the courage to give it a go just remember the sales person is out to make the sale and would rather make it then lose the sale to a competitor.

We may well have to make some posts about how we got a great price on light weight quick draws but that isn’t for this one!

If you want to read my hubpages rope review article click here

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Welcome

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

If you wish to blog on Climbing Gear

Please, Keep It Clean!

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