What to Wear Climbing

Photographer: Chruistian Adam Location: Utah

What to Wear Climbing

In this article, we’re sharing our tips on what to wear while bouldering, sport climbing, or multi-pitch & alpine rock climbing.

If you’re headed to the sport crag, chances are you’ll want to wear something that’s a little bit more technical than the attire described above. Most cliffs have some kind of approach, making sport climbing more aerobic from the start. Between hiking, cranking out pitches, and giving long belays while your partner susses beta, you’ll need an arsenal of clothing to stay comfortable throughout the day.

For bottoms, depending on weather, you can climb in either pants or shorts. For summer days or times when you need to strap on a knee pad, we recommend theDirtbag Shorts, theSession Shortsfor women, or the lightweightSierra Shorts. For cooler climbing days, theTechnician Joggeror theNotion SP Pantsboth provide harness compatibility and freedom of movement.

On top, a tee shirt or tank top is typically enough for most sport climbing conditions. Some folks like to climb in cotton, while others prefer a more technical base layer for cragging, like theLightwire Tech Tee. For a slightly warmer climbing layer that won’t restrict movement but will still provide some warmth when you’re on the wall, look to theLightwire Long Sleeveor theAlpenglow Pro Hoody.

Belaying and standing around the base of the crag can get chilly, especially if you’re in the shade or out for a full day. With this in mind, it’s important to have a variety of layers to choose from. ACoefficient Hoodyor something similar is nice to layer under a warmer jacket on cold climbing days. An insulating layer, like theApproach Down Hoodyor theBelay Parkais also important to have in your pack for belaying. Plus, you’re cragging, so there’s no real need to worry about weight—bring it all!

Climbing pants in these situations are very much personal preference; some people like to climb in cotton pants like the Notion, some are fine wearing a pair of Session Tights on a multi-pitch, while others may want a more technical pant like theTechnician Alpine Pantswhen climbing off the deck.

On top, a long sleeve or asun hoodyis a versatile way to go. These layers provide protection from the sun and a little bit of warmth for times when the afternoon wind picks up or when the route goes into the shade. A protective wind layer is also useful to have on hand—we love theAlpine Start Hoodyfor its compact size, packability, and durable softshell construction.

You will probably want to bring an insulating layer along as well. Sometimes one is enough to share between you and your climbing partner, and other times, you’ll each want to bring your own, depending on the weather and conditions. TheVision Hybrid Hoodyis a packable, synthetic jacket that works well on-route and can be clipped to a harness. TheApproach Down Hoodyis also a packable, insulating layer that is great as long as it stays dry.