8 Women’s Climbing Essentials for Beginners

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Looking to get started rock climbing and need to know what gear you’ll need?

I love getting out and climbing, but it’s a fairly-recent hobby for me so it wasn’t that long ago I was learning about what gear I needed in order to attempt some routes. I also started out rock climbing outside, which meant that there was a whole host of gear I needed that I didn’t realize. Luckily, the guiding company had some extra helmets!

Once I learned a little more, I could find what worked for me and what essentials were necessary for both indoor and outdoor climbing. But it took heading to an outfitter and having them walk me through it in order to know what I needed!

Fortunately, climbing doesn’t have to be a super expensive hobby to get into, and if you are bouldering, all you need is shoes, comfortable clothing, and chalk. I’ll walk you through what gear I take with me when I climb and what essentials you need to get started.

In summary: This guide covers the basic items you need in order get started climbing either indoors or outdoors.

Quick tip: You might want to try on a bunch of sizes for both your shoes and your harness in order to find the right fit.

1. Shoes

Arguably, your shoes are going to be the most important piece of gear you have when you climb. A good pair of shoes can make a route much easier, and choosing the right ones for your needs can help you a lot in the beginning.

I have a full article that goes into the details about how to choose your climbing shoes that you might want to check out when picking out your first pair. I recommend looking for a neutral shoe that will provide you plenty of support in the beginning.

2. Comfortable clothes

One of the great things about climbing is that you can use pretty much any workout clothing and it should work just fine. I’ve even seen some people at the gym climb in jeans. While I wouldn’t recommend that, I would look for clothes that are loose enough they don’t restrict your movement, but they aren’t too loose that they get in the way.

For women, I’ve found sports bras are pretty necessary–it just keeps things where they are supposed to be and you can focus more on climbing.

If you are climbing outdoors, I also highly recommend wearing pants since this can add an extra layer of protection between your skin and the rock.

3. Belay device

If you are planning on doing any top rope climbing or climbing outside, then you will need to have a belay device on hand. In short, a belay device allows you to control the climber from the ground or above, so if you are climbing outdoors it’s something you will need.

There are several types of devices on the market, but the Petzl GRIGRI is usually the most beginner-friendly and the easiest to use if you have no experience. There’s a little bit of a learning curve, but it’s pretty easy to learn overall.

4. Chalk bag

Chalk helps you have some friction when you are climbing–especially when you have sweaty hands. A chalk bag allows you to take your chalk with you up a route. It usually straps around your waist. Which one you choose comes down to personal style for the most part!

5. Chalk

Now that you have your chalk bag, it’s time to grab your chalk! Like your bag, which brand you choose comes down to personal preference. Some brands are very fine, while others offer a thicker formula. You might have to try out a few different types to see which you like best. Thankfully, it’s pretty cheap so you aren’t investing a lot of money into it!

6. Harness

If you only plan to boulder, you won’t need a harness. But for any sport route, trad route, or climbing top rope in the gym, a harness is a must-have. Since your harness will keep you safe from any falls, I recommend spending a little bit more in order to get a quality brand. I have a Black Diamond harness and one from Edelrid, and each serves a slightly different purpose.

This is another piece of gear I recommend visiting an outfitter for since you’ll want to get it sized properly for you. You might think that you’re a medium, but you might find that the way the harness fits means a different size.

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7. Helmet

If you are only planning on climbing in the gym, then a helmet is not needed for your session. However, any climbing outside means you need to have one of these babies! You never know what’s going to come at you from above–rocks, ropes, other climbers–so protecting that head is super important.

It should fit pretty much like a bike helmet. It should be tight enough that it doesn’t move when you shake it, but not too tight that it digs into your head. The strap should also be fairly loose.

8. Locking carabiner

Another item you will need for climbing outside is a locking carabiner. This will be used in conjunction with your belay device and you can’t climb outdoors without it! I recommend a fairly hefty one for belay purposes. These also usually aren’t that expensive, so it might be worth it to pick up two in case one gets lost.

Conclusion

Having the right gear for your very first routes can make a huge difference when it comes to how successfully you feel the day will go. While you don’t need to pick out the most expensive options on the market, it’s helpful to know what you need so you can equip yourself properly. I hope this article has helped you when choosing your gear–I was there not that long ago!

Have any questions about choosing your climbing gear? Let me know in the comments!