Mountains are one of the most exciting places to visit if you like being outside. To climb a mountain, you not only need to be physically strong, but you also need the right gear.
Mountain climbing gear has to meet specific requirements to ensure that climbing is safe. Accidents had happened when people went mountain climbing with gear that wasn’t complete or wasn’t safe.
So, a nature lover who wants to climb a mountain must have a wide range of gear. And the following items or pieces of gear should be ready before mountain climbing.
1. Carrier
The most critical piece of climbing gear that climbers must have is a mountain bag. Mountain bags are a great way to carry and store things you need on a hike.
This bag is different from other backpacks, usually made of solid and water-resistant materials with many hooks. The sizes range from 40 L to 100 L, so you can choose one that fits your needs.
Don’t forget to put a waterproof cover on the mountain bag, so it doesn’t get wet and dirty when it rains.
2. Shoes
The next piece of mountain climbing gear to think about is mountain shoes. These shoes are made to keep your feet safe and secure when climbing.
Mountain shoes also come in different styles, so they can be chosen to fit the hiking trail. For example, Heavy Boots-style mountain shoes are great for long hikes on rough terrain.
Also, the sole of a mountain shoe is made in a special way to keep climbers from slipping on rocky, slippery, or uneven ground.
3. Sleeping Bag
Climbers who decide to camp out in the open should sleep in a sleeping bag. Most sleeping bags are made of special materials that can keep your body warm so you can stay alive in cold weather.
Most sleeping bