Climbers must trust their gear, sometimes with their lives, so getting the perfect gift requires more than a quick trip to the local specialty outdoor shops. To help make the gift buying easier, we conducted extensive testing of a range of gear and put together the following list of our favorite items. These are sure to please even the most finicky of climbers.
Tension Flash Board
There’s a reason this portable hangboard made our holiday gift guide two years in a row, simply put, every climber should own one. Hangboarding is no doubt one of the quickest ways to improve finger strength. The catch – it must be done on a consistent basis to see gains, so vacations or work trips can’t get in the way of weekly sessions. Help your climber never miss a hangboarding session while traveling with the Tension Flash Board, an easy to travel with hangboard that can hang from just about any single point. Featuring a 12mm edge, 18mm edge, and 9mm crimp, the Flash Board is perfect for the V3 to V15 and 5.10 to 5.15 climber. $75.00 Buy Now
Mountain Hardware StretchDown DS Hooded Jacket
With a closet full of insulated jackets, the Mountain Hardware StretchDown DS Hooded Jacket is the one I keep reaching for. Most jackets don’t account for climbers’ over-developed back and shoulder muscles, leading to restricted arm movement – not the StretchDown DS Hooded. Made with a stretchy knit fabric the StretchDown DS Hooded offers a full, uninterrupted range of motion despite a trim, close to the body active fit. $340 Buy Now
Patagonia RPS Rock Pants
Don’t let your climber look outdated at the crag wearing dull earth tone pants. Look around at any crag and you’ll see that vibrant, colored pants are all the rage. Purple, green, orange – color is in. Stay in style with these durable, stretchy synthetic blend pants. Made with an articulated pattern, darted knees, and a gusseted crotch, the Patagonia RPS (Rock, Paper, Scissors) Pants allow complete unrestricted movement and are tough as nails. $89.00 Buy Now
Lattice Training Assessment, Training Plan or Coaching
I have yet to meet a climber that doesn’t want to climb stronger. Climbing is such a complex sport and simply heading to the indoor rock gym a few times a week isn’t the most efficient and effective way to soar through the grades. By giving the gift of a watchful eye from a professional climbing coach, the climbers in your life will have confidence they’re not just spinning their wheels at the gym hoping to improve. Based in the UK, Lattice Training offers strength assessments to identify weak areas, 12-week training plans, and personal coaching options. Their plans and workouts are research-driven and highly customized. All workouts are easily accessible and tracked through their Crimpd app. $102 & $65/mo Buy Now
Black Diamond FineLine Stretch Rain Jacket
No one likes to bring their pricey hard-shell to the muddy crags. Instead, bring one of the best price-to-performance rain jackets on the market. The Black Diamond FineLine Stretch Rain Jacket stows in its chest strap for quick storage and offers excellent pouring rain protection. Made with a stretch shell fabric, it never feels restrictive with a backpack as you hike. $129 Buy Now
Finger Massager Ring
I have to admit at first I was a huge skeptic of a finger massager. However, when a buddy of mine brought one to a weeklong climbing trip and urged me to give a try, I was sold. After two hard days on, my fingers were wrecked – stiff, swollen and achy. After about two minutes of rolling the finger massager up and down each finger, they felt much better and ready for another day at the crag. This small steel-weaved ring works by reducing swelling and increasing blood flow to fingers. $7.99 for 3 Buy Now
Metolius Super Chalk
While not the sexiest of gifts, every climber uses chalk. A lot of chalk. I’ve tried all kinds of chalks and found Metolius Super Chalk to be the best. While it’s a bit pricier than block chalk, I’ve found I use less of it and it performs much better. $11.95 for 15oz
Trango Beta Stick Evo
A gift that makes climbing a little safer. For those high first bolts or sketchy quality rock, every sport-climber should have a stick clip to stay safe. Of all the items I bring to the cliffs my Beta Stick Evo gets the most attention and I always have at least one person ask to borrow it. It’s offered in two lengths – compact and standard – and unless you plan on flying with it in a carry-on, I’d get the standard. The standard compresses to 2 feet, 5 inches making it easy to hitch onto the side of a pack without consistently snagging every branch. At full extension, the stick clip is 12 feet – plenty long enough to reach almost any first bolt. $69.95 Buy Now