Best alpine climbing gear reddit.

Best alpine climbing gear reddit No one brand makes everything, and certainly not the best of everything, so don’t sweat the labels too much. You're set with what you have. 2 of ten (or even 5) years ago. 8. I'm not convinced that this is the place to save a pound or two over an Arcteryx or other climbing pack. The American Alpine Institute, Alpine Ascents International, and RMI all have free downloadable booklets under their alpine courses detailing the clothing systems with brand recommendations for their climbs. It’s really lightweight and feels that way but it’s super durable. The only thing it's not good for is trad climbing because the gear loops are too small (yes even on the solution guide). Due to a lack of ice-clipper slots, this harness isn't the best pick for alpine and ice climbing. But it's time to invest some real money. You can get smaller and you can get cheaper, but you won't find anything that'll hold up to wherever you're doing (Outside of the submergibles). I've found a few like the Temres gloves that are great for climbing ice or the 4 pack of leather work gloves from Costco that I sno-seal and keep love for ski touring. The more you climb, place gear, clean gear, build anchors, etc. See full list on outdoorgearlab. Hi, What books you can recommend to read for begginer who wants to start alpinism, mixed climbing, trad climbing. Ok, who am I kidding, I still rock the misc too, I just added more to the kit. Crack climbing in Squamish you barely need draws if your cams extend. Save money on less critical gear. Mar 20, 2025 · It’s been a memorable 12 months for climbing gear nerds. I do a lot of backpacking, starting to get into grad climbing, and a solid versatile hard shell is an indispensable piece of gear. The correct number of gear is n+1, where n is what you own after buying new gear. Background- 10 years of climbing outdoors, two years climbing retail, and I'm an AMGA guide. Without breaking the bank. Blue Ice also meant to be Dear mountaineering redditors, I have recently started to get into more technical activities that require usage of rope. 22 is like a day pack, or also a climbing bag for short routes. 8 months later on a whim I sign up for some 10 day course, focused on mostly alpine and mountaineering, but a bit of rock and ice. Great community and a bit of reading allows you to break down the science of an overnighter into it's smallest units (a cut down bamboo kids toothbrush). Known for its superior waterproofing and durability, it stands out as the best overall choice for adventurers who demand top-notch performance. also, a climbing gym should know what's safe and not safe just because they have to for liability. 5-9. Although this test was less useful for the expedition packs, which gobbled up all the equipment and then some, it gave us an intuitive visual way to compare practical volume. It'll be thin and supple, but beefy and durable enough to last you a good while. Alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies I used alpine draws almost exclusively as even with double ropes it could be hard to extend or make tricky placements work. Thanks! For mountaineering expeditions with gear, tent, stove, boots, sleeping bags, many days of rations, etc etc. Absolutely. Easy TR access, easy gear, easy climbing. My goals for the next two years are Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa and Dent du Géant (plus a handful of easy 4000 such as Breithorn, Bishorn, Gran Paradiso, etc. Incredible views on the whole climb! Out of the packs you listed the North Face one is the best, in my opinion. Crampons, ice axes, and other pointy things don't play well with UL hiking packs of any brand. r/Ultralight is the largest online Ultralight Backcountry Backpacking community! This sub is about overnight backcountry backpacking, with a focus on moving efficiently, packing light, generally aiming at a sub 10 pound base weight, and following LNT principles. Hi all! Hope you're doing alright. You can usually find them on sale for 25% off. the 100L pack is super. Day 2 is a recovery day (snow school and an easy hike to the flats) and then an alpine start for Day 3 Summit Day. snaggy outside pockets, tiny hardware that isn't glove friendly, tons of reasons to choose a climbing pack for climbing. Personally, at that budget I'd go with a used Olympus EM5-II and either a used 12-45 F4 Pro, 12-40 F2. Reddit's OG off-piste sub for all things backcountry skiing/splitboarding. I've used it layered with my down hoodie for multiple seasons of skiing, used it to spend a week living in snowstorms at 14k feet, used it to summit literally everything higher than a handful of pitches The gear that is best for you is VERY dependent on