When you decide to go for indoor rock climbing, several questions may arise in your mind. But the most important question is what to wear, right? Luckily, indoor rock climbing does not require any technical clothing. So, you have nothing to worry about.
Since it is indoor rock climbing, so you don’t have to worry about the rain or the sun as well. So, you don’t need the sun hat or the rain jacket at all. However, there is definitely some sportswear that you will be needing.
Whereas it is true that most of the cloths can be found in your closet, you need to keep in mind that it involves a little bit of safety concern too. So, in this article, I will give you all the stuff that you need for indoor rock climbing safely.
What To Wear For Indoor Rock Climbing?
Indoor rock climbing helps to develop physical fitness and stamina. It also makes you fit for outdoor rock climbing too. Pretty exciting for the children as well.
I am about to mention some climbing gears that will make your rock climbing attempt successful. Nothing fancy, only the basic stuff.
However, whether you have those gears and cloths or not, nothing should stop you from your dream rock climbing. Have that determination and you will see everything becomes a possibility!
- A Climbing Helmet
No matter whether it’s an indoor or outdoor rock climbing, you will always be needing the helmet for rock climbing. It will protect your head if you fall on the ground and your head makes the impact. To avoid concussion or any type of head injury, you must have one of those helmets.
The outer hard shell and the inside padding do the magic trick protecting your head from any side impacts as well. They are not costly at all and several brands like Petzl offers such helmets as low as $50.
The good thing about this helmet is that you can use the same helmet for outdoor rock or mountain climbing too.
- Clothing
You can wear any clothes that make you feel comfortable. But think about mobility convenience as well. You do not want to wear any clothes that may be stuck on the wall climbing holds. My personal preference is yoga clothing.
Also, wear & tear of the cloths is a reality in such rock climbing, so don’t buy any expensive clothes. You may end up regretting. Just pay attention which cloth will offer more flexibility.
For women, indoor rock climber, any T-shirt with a sports bra is more than enough. You can find more fitted sportswear with the built-in bra as well for that purpose. All you need to ensure is that your clothes have flexible fabrics and it is breathable.
For men, wear anything that makes you comfortable. You can wear your favorite jeans too if they are flexible enough. Shorts, leggings, etc. everything works fine as long as they offer flexibility.
- Climbing Harness
Without it, there won’t be any climbing at all. You need the harness for both the indoor and outdoor rock climbing. In fact, this is the most important gear in the climbing adventure.
Luckily, those harnesses are really cheap and but you need to choose it wisely. When I don’t know which one to buy, I search online and read real customer reviews.
- Climbing Shoes
If you are a first timer and you go to the gym, you may not have to buy it. Your gym may rent it to you, so get it from them. But if you don’t feel comfortable wearing ‘public’ shoes, you are welcome to buy a pair of them.
Any rock climbing shoes must fit snugly and you should feel comfortable. Shoes that hurt your feet won’t do any good. So, before you buy a pair of them, read some real customer reviews about it.
There are some rental stores where they offer clean climbing shoes. If you have a tight budget, this could be a good option to consider.
- Locking Carabineer
Sometimes, it may come with the harness or along with the carabineer, the harness may come. No matter what, you need the carabineer so that you can attach the harness with your belay device.
- Get Climbing Ropes
For indoor rock climbing, the gym usually provides the climbing ropes. If not, you may need to buy your own to do the lead climbing. They don’t cost much. I would not recommend using old ropes what you would usually find in your garage because of the safety concern.
- Chalk & Chalk Bag
You don’t want your grip to slip during the rock climbing. Chalk can keep your palms & fingers dry and won’t let any slippery happen. Most gyms don’t have the chalk, so you may bring your own chalk and chalk bag.
- No Hand Gloves
Most beginners do the mistake. You don’t need any gloves for indoor rock climbing. With your bare hands, you need to make contact with the climbing holds. That’s the way it works. So, don’t buy any hand gloves.
Wrapping Up
Indoor rock climbing is not just fun and exciting, it keeps your mind fresh and increases your stamina. Also, it can prepare you for your next BIG outdoor climbing endeavor.
Though I mentioned a lot of indoor climbing gears, don’t let them stop you enjoying this wonderful sports. Only the helmet, harness, and shoes will be enough for you to start the climbing.