Clothing and Equipment Guide

Clothing

The basic principle with outdoor clothing is layers. The advantage of having several layers of clothing is that you can add or remove items as you get colder or hotter. A typical layer system would be as follows:

• Base layer – A thin t-shirt.
• Mid layer – A warmer jumper, fleece is quite common.
• Outer Layer – A waterproof coat, which is also useful for keeping the wind off.

An outdoor shop will try to sell you special base layers, but a normal cotton T-Shirt will do the same job. Fleece jumpers are a great option for a mid layer, as they're warm, lightweight, and useful for other things such as a pillow! A waterproof coat is essential for any trip outside – it doesn't need to be anything expensive, but a thinner coat with a hood and a longer length is probably the best option.

When it comes to trousers, the most inappropriate ones are jeans! They restrict your movement, and when wet, chafe your legs and get cold pretty quickly – an easy way to get hypothermia. A far more sensible option is a lightweight pair of trousers; jogging bottoms are fine, but many people buy a pair of cotton-type trousers, with the only real advantage being that you look the part.

Another thing to always bring climbing is hats and gloves. A warm hat is essential as you lose most of your heat through your head, and you get pretty uncomfortable with a cold head. Gloves are very useful too, as constant contact with the rock means your hands get very cold, which is extremely uncomfortable.

Footwear

Although you spend most of your time climbing in rock boots, having an appropriate pair of shoes is a good idea. As crags tend to be in the hills and mountains, there is usually an approach involved, which can be anything from a gentle stroll to a scramble. You don't need a full-on pair of mountain boots, but an appropriate pair would have the following features:

• A deep tread – means you're less likely to slip over.
• A stiff sole – easier to scramble in, and you won't get sharp rocks poking your feet.
• Boots that come up to your ankle mean you get more support and are less likely to twist an ankle if you slip.

Rucksack

Of course, having all this equipment means that you need to carry it. For carrying gear to the crag, a bag size of about 35 litres is good. However if you're going to somewhere mountainous such as North Wales where the routes are very long, an additional small rucksack of around 15-20 litres is also useful, as you'll need to carry food, clothing and shoes (for the descent) whilst climbing.

For climbing, rucksacks with a flexible back are the best as they don't restrict your movement so much.

Other Equipment

Other items that are useful to bring on an outdoor trip are:

• A flask of warm drink – a quick way to warm yourself up if cold.
• A torch – in case you end up walking back in the dark.