UKC

Hi Guys

Just about to finish my begineers course and I am loving the indoor climbing. A couple of questions if I may.

What sort of Harness's and Shoes should I be looking out for? I have tried a couple of shoes on and prefer the velcro type over the lace ones. Is there anywhere I can get a bundle offer? like a begineers pack?

TIA

In reply to MartinGT: try as many on as possible, sit in as many harnesses as possible.

In reply to MartinGT:

Hi Martin.

DMM do a beginners pack, a frind of mine bought one the other day. It contains Harness, Belay Device, Locking Carabiner, Chalk Bag and Chalk. Not a bad place to start. I think it was about £65 from Snow and Rock.

HTH.

Hoppo

In reply to MartinGT:

Have a look on Go Outdoors, they usually have a Harness, chalkbag and belay device for about £50

In reply to MartinGT: Welcome aboard! I'm glad that you are enjoying it.
I would go for a harness and shoes that fit and are comfortable - you will enjoy the climbing more.
I'd probably get a harness with 4 gear loops on. If you want to go outside that will be enough for most things and not so over-specced if you end up just enjoying the inside.
You will also need a belay device & krab. You climbing partner might appreciate something with a bit of grip to it. (such as the ATC-XP, the standard ATC being a bit more slick).
Some climbing shops offer a bundle on harness and belay device but I'd go where I try a variety of them.

In reply to MartinGT:

Hey there Martin

Good to hear that you're enjoying the climbing.
Me & the wife did a beginners course at Leeds Wall.
They did a great deal there, where you got a discount on shoes, chalk bag, harness & belay device, plus a discount in the shop for other bits of kit.

Obviously depends on your future aspirations, but it seems like the sky is the limit on gear (pardon the pun). It can work out expensive...
Most climbing shop assistants that I've come across, seem to be honest & won't try & sell you a load of gear you don't need.
(Definitely try as many pairs of shoes on as you can too).
Try stuff on, shop around, ask other climbers/instructors.

Have fun!

In reply to MartinGT:

As above really, just try on every 'beginner' shoe in the shop and see what fits, everyone has different shaped feet, long, narrow, wide, low volume etc. There really is no other way. Velcro is fine, some people think that lace gives you more control, but at the beginner level it's irrelevant unless you have relly odd shaped feet.

Same with a harness, try them on, get the most comfy.

In reply to MartinGT:

You probably only need one harness. Two shoes would be good though.

I think when starting out it's good to go with comfier shoes over really tight 'technical' ones. I sort of went more the other (wrong) way with my first pair, and ended up getting a more comfy pair not too soon after. It's also worthwhile deciding if you're going to wear them with or without socks before you buy them too, as that has a big effect on fit. Leather shoes will stretch a little with time, so you'll need to take the shoppe keep's advice on sizing. They normally know which will stretch a little, and which ones will a lot.

Harnesses; the often-repeated advice is if you think you'll be climbing outside, you may need something with more gear loops than if you're going to be 100% inside. If you think you might be doing winter stuff, you might need one with adjustable leg-loops (so it can fit over bulkier clothing), etc. etc. I went with what was comfiest. Ideally the shops should have somewhere you can dangle in the harnesses to check that it's comfy, or at they very least, a shop-assistant burly enough to lift you up by your belay loop.

A chalk bag is also good to get, although I survived my first six months of indoor climbing without one quite happily.

And a belay device. These are much of a muchness I think. No matter which one you get there will be one which you didn't buy which somehow seems 'better' six months down the line. If I was starting out all over again, I'd get one of the 'belay master' carabiners with the plastic bit that goes across the middle.

Thanks for the advice guys.

I am also at the Leeds Wall Roger and work 2mins away so will pop down one lunch for a chat with them about trying some stuff on.

Thanks again

In reply to MartinGT: As others have said I would go for a padded harness with 4+ gear loops - rather than a "one size fits all" model like what you have probably been borrowing. Slightly more expensive but will last you years, rather than having to upgrade because you need the gear loops or want something more comfy.

Hang in the harness to make sure it fits your body shape and is comfy. As others have said you can often get packs with belay and chalk bag included, but these are only a bargain if it is the right harness.

Shoes come entirely down to fit and you MUST buy in person. Try as many different models as possible and go for the ones which fit the best - velcro are nice but don't buy a badly fitting shoe just because you can't be bothered to tie a bow! If you haven't worn rockshoes before they need to be tight - not painfull but far smaller than normal footwear so expect them to feel uncomfortable (but not painfull). A decent climbing shop will happily spend the time to make sure you get the right model/size.