A question I get a lot is what climbing gear to buy first or what a beginner climbing gear list is. In this post I’ll provide you with a top rope climbing gear list and point out the parts where you can save money.

Gear List for New Climbers

You will obviously need climbing shoes, a harness, a belay device, and a climbing rope. If you’re a gym climber, the shoes, harness, and belay device you already have will work just fine – you already have half of the gear for top rope climbing! You’ll also need a helmet, a few locking carabiners, and some anchor building materials.

Climbing Shoes

If you don’t have these things yet, I recommend starting with a non-aggressive shoe with a flat toe. You want something that will be comfortable to keep wearing in between climbs, especially since at the beginner levels of outdoor climbing footholds are usually large enough that a performance shoe with a very tight fit and downturned toe isn’t necessary. You’ll want to climb for longer if your toes aren’t screaming in pain. There are many good choices here, including the La Sportiva Tarantulace, Black Diamond Zone, and Evolv Defy.

Belay Devices

There are two broad categories of belay devices: assisted braking belay devices like the Petzl Grigri, and plaquette/plate devices like the ATC or Reverso. The best belay device is the one that you are able to operate safely. There is a misconception that assisted braking devices are necessarily safer than ATCs, but that’s only true if the operator is using the device correctly. Always read the owners manual and practice using a new device before belaying someone with it. So, what’s the best device for a beginner? Use whatever you already have. If you don’t have a belay device already and are on a budget, an ATC style device is fine. If you have the money to spare, consider a Grigri (and check out our post comparing the Grigri vs the Grigri Plus).

Harnesses

Any climbing harness is fine as long as it’s in good condition. No need to splurge.

Ropes

Which rope to get depends on what you are going to use it for and the height of the crags you’ll be climbing at. If you only have money for a single rope, and want to be able to use it wherever you go, the safest thing is to get a 70 meter rope, which will be long enough for top rope and lead climbing at almost any crag. 70 meters can be overkill though, and it’s annoying to have to deal with ten extra meters of rope when climbing at shorter cliffs. If you know the crags you’ll be going to have routes that are less than 100 feet long, then a 60 meter rope is fine.

Dynamic, Static, and Semi Static

I recommend buying a fully dynamic rope, since it can be used for both top roping and lead climbing. However, if you are only going to be top roping, it can be nice to climb with a semi static rope, which will stretch less under load. This means that if the climber falls, particularly low on the route where there is a large amount of rope in the system, they won’t fall far below the holds they were on. Just remember that semi static ropes are only for top roping, and not lead climbing. Finally, static ropes should be avoided – they are used for hauling and ascending, not for protecting lead or top rope climbers. Falling on a static rope could result in injury to the internal organs or skeleton.

Helmets

Any helmet that is designed for climbing will work. Helmets start at $50 and go all the way up to $200. Most of the price difference is due to aesthetics, modest reductions in weight, and a safety feature called MIPS. In my view, MIPS isn’t a necessary safety feature for top rope climbing, but if you’ll be lead climbing you should consider it. For more information on MIPS and other features of climbing helmets, check out our article on shopping for a climbing helmet.

Anchor Materials

The anchor-building materials you’ll need depend on the terrain and route development of the crags you’ll be visiting. But in general, a few materials go a long way. A 19-23 foot length of 7mm accessory cord, tied in a loop with a double fisherman’s knot can be used to tie off trees, equalize pieces of protective gear like cams and nuts, or to equalize two bolts. If you’re on a budget, this, plus two to four locking carabiners are the most versatile materials you can buy.

New or Used?

Buying used is a great way to save some money, but which items are safe to get used? With some inspection, lots of this gear can be bought used safely. Our safety doesn’t depend on climbing shoes, so this is a good place to start. And helmets are easy to inspect for damage – check to make sure that the foam inside the helmet is intact (no missing pieces or cracks) and that the plastic shell of the helmet doesn’t have any cracks or deformities.

If considering buying a used harness, verify the age of the harness - there should be a tag on it that says what year it was made in. Don’t buy harnesses that are 5 years or older. For harnesses less than 5 years, carefully inspect the belay loop for fraying, as well as the two hard tie-in points. Examine all buckles and make sure they still tighten and don’t slip. Inspect the harness for discoloration, which could indicate improper storage like leaving the harness out in the sun or a hot area. And ask the seller how much the harness was used, how it was stored, and why they are selling it. If you have any doubt, don’t buy – your life (and the life of whoever you’re belaying) isn’t worth saving a few bucks.

As a beginning outdoor climber, it’s best to avoid buying used ropes and anchor materials, unless you are totally confident that they are relatively new and were properly cared for. The reason is that it’s difficult to know the history and age of these materials.

What Climbing Gear Do I Get First?