BLACK DIAMOND – HALF DOME HELMET
The Half Dome is lightweight and constructed with molded EPS foam and a suspension system so it’s extremely durable and easily affordable. It’s even ergonomically designed for one-handed adjustments and is comfortable to wear in a wide range of temperatures. $59.95 blackdiamondequipment.com
PETZL – METEOR III + HELMET
Climbing helmets can be a drag unless you get one that is comfortable and light. In fact it weighs just 8.3 ounces. The Meteor III + gets high marks for its one size fits all design and built-in ventilation. It’s worth the monies. $99.95 petzl.com
SANUK – CRAG SHOES AND FLIPS
Sanuk makes some sweet slip on shoes and flips that are excellent for cragging. It’s nice to switch from the Chinese foot-binding sensation to unbelievably cozy footwear. They are made with vegan and vegetarian materials from real yoga mats! $30-$55 sanuk.com
BLACK DIAMOND – HARNESSES
Black Diamond’s Chaos harness is engineered with a low-profile bullhorn-shaped waist and Kinetic Core Construction. There a lot of technical details, but the point is they made it lightweight, breathable and specifically optimized for multi-pitch trad climbing. The Women’s Aura harness uses much of the same technology as the Chaos harness, but features a women’s specific fit that makes it a top notch choice for ladies on the rise. $99.95-$124.95 blackdiamondequipment.com
PRANA – CLOTHING
Guys – prAna’s Blink Long shorts ($55) and Nemesis Knickers ($60) are designed specifically for climbers and feature performance bliss stretch fabrics with articulated knee pleats and front patch pockets. Wear with the Breathe Heathered T or the Shamus snap-button shirt and you’re ready to rock…climb. Prana.com
Gals – if you are looking for some pants and shorts that won’t make your @$$ look heinous in a harness, try the prAna’s bliss Capri pants ($50) and Tess shorts ($50). Pair either with the Quinn top ($48) for ultimate climbing combo. They are made well and they fit well so you can be stylish and comfy while you slay the cracks. Prana.com
NEW ENGLAND DYNAMIC ROPE – GLIDER 9.9
The Glider 9.9 is perfect for Sport and Trad climbing. It lives up to its name offering durability and TPT (Twill Pattern Technology) with a one over one sheath design to lower the friction coefficient and significantly reduce rope drag. $239 neropes.com
METOLIUS – ROPE RANGER
Give your rope a home in the Metolius Rope Ranger. It’s everything you want in a rope bag and more. It features an easy load tarp pocket, bomber aluminum buckles and dual padded shoulder straps for back-pack style carrying. $45.95 metoliusclimbing.com
METOLIUS HARDWEAR – New genius gear from Metolius. metoliusclimbing.com
- Master Cam – built with a flexible, single-stem unit, ultra-narrow head width, machined cam stops and molded thumb piece. $59.95
- Fat Cam – made specifically for soft-rock, like say what you might find in Utah’s desert cracks. Optimized cam angles increase holding power and the widest cam faces available make these hand built and individually proof tested pieces a wise purchase. $62-$69
- Torque Nut Tool – one of the most inexpensive and most important pieces in your gear rack. The tapered nose fits in small cracks and it’s made of hardened 420 stainless-steel. It has four-built in wrenches and a neat palm protector. $14.95
BLACK DIAMOND HARWEAR – The smart folks at BD make some killer crack gear you gotta have. blackdiamondequipment.com
- The new Black Diamond ATC-Guide is lighter and better than ever. It has low-friction, high-friction modes for lowering and rapelling and a guide mode so you can belay two seconders at a time from an anchor. It also has an enlarged auto-block release hole for smaller carabiners. $27.95
- Black Diamond Cams set the industry standard for performance. The double-axle design offers the widest range of motion for each lobe. The C-loop cables are strong and durable and all of them come in pretty colors. $59.95-$119.95
- Your rack isn’t complete without a set of BD stoppers. They have transverse tapers for sideways placements and are made with galvanized steel cable. The slightly rounded edges make for easy cleaning. $8.50-$114.95 (set)
- The new Black Diamond Livewire Quickdraws are cool and here is why. They are hot-forged and geometrically optimized for clipping. They feature keylock Dynotron draw-friendly carabiners with hooded noses. $22.95
GUIDEBOOKS are essential to any climbers pack list. For more beta on the routes in the article get these books for your arsenal.
- FALCON GUIDES: Rock Climbing Utah, Desert Rock IV, City of Rocks and the new Best Climbs Moab book features detailed color topos. $18.95-$26.95 falcon.com
- SHARP END BOOKS: You’ll need the Classic Desert Climbs guidebook and the Indian Creek guidebook if you go. $15.95-$35 sharpendbooks.com