a lot of factors that you don't cover here. ) While I think you’re right, the Mt. The gear section of Blake Herrington's Cascades Rock suggests several QDs are part of a standard rack for multipitch alpine trad climbing. com. Hey everyone, I interviewed Raphael Slawinski and thought you would enjoy the chat. com May 14, 2021 · For our recommendations, check out our guide to the best crag packs. You seem to have a lot of insight, but to me, the thought of the lovable bums who make and sell gear just for the fun of it and because they love climbing and want to give back to the community is just too r I've got quite a number of Wild country tech and Helium friends too, but I don't use them all too often, except for a few for Alpine climbing, where I feel like they're a bit lighter. I have many items from Arc’teryx and Norrøna too, so I feel the quality is on that level and sometimes better. Eisenhower is much more of an alpine adventure, with more 4th class scrambling than proper climbing, and a more involved descent. However I like the way DMM just decided to focus on the gear rather than the profit margins. AAI has a better schedule in my opinion. A slight curve can also be ok, but generally speaking it's for more special use cases. We hired a guide for half a day and are hooked. I've used 38L for single/overnight/3 days trips for alpine climbing. Admins, please delete if not allowed. harness, rope, carabiners, atc, and a couple slings I'm just trying to figure out what gear is an absolute must have. And for anyone experiencing a loss, we recommend visiting the American Alpine Club’s Climbing Grief Fund. One thing nobody really told me about summer alpine climbing is just how hot it can get. No complaints on their climbing gear though. Those two, non-detachable low speed quads are the best season pass you'll ever own. There's also some weird cams like Metolius super cams, and the recently discontinued Omega Pacific Link cams, really big cams from valley giant, Merlin, and That said , there is usualy degradation in ropes, especially with how well the watherproofing works, so usualy the ropes have a lifecycle starting with ice climbing, then alpine climbing, then trad climbing, then as slings (used for ice, or saxonian climbing). They aren't the best climbing shoes on the market, and their heavy weight makes them a poor choice for carrying up and over multi-pitch routes where weight is a concern. I'm sorry, but I just can't buy that. But once you get mountaineering tents, fuel for 100% water boiling, belay jackets for true cold, and sub -7 bags I find that I need more than that. Also suggest… Feels like it’s not there when you’re climbing. I was cleaning up my climbing gear today after an unfortunate incident during a muddy approach, and I started thinking about alpine draws. I like small and light. com is definitely the best of you’re looking for in depth reviews that discuss more than marketing talking points and get into the nitty gritty of how things work. it's dangerous. According to Reddit users who live for climbing, hiking, and extreme cold-weather conditions, the Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket is the ultimate pick for 2025. If it’s anything like mine, you would love it! May 6, 2025 · Having good quality climbing gear is important for safety and success. Day 1 up to Muir. Like others have suggested, alpine club is a good idea to try to find partners. Washington trip is just an excuse for me to start collecting gear. I choose between racking on my harness with only a 1in webbing hip belt that stays out of the way (small pack/light load) or using a low profile harness and racking on the pack's padded hip belt (heavier loads). Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. 20K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. ). For over a decade, our team of experts has been testing the latest and greatest climbing gear on the market. I have a skiing specific jacket (Arc Stingray), which is nice for the powder skirt and bigger pockets and pass pocket, but I have skied in my Alpha SL jacket on occasion and it works fine. Expect a full day, I'd guess the average is 12 hrs car to car. I like that they make a lot of their gear for Mountaineering/climbing, so many (most) items have helmet compatible hoods and two way zip. The first climbing book I read before I even started climbing. 16 votes, 42 comments. 