What to wear climbing

You almost certainly already own it

There is a whole industry built around selling climbers expensive technical clothing, and most of it is unnecessary for getting started. The honest truth is that you can rummage through the kit you already have and walk into a gym perfectly well dressed. Climbing clothing has exactly two jobs: let you move freely, and not get in the way.

Think about what climbing actually asks of your body. You high-step until your knee is near your chest, you reach overhead, you bridge your legs wide across a corner. So the only real test for any item is whether it lets you do those things without binding, riding up, or splitting at the seam.

What works

For most people, the wardrobe is simple.

• Stretchy bottoms. Leggings, joggers, or climbing-cut trousers all work. Gym shorts are fine too, though very short ones can leave your knees and shins exposed to scrapes against the wall. Anything with a bit of give and room to high-step.
• A top you can move in. A t-shirt or a vest, loose enough to reach overhead. In a warm gym you will heat up fast once you start, so lighter is usually better.
• Layers for the walk in. A hoodie or jumper to warm up in and pull off once you are climbing. Bouldering sessions run hot and cold as you swing between effort and rest.

That genuinely covers it. The clothes do not need to be branded, technical, or new.

What does not

A few things are worth avoiding, less because of rules and more because they make climbing annoying.

• Jeans and stiff trousers. They restrict the big leg movements that climbing relies on, and you will feel it the moment you try to high-step.
• Anything baggy enough to snag. Very loose sleeves or flapping hems can catch on holds and obscure your view of your feet.
• Long, dangling jewellery and rings. Rings in particular are worth taking off. A ring catching on a hold or a fixture can cause a nasty injury, so most experienced climbers leave them at home.
• Strong perfume or lotion on the hands. Anything that makes your fingers slippery works against you. Save the moisturiser for after the session.

Tie long hair back so it stays out of your face, and clip your fingernails reasonably short, as long nails get in the way on small holds and tear easily.

On shoes and the rest

The one piece of proper kit is climbing shoes, and on a first visit you should just hire them rather than buy. They are designed to be snug and to grip the wall in a way trainers never will. Hire a pair, get a feel for it, and only invest once you know you are sticking with it. We have written separately about choosing your first pair.

Bring socks if you are hiring shoes, mostly for comfort and hygiene, though many climbers wear rental shoes barefoot once they are used to it. Chalk keeps sweaty hands dry and most gyms sell or hire it, but it is optional for an easy first go.

The takeaway is that climbing is one of the cheaper sports to start. The barrier to entry is low on purpose. Dig out something stretchy you can move in, leave the rings at home, hire the shoes, and put the money you saved towards more sessions instead.