The sport of Rock climbing is all the rage. It’s at the 2024 Paris Olympics; professional climber Alex Honnold, who starred in the documentary Free onlyNow he has several climbing shows with National GeographicThanks to the explosion in popularity of indoor climbing gyms, anyone can now try climbing. It’s easy to see the appeal: you get a full-body workout, it’s fun, and your brain gets to solve problems, too.
Whether you’re climbing indoors (or on plastic, as traditionalists like to say) or heading outdoors to rock climb, you’ll need some gear to get started. Indoor climbing is accessible and can be done year-round; outdoor climbing offers better views, more complex problem-solving, and sometimes the need to overcome fear and work as a team. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive selection of the best climbing gear for beginners and improving climbers. We also asked the experts at Backcountry.com for their advice on how to deal with notoriously uncomfortable climbing shoes.
Don’t see anything you like? Check out our other guides on outdoor gear, like the best tents and the best hiking shoes. With any luck, you too can identify the problem at a glance, work on the key point, and ace the beta test on the way to your first 5.11.
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