0mm ( 60m length) not 1/2 ropes , Nylon slings long and short, Cordallette , Protection gear : ice screws Active camming devices full set Passive camming devices full set Nuts full set Pitons full set Piton hammer Prussik cord Etriers Belay devices : ATC tube like, Grigri or similar, Carabiners clip gates Apr 19, 2023 · There are two schools of thought for how best to ski in: (1) wear a lightweight pair of backcountry ski boots clipped to traditional pin bindings and carry your ice climbing boots on your pack or (2) locate a pair of the increasingly hard to find Silvretta 500 ski bindings, which clips in perfectly to the heel and toe bails of a climbing boot. I'm looking for B2/B3 boots for alpine terrains (snow, ice, low-technicity climbing). We’ve seen innovations that have made climbing easier, more comfortable, and lighter, from pants and ice tools to backpacks and belay devices. The 65L is mostly for backpacking and travel. In eastern europe 50m is often enough, but 60 is a safe bet. Day 2 up to Muir and then an alpine start for Day 3 Summit. I've been climbing top rope for a few years now and I've burnt out all my local spots so I decided it's time to start sport and trad climbing. The future is awesome. For all of that, I think 50-55L is minimum. If you get into actual alpine ice climbing you're going to use ice tools not axes which are much shorter and are curved so that both ends are in constant contact with the ice and snow for better grip. Third, if you'll need snow skills to access the climbs you want to do, you'll need to learn those skills. We came into it with a strong sport climbing background, understanding of pro, and general dos/don'ts. Hi anyone have a recommendation for a climbing harness for mountain trad use? Needs to be fairly packable and light for carrying (about 300-350g) but also reasonably comfortable for multi pitch use and hanging stances etc. Thealpinestart. RMI is basically a 30 hour push. Your first rope should be a 9. We have everything that's needed in a gym (shoes, harness, ATC, grigri, etc. For backpacking in non-alpine terrain r/ultralight is the place to be. Most bags these days seem to be at least water resistant for alpine and winter stuff but that’s relatively recent. Spend the money and don't become a SAR call or worse. With that said, I own a couple bags on the Outdoor Gear Lab link someone posted. I am a big fan of Mammut. 4 alpine routes. I've made it this far into the game by trying cheap gloves to look for those secret pieces of gear that are awesome but super cheap. Edit to add: also the Deuter guide packs and their other new alpine/winter ones look great. In Scotland you’ll want gear that keeps you warm when it’s damp anyway so synthetic jacket instead of down. I swear a number of climbing packs come in the mid 50s if you're thinking sub-alpine camps. No holes, no tears, no broken parts, despite the ridiculously low cost and paper-thin fabric (the thing weights like 200g). Yeah that’s a great way of putting it, I struggled to characterize what turns me away from Patagonia snow gear despite their proven quality. the more your efficiency will improve. My first day climbing in it was in a chimney crawl climb haha because climbing gyms are businesses that specialize in climbing and also get deep discounts on gear through actual, legit outdoor companies/resellers. Just goes to show that sport climbing and alpine climbing are wildly different beasts. 8 Pro, or 14-150 II. If there is a climber who should be added, please reach out to us at queries@climbing. Climbing ropes X 2 : double ropes 8. I picked up a set of Trango phase alpine draws and I like them much more than the cobbled together with misc carabiners draws that I was rocking before. Honestly it was probably the single thing that got me into climbing in the first place. When I did Mont Blanc the freezing point was around 4000m and even the summit was only -5. We've climbed big walls, topped out highballs, and spent multiple days on an alpine wall to push the gear to its limit. 4 days ago · We also want to acknowledge that, despite our best efforts, this list is almost certainly incomplete. We want to go back in a month but are lacking outdoor gear. Some of your gear you will be wearing or packed in your daypack so it won’t count towards the weight limit of the porters. It sits really nicely on my hips and is easy to adjust. 38 is right on the cusp of capable overnight for ski, but typically multi-day skimo trips require rock/ice pro, harness + rope, in addition to winter camping gear. Food: AAI provides most meals and they were all quite good. Ed Viesturs book on climbing the 14 8000ers was great too. 38L for summit attempts or day climbs with gear. A harness like the finely tuned Blue Ice Choucas Pro is a better alpine harness. Dear mountaineering redditors, I have recently started to get into more technical activities that require usage of rope. Particularly, which configurations I had seen at the crag, what I use, and what the best options were for putting more together with my current stockpile of gear. For now, I would just get shoes, a chalk bag, harness, belay device, and maybe some slings or a PAS if you are going to be climbing outside often. But lately Climbing’s field-testing team has raved about one product making climbing undeniably safer: Mammut’s Alpine Core Protect Rope. Needs 4 good size gear loops for trad rack. Specifically the Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF, and Marmot Col. Aside from quality issues I’ve had with BD (recon bibs getting shredded in less than a season), I’ve found that their sizing is pretty whack across the board. That's primarily onsighting, not redpointing. Apr 29, 2025 · Best All-Around: Butora Mousai ($135) Best for Alpine Climbing: Arc’teryx Vertex Alpine ($220) Best Value: Astral Loyak ($99) Best for Cragging: Arc’teryx Kragg ($160) Most Durable: La Sportiva TX4 Evo ($169) Best Scrambler: Scarpa Gecko LT ($169) How to choose; How we test; Meet our testers; Don’t miss: The Best Climbing Shoes of 2025 Feb 11, 2025 · These shoes are comfortable for hiking and standing all day, and they climb well enough for low-5th class terrain and alpine scrambling. Apr 4, 2025 · We would really love to see the inclusion of a larger, but still low profile, fifth-gear loop in the back. Hip belts and harnesses occupy the same space. I've slept with the Kodiak down to about 1°F ish. I personally use the new Mutant 38; I know they make a 50L-ish version as well. Whoops, guess you're wrong AGAIN. Mileage is key. It's great to have enough gear to go out with anyone, but until you gain the experience and knowledge to being leading and whatnot you will have to go with someone who has a rope/rack anyway. My wife and I have been climbing in a gym for about a year and took our first trip outside last weekend. Generally in the 25-40 liter range, alpine packs should carry gear well but be comfortable moving over technical terrain. I use a Petzl sitta for alpine and a padded thing for indoors. Between all my climbing partners the Phantom is the best in terms of features, comfort, and weight. I climb trad so I value the large gear loops and even the small rear loop (on the AR-385a). I have been using a sport climbing harness but that is not optimal since the legs are not adjustable and it is not comfortable when you have to change clothes often. I bought a Simond Cliff II 20L ultralight climbing pack at Decathlon ~6-7 years ago for like $20, and have used it every weekend since then as my climbing gear/follower pack, and during the week as my climbing gym bag. The primary ones off the top of my head are: Location Season Activity Best piece of gear for NE ice climbing is very different from the best piece of gear for summer CO 14ers. Rain gear, head lamps, gaiters, water bottles…this will all be in your day pack… You don’t need glove liners and soft shell gloves…I had a 3 liter water reservoir and a single water bottle. Not sure why this was downvoted - sport climbing and alpine climbing/solo-ing are not the same and just because you're a strong sport climber doesn't mean you can or should solo 5. Their climbing ropes are some of the best. Cheers. I think it was worth it. 18 votes, 18 comments. Plus, ‘Be prepared’ is forever drilled into my brain Alpine draws depend a lot on where you climb like all trad gear. It’s very alpine climbing/ice climbing focused though, so regular uses might find it hard to follow some of the jargon. You can't really have your cake and eat it too. Mock leading placing gear followed by the instructor going up and scoring pieces. It was me and one buddy with an AMGA guide for 1/2 a day up at North Table in Golden, CO. We then tried to pack this gear into each of the packs. Raphael won a Piolet D'or for his 2013 FA of the northwest face of K6 West with Ian Welsted, and he was also a leading Canadian mixed climber ("sport wanker" as he called himself), helping to popularize bolted mixed climbing and sending some of the first M10s and M11s. Then just put it into a climbing pack with the rest of your climbing gear and you're set. 8s of today are the work horse durable ropes of 10. Dec 5, 2023 · For a more realistic test, we also assembled a sample kit for a weekend of summer alpine climbing. it would make zero sense to resell gear from amazon if you can't make a profit on it. My hardshell is one of two pieces of gear I use for virtually every one of my outdoor sports minus spring/summer running. The Black Diamond Solution is one of the most comfortable sport climbing harnesses you can buy. Alpine Climbing Packs marry the carrying ability of crag packs with the climbing ability of multipitch packs. Don't play around with sleep systems. I have the bare bones climbing gear. The 9. wgsngan mgwmten gzjbzvet bshii ivf lmql ccrp mxu uzsu wezqh tmaubb atgte megqaot rjafi sbbjo