Gifts and Stocking Stuffers Ideas for Rock Climbers ($5 to $20)

The holidays are right around the corner and that means it's time to get presents for the mountain men and women in your life. This can be challenging because we have so many gadgets and doodads. All these little aluminum trinkets, and you have no idea what any of them do. What do they really want?

As certified mountain people and gear nerds, we're going to give you some gift ideas for the rock climber in your life. We'll start with the cheaper gifts between $5 and $20 and work our way up to the bigger ticket items.

Gifts / stocking stuffers for climbers (from $5 to $20)

Metolius Super Chalk Ecoball ($5.95 on Amazon)

I've been using these for a while. I prefer the Metolius Ecoball to loose chalk for a few reasons. First of all, this is non-marking chalk substitute. Normal chalk is a mixture of the white chalk powder and a drying agent. This product is simply the drying agent so it doesn't leave a mark. This is good for climbing in protected places or for hiding your first ascent project from poachers. Also, chalk balls are required in certain gyms. I find them less messy because I always tip over my chalk bag (or end up upside down somehow), dumping 20 ounces of white powder on my belayer and causing an anthrax scare. Chalk balls are great for the clumsy among us.

Black Diamond Neutrino Carabiner ($7.95 on Amazon)

A climber can never have too many of these. They're strong, versatile, cheap, and they last forever. These little guys come in a variety of colors which is extra handy for trad climbers. This is because the companies that make our cams, nuts, hexes, and other protection color their gear. Having a colored carabiner allows you to match it to the appropriately-colored piece of protection and be able to grab the right piece off your gear loops the first try. It's a small perk, but it shaves off a few seconds. You know how there's dog years? There is also an alternative time scale for trad leading. The three seconds a climber spends fumbling for the right piece of pro on trad lead feels like eternity plus twelve. Just trust me. Anyway, these little 'biners are perfect. Having a few extra carabiners on a climb can allow you to make an impromptu belay device and prevent you from dying. Dying: not cool. Carabiners: cool.

Black Diamond Nylon Runner (Starting at $5.95 on Amazon)

Runners made of webbing are also super handy. This is another gadget that you can never have too many of. Use them for extending gear, building anchors, or making a really floppy hula hoop. You really don't want to run out of these when you're trying to build an anchor. We've all had to MacGyver anchors out of suboptimal materials, and it's a horrifying experience. An extra 2-3 of these on my harness makes me feel safe.

Sterling Chain Reactor Anchor Chain ($20.71 on Amazon)

Anchor building is still one of the most polarizing topics in serious free climbing. A climber can tell you all about the differences between anchor chains, daisy chains, and other assorted anchor building/rappelling systems. I can say that anchor chains are great for a bunch of reasons and anyone who gets one will be happy they did, even if they don't use it all the time. I am partial to nylon as opposed to dyneema for these systems. This Sterling kit is very high quality and one of the cheapest I could find.

Petzl Maillon Rapide Screw Link ($5.95 on Amazon)

Petzl is a French company that names all of their products in fruity français. Allow me to translate into Freedom Speak: these little 2-inch loops of metal save my hide all the time. They're disposable get-out-of-jail-free cards. You want extras. A lot. The world of bail 'biners is an egalitarsomeone's gotta have them.
ian "take a penny, leave a penny"-style karmic loop. I'm going to be honest, I've never bought any of these, I just find ones that other people leave behind. Still,

That's all for now, guys! I hope that's enough info for santa's elves to bring the rock climber in your life some small gifts and stocking stuffers. In our next installment, we'll talk about gifts from $20 to $100.

Happy Holidays!

Ariel Castro
Rugged Innovations

National Hammock Day is July 22nd! Enter for a chance at $3,000 in prizes.

Relaxing in my Grand Trunk Hammock :)

National Hammock Day is coming up on July 22nd, folks! We teamed up with Grand Trunk for their National Hammock Day contest and they're giving away $3,000 in prizes. It's super easy to enter the contest, and there are three different ways you can enter:

1. Facebook Tab

2. Use the hashtag #GrandTrunkNHD and tweet us a picture @grandtrunkgoods.

3. Use the hashtag #GrandTrunkNHD and tag us on Instagram @grandtrunkgoods.

What are the prizes?- See more at: http://www.grandtrunkgoods.com/2013/06/win-grand-trunk-gear/#sthash.7omkNTEf.dpuf

Check the following link for more information:

http://www.grandtrunkgoods.com/2013/06/win-grand-trunk-gear/

Kids Climbing Gear: Choosing the Right Helmet

Choosing the Right Climbing Helmet for Your Kid

Helmets are one of the most important pieces of safety gear you can have. Your child's entire future, their hopes and dreams, their yet-unwritten Ph.D. dissertation; all are contained in those ~1250 cubic centimeters of grey matter (thanks Google). Protect them!

Camp Armour Junior Climbing Helmet

Some people have asked me if they can use a bicycle helmet for rock climbing. The answer is no. While wearing a bicycle helmet is better than wearing no helmet, bicycle helmets are made for very different types of impacts. Climbing helmets are designed to withstand multiple impacts. This is because in very bad situations, a climber may be exposed to the impact from a fall and a subsequent impact from falling rock or debris. Bicycle helmets are designed to simply crumple after one high-force impact. If your child (or you) are wearing a bicycle helmet while climbing you only have one solid impact. Bicycle helmets also have large vent holes in them that could easily let falling rocks through if they were used for climbing. A climbing helmet always has a closed top and is designed to protect you from several impacts. This could save your life!

There are a handful of good products on the market. Let's talk about the options. An interesting thing to note is that all three of the kids climbing helmets that I am reviewing are essentially the same price. They all cost approximately $59.90. This is liberating because it allows you to make a decision based on your needs rather than price.

Our first product is the Camp Armour Junior Climbing Helmet ($59.95 on Amazon). Unfortunately I don't have a lot great things to say about this helmet. Reading reviews of it online it's clear that people find it very comfortable. The praise stops there. Several people have said that the helmet tends to slide off the top of your head during use. This is unacceptable - the helmet needs to stay absolutely still on your head. If the helmet tends to slide back it can move during a fall and expose your kid's forehead to an impact. Why wear a helmet at all if it doesn't fully protect your head? The helmet does not have great ventilation vents. It sits high on the head which is obnoxious when you're climbing. I can't count how many times I've scraped the top of big helmets on an overhanging roof and nearly fallen. The straps are the least adjustable of the three helmets. I can't recommend the Camp Armour helmet in good faith. Fortunately, there are a couple of other good choices.

Petzl Picchu Kids Helmet

The Petzl Picchu Helmet ($59.95 on Amazon) is a really interesting product. It is designed to meet both climbing and cycling safety standards. In my experience, this is a very rare feature. If your kid is a climber and a cyclist this is the clear winner of the group. It has less coverage than the Mammut El Cap and has a higher profile, so it's not perfect for climbing.  It does not have large ventilation holes like bike-specific helmets, so it's not really ideal for that either. I like to think of this helmet as a multitool; it performs several duties well, but not as well as a sport-specific helmet. With how frequently kids change sports, this may be a great purchase for your family!  One feature of this helmet that I absolutely love is the included LED safety light on the back. What an awesome idea! This is great for peace of mind during low-light climbing and biking. It's like a lighthouse beacon for your child. The Petzl Picchu Helmet also comes with a little pack of stickers that your kid can slap all over it.  They love that stuff. Heck, even as an adult I like to slap stickers all over my water bottles, notebooks, snowboards; whatever. Customization is fun :)

Mammut El Cap Kids Helmet

The Mammut - El Cap Kids Helmet ($59.95 on Amazon) is my favorite of the group of helmets for climbing. It's the only helmet with a brim, which is an excellent feature on sunny days. It has the most ventilation holes (12!) that allow junior's noggin to breath when it gets hot. One element of helmets that does get fairly annoying is that they tend to get in the way when climbing overhanging routes. You're climbing a roof section or crammed into a weird corner and the top of your helmet bumps the roof, jarring you and breaking your focus. It's not a huge problem but it can get annoying. The Mammut - El Cap Kids Helmet is low-profile and sits low on your head, limiting the obtrusiveness of the helmet. Additionally, the El Cap is the coolest-looking helmet of the group. It matters! Finally, the El Cap has the most coverage on the back of the head. There's no evidence that this will protect your kid's head any more than the standard helmet design but it makes me feel safer... It's the helmet placebo effect.

To sum it all up, don't bother with the Camp Armour Helmet. If you're looking for a very flexible helmet that your kid can use for both climbing and biking, the Petzl Picchu is a great choice. If your kid is only going to be climbing, get him/her the Mammut El Cap Kids Helmet!

Most Flexible Multisport (Climbing and Biking) Helmet:

Petzl Picchu Climbing/Biking Helmet ($59.95 on Amazon)

Best Climbing-specific Performance Kids Helmet:

Mammut - El Cap Kids Climbing Helmet ($59.95 on Amazon)

Questions? Comments? Holler at us.

Be safe.

Ariel Castro
Rugged Innovations

-->

Kids Climbing Gear: Choosing the Right Shoes

Choosing the Right Climbing Shoes for your Kid

Today, we will discuss choosing the best pair of rock climbing shoes for your little one. Kid rock climbers, like adult rock climbers, have different needs for shoes. Some kids are new to climbing and need a cheap starter pair that they can really abuse until they learn technique. Other kids have been climbing for a longer period and need shoes that are specific to their climbing style. Some kids have been climbing for a while and are frequenting competitions and outdoor crags. 

There are a variety of different factors that can influence which pair of rock shoes are going to be the best purchase. We want you to make an educated decision because -- let's face it -- climbing gear is expensive!

Getting a Climbing Shoe that Suits your Child's Needs

The most important thing your kid's shoe needs to do is fit properly. I can't stress this enough. If the shoes are too big they will severely impede performance and can create blisters where the material shifts around. If the shoes are too small they will be difficult to put on and painful to climb in. You need to find shoes that fit your kid. This can be challenging because kid's feet grow every year! You will have to upgrade your kid's shoe probably once per year; this is fine, because they will likely wear through them at that speed anyway!

Mad Rock Mad Monkey Kids Climbing Shoe

Climbing shoes tend to run pretty small, so you may consider purchasing one size higher than your child normally wears. This will also allow them to wear socks with the shoes. The shoes should be snug and if they fit well they should be slightly harder to put on than normal shoes. 

One particular shoe that I am fond of (and is an incredibly good deal right now) is the Mad Rock Mad Monkey Kids Climbing Shoe ($29.88 at that Amazon link). You will notice that a velcro strap goes around the heel. Opening this velcro strap and the elastic band beneath it allow you to put the kid's toes in first, then pull the heel of the shoe down and under the kid's heel. It's a breeze to put on. This particular deal comes with a free DVD. At $30, this is one (if not the) of the cheapest climbing shoes on the market; it's nearly half the price of other shoes. This is a great choice for a beginner, because the price is so low that your kid can absolutely destroy these shoes and you're not out a whole lot. One thing to consider is that these shoes have a synthetic (rather than leather) upper, which makes them less stretchy. This is a consideration if your kid is experiencing growth spurts. Still, the elastic around the heel should allow the shoe to stretch moderately as your child grows. This is our choice for a

5.10 Mini Mocc Kids Climbing Shoe

Another thing to consider is that each company uses different lasts to construct their shoes. Lasts are basically the "model foot" that the shoe is designed and constructed around. Since humans have naturally different shaped feet, it make sense that lasts are slightly different. Each company has their own style of shoe design that is more-or-less uniform throughout their product catalog. The company FiveTen shoes have very pronounced heel boxes in my experience. Their shoes use a rubber called Stealth C4 which has great performance and is relatively long-lasting, too.

The FiveTen Mini Mocc Climbing Shoe is a great choice for a slightly more experienced kiddo. These slip-on shoes use the aforementioned Stealth C4 rubber which will let their feet hang onto those impossibly-tiny footholds at the competitions. The leather will, once broken-in, take the shape of their foot. A big elastic on the top of the foot with a velcro closure allows you to put them on easily and adjust the shoe for a perfect fit. The FiveTen Mini Mocc starts at $33.90 on Amazon. This is our choice for a "high-performance gym shoe".

La Sportiva Stickit Climbing Shoe

Another shoe worth mentioning is the La Sportiva Stickit. In my experience, La Sportiva makes the longest-lasting climbing shoe. They are absolutely durable to the end. I have a pair of adult-sized La Sportiva TC Pros and they are older than dirt and still hold a corner. If you are looking for longevity, these shoes are the way to go. The lacing is flexible and allows for a variety of different foot shapes. One cool feature of these shoes is the elastic material around the heel and upper. It's almost like a water shoe! The elastic is stretchy down through the bottom of the heel, allowing the kid's feet to grow a little bit and still fit. This feature, when combined with the overall longevity of La Sportiva's materials and construction, makes the La Sportiva Stickit our choice for "longest-lasting kids climbing shoe". The La Sportiva Stickit is $49.95 on Amazon and worth every penny.

So there you have it, folks! Three solid shoes for three different purposes:

Best beginner kids climbing shoe and best value: 

Mad Rock Mad Monkey Kids Climbing Shoe with FREE Climbing DVD ($30 Value) ($29.88 on Amazon)

Best high-performance kids climbing shoe:

FiveTen Mini Mocc Climbing Shoe (starts at $33.00 on Amazon)

Longest-lasting kids climbing shoe: 

La Sportiva Stickit Kids Climbing Shoes ($49.95 on Amazon)

Be safe!

Ariel Castro
Rugged Innovations

-->

Kids Climbing Gear: Choosing the Right Harness

Choosing the Right Climbing Harness for your Kid

Let's talk about climbing gear for children! Kids absolutely love climbing. From newbie to veteran, kids are getting more involved in the climbing community. I volunteer at climbing competitions sometimes and I estimate that 90% of the competitors are under the age of 15. Kids are everywhere and they are the future of the sport. Let's make sure they get the right gear so they can stay safe and have fun!

Kids are different from adults with respect to gear in three ways. First -- and most obviously -- they are smaller! One size does not fit all. Second, they have constant growth spurts requiring size changes relatively often. Third, they are much faster learners than us older folk and they are more likely to quickly change between bouldering, sport, trad, and ice climbing (even zip lining, ropes courses, and via ferrata).

Harnesses are one of the most universal pieces of gear, so they're a good place to start. There are some notable decisions to make when buying a harness for a kid. The biggest choice is between a waist harness and a full-body harness. I will describe the advantages and disadvantages of each:

Full-body Harness

Petzl Simba Kids Harness

For very young kids between the ages of 5-10 some people prefer to use a full-body harness like the Simba Kids Harness By Petzl ($59.95 at Amazon). Full-body harnesses have a few advantages. First, the over-the-shoulder straps make it less likely that the kid will squirm his way out of the harness. I have never seen a kid wriggle his way out of a waist harness, but it's a valid concern if your little one is fidgety. Since kids have smaller waist bones, some people claim that a waist harness could slip off their hips.

Another advantage to a full-body harness is that it makes the child less likely to flip over upside down. Kids tend to have a higher center of gravity than adults, making them more likely to flip over when climbing. A full-body harness with shoulder straps would prevent this from causing problems.

There are a variety of great choices for full-body harnesses.

The Petzl Simba is for children between the ages of 5-10 and below 90 lbs (40kg). It's a bit pricey at $59.95, but I can personally vouch for the quality and safety of Petzl products -- I use Petzl harnesses, ropes, and belay devices on a weekly basis. One cool thing about this harness is that the straps are bicolor, with a pattern on the outside and black on the inside. This means you can easily tell if you kiddo's harness is inside-out. Neat feature!

I have two minor issues with the Petzl Simba harness: First, there are no gear loops for quickdraws, chalk bags, shoes, etc. You can clip things onto the loops themselves, but it's not ideal. Second, the straps are not padded. This means it is not ideal for long climbing sessions. An alternative with padded straps is the Edelrid Fraggle Kids Harness ($59.95 at REI). The Edelrid Fraggle also has the advantage of a weight-bearing loop on the back. You could pick up your kid with the back loop and do bicep curls with him/her! Fun for the whole family.

If price is a concern, the cheapest full-body harness made by a respectable company that I could find is the Edelrid Solid Full-Body Harness, which is currently 30% off on Amazon and is going for $46.17.

Waist Harness

The waist harness is used by adult climbers and may be a good choice for slightly older kids. The advantages of the waist harness are many. They are lighter and less restrictive than full-body harnesses, which facilitates more athletic and gymnastic climbing moves. They are more likely to be padded so they tend to be more comfortable for all-day fun. I wouldn't bother with one of those webbing-only waist harnesses (the ones that look like they're made out of seatbelt material); they are really uncomfortable in my experience.

Waist harnesses often come with gear loops around the waist that allow your kid to clip their equipment onto instead of carrying it around. This is more of an outdoor climbing need, but it's still a nice touch. Waist harnesses are simpler in design and therefore leave less margin for error in donning.

Black Diamond Wiz Kid Harness

The model pictured above is the Black Diamond Wiz Kid Harness ($44.95 at Amazon). It is a scaled-down version of Black Diamond's Momentum SA Harness that we have previously reviewed. I have spent countless hours in the adult version of this harness and can personally attest to its comfort and safety. The only difference that I can spot is that the Wiz Kid appears to have one fewer gear loop than the adult version -- hardly an issue unless your kid is doing some major trad climbing or canyoneering. Another factor you can't neglect is that the Wiz Kid is a cool-looking harness. There is a blue one for boys and a pink one for girls. Looking cool is always important to kids, whether you like it or not.

The padding on this harness is almost like memory foam. It's very comfortable and perfect for all-day adventure. The leg loops have speed adjust straps that can be loosened or tightened with one hand and are easy for adults to visually inspect. The harness is appropriate for kids between 35 and 110 lbs., and is said to run a little small in the waist. The only issue I've noticed is that sometimes the leg loops get twisted and flipped over. Always supervise your kid when they're putting on their waist harness.

If price is a consideration, the Black Diamond Kid's A-Bod Harness has excellent reviews. At $39.95 with Free Shipping on Amazon (and Prime eligible), it's the best deal on a kid's waist harness from a reputable company that I can find.

That's all I have for harness reviews and recommendations! There are good products from many different company and this article is just a small sampling of what's available. Hopefully you found this useful and know what to look for. If you have any questions about specific products or companies that are not included in this article, feel free to get in touch!

Be safe.

Ariel Castro
Rugged Innovations