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What equipment do I need in order to Rock Climb Safely?

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If you are planning to go on a Rock Climbing trip anytime soon, it is important that you have the right equipment. Many people believe that wearing equipment while rock climbing slows you down or keeps you from “really” climbing. But with today’s advances in technology, you can have a great time climbing and be safe while doing it. The following is a list of equipment that you will need in order to climb safely.

The first piece of equipment that you’ll need is a modern climbing rope. This is not just an average rope that you can pull out of your garage, but a rope of kern mantle construction. This means that it consists of continuous braided nylon fibers (the kern) which are surrounded by a continuous braided nylon outer sheath (the mantle). The sheath of the rope protects the inner core, making it very strong. Most ropes are ten to eleven millimeters in diameter and fifty meters long.

You will notice that this type of rope stretches a bit under tension. This is because the rope must stop falling climbers. If the rope did not stretch, a falling climber would be jerked painfully when the rope stopped him or her. Since this rope stretches, the climber will fall more gently.

The next piece of equipment that you need to be familiar with is a carabineer. A carabineer is a ring of solid aluminum with a spring-loaded gate that allows them to be opened. The carabineer remains closed until you open it to admit a rope.

You’ll notice right away that carabineers are small and inexpensive. However, don’t let this fool you. They are incredibly strong. Most are rated to hold at least 2.2 tons and are very versatile. As long as you keep the gate shut, it is incredibly safe.

A variation of this kind of carabineer is known as the locking carabineer. This carabineer has an additional mechanism covers the gate and the outer portion of the carabineer. In order to get this carabineer to open, you must twist open the sheath, and simply screw it in tight once you have the ropes in place.

The next piece of equipment that you will need is webbing. Webbing is made of nylon woven into a flat tube. This is also very small and inexpensive, but like the carabineer, it is very strong. It is most commonly used to tie into a loop, and does not stretch under tension so it is great if used in any situation except for stopping a long fall.

Another important piece of equipment is the harness. A harness is composed of a wide nylon belt for the waist and a pair of leg loops for the thighs. This device is used to attach a climber to the rope. A climber “ties in” to the rope by placing the loop of the rope through the loop of the harness, and then tying it with a knot.

To climb safely, a belay device is also needed. A belay device is held by your partner (the belayer) who has the responsibility of holding the rope to keep you from falling. This belay device is capable of stopping the rope or passing it through smoothly. All the belayer has to do is hold the rope a certain way (depending on the belay device) in order to stop the climber from falling.

Next Page: What can I do to prepare my body for safe Rock Climbing?

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