First rack: Expensive but cheaper than years of psychotherapy

After receiving some kind of competent instruction (like being taught by a guide or a friend that’s really good), purchasing a harness, one locking carabiner and a belay device, climbers generally think about buying a rack.

A rack is the serious gear, the selection of stoppers, friends and carabiners carried by the lead climber and slung around the waist or over the shoulder. Expect to spend about $1,000.

What to buy:

* Eight to nine different sized wire stoppers or nuts (no real small ones).

* Three locking carabiners.

* Twenty-four D shaped or oval straight-gate carabiners.

* First three sizes of Lowe Tri-cams.

* Four or five camming devices, from medium size to large, such as Friends, Aliens or Camalots.

* Cleaning tool (to remove stoppers).

* Five over the shoulder length runners, five six-inch runners and three 48-inch runners.

* At least one, 10.5 mm, 50 meter non-dry rope.

on Facebook on LinkedIn