Climbing day checklist
Outdoor rock adds weather, loose rock and a longer walk-in to everything a climbing wall already asks of you — the list below covers all three.
21 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Guidebook or route topo for the crag
- Harness
- HelmetNon-negotiable anywhere rock or gear could fall from above — which is most crags.
- Climbing shoes
- Rope, length and diameter matched to the routes
- Belay device and a locking carabiner
- Rack, matched to the routes planned
- Quickdraws×6
- Slings and screwgates
- Trad gear, if the routes need it
- Chalk bag and chalk
- Partner check before the first climbHarness buckle, knot and belay device — ten seconds that catches the mistake that matters.
- Approach shoes for the walk-in
- Warm layer for belayingStanding still holding a rope gets cold faster than climbing does.
- Waterproof, if the forecast is unsettled
- Tape for fingers
- Water and food for the day
- First aid kit
- Sun cream and a hat
- Headlamp, if there's any chance of finishing after dark
- Phone, and someone told which crag you're at
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- Is a helmet actually necessary at the crag?
- Yes, on any route where rock or gear could fall — which is most outdoor climbing. A wall doesn't need one; a cliff face with other parties above you does.
- What is a partner check?
- Checking each other's harness buckle, knot and belay device before the first climb of the day. It takes ten seconds and it's the single habit that catches a fatal mistake.
- How much rack do I need for a day of trad routes?
- Whatever the guidebook suggests for the routes you've picked, plus a couple of extra slings. Carrying the whole rack for routes you're not doing just adds dead weight.