6 Pieces of Rock Climbing Gear To Try October 2024

Vertical Life is lucky enough to test out some of the best rock climbing gear in the outdoors. From shoes, to harnesses and mats- here are our top picks from the last few months that you should consider for your next purchase.

READ: How to start rock climbing (beginners ultimate guide)

Rock climbing gear can be a personal choice, so make sure the gear you use is suited to your needs as a climber.

6 Pieces of Rock Climbing Gear To Try October 2024

1. Mammut Neon 45L
2. Metolius Basic Stick Clip
3. BD Erratic Crash Pad
4. Edelrid Moe 3R harness
5. Petzl Neox
6. Crazy Creek HEX 2.0

Mammut Neon 45L

They say craggin’ ain’t easy, but the Neon 45 helps make it easier. This pack is the answer to your organisational prayers, chock full of mesh compartments, internal gear loops, and even an integrated rope tarp—all your crag essentials have their spot. Of course if you’re not into that whole neat and tidy thing, you can always just mindlessly shove your belongings into the spacious main compartment, and still be confident you’ll find them again thanks to the zippered back panel access. Bonus: It’s designed to stand upright for ease of “packing” (or mindless shoving). Check it out here.

Metolius Basic Stick Clip

The OG Metolius Superclip attachments have a bit of a cult following—and for good reason. In fact, I once met someone at the crag who liked them so much he’d modded another brand’s stick clip in order to attach the Superclip head to it (shout out to Marty from Nowra if you’re reading this). Thankfully you no longer have to seek out Marty for his Superclip mod tutorial, because Metolius has gone and done it for you. The Basic Stick Clip weighs in at 0.9kg and features a collapsed length of 0.8m and extended length of 3.7m (which in Nowra means you can basically clip the chains from the ground). The head can also be unscrewed and swapped for a Superclip Rescue, for use with locking carabiners. 

Black Diamond Erratic Crash Pad

In geology “erratic” refers to a rock that has been transported a significant distance from its origin by a glacier or iceberg and deposited elsewhere. In climbing, it refers to the behaviour of anyone willing to lug a stack of pads into the alpine just for some pebble wrestling… and if that sounds like your idea of fun, then BD have you covered. The new Erratic pad is light enough to carry deep into the mountains for those backcountry blocs, while remaining highly durable and water repellant thanks to the Dynex shell and TPU coating. It features reinforced corners, premium bonded foam layup for increased water resistance, and a highly adjustable—and highly padded—backpack carry system designed for long approaches and heavy loads. It has an open size of 122x101x11cm and weighs a mere 5.61kg, which are some pretty appealing numbers when you’re looking at a multi-hour approach to a boulder. Bonus: BD want you to stay hydrated on that long, long approach so they’ve included a bottle holder on the side.  

Edelrid Moe 3R Harness 

Edelrid has introduced a few firsts into the climbing world over the years, including the first kernmantel rope in 1953. And now you can add the world’s first sport climbing harness made almost entirely from recycled materials to that list. The MOE 3R is the latest addition to Edelrid’s 3R line of recycled construction climbing products, alongside the Zodiac 3R helmet (another first), and the Edelrid NEO 3R rope (yet another first). All textile materials made of polyester on the MOE 3R are made from recycled material, including the padding. The only parts of the harness that aren’t recycled are the abrasion protection of the parallel tie-in points, the load-bearing latch yarn, the slide block buckle, and the indicator yarn (for obvious reasons). Bonus: In addition to helping reduce your impact, the mixed colour scheme looks pretty funky. 

Petzl Neox

I doubt anyone reading this is yet to find out about the Petzl Neox, because this thing has already been making the rounds on every media outlet where climbing is found! You’ve no doubt already heard the likes of Alex Megos or Michaela Kiersch (or even Neil Gresham) describe the ins and outs of Petzl’s new belay device. But, just in case, here’s what you need to know. It looks like a GriGri, but works a bit differently, thanks to the spinning wheel inside. The Neox will feed slack lightning fast without the need to “pinch” the device, but requires a bit more attention (and experience) when catching a fall. For seasoned belayers it could be the greatest thing since sliced bread, for those starting out… maybe hold off on this one. Bonus: It comes in black.

Crazy Creek HEX 2.0

This one is for all you weekend warriors out there (or just people who don’t like sitting in the dirt). The HEX 2.0 is Crazy Creek’s lightest and most packable chair. Rolling up to a 42cmx10cm cylinder and weighing just under 600g, it’s the chair you take when you’re not sure if you want to take a chair. The HEX 2.0 features 8mm of high-density cored EVA closed-cell foam wrapped in a durable, water-resistant ripstop nylon fabric, bombproof carbon fibre stays, and a 113kg weight capacity. It also doubles as a sleeping pad base.

Looking for more climbing gear? Check out our gear picks from Vertical Life Issue #47 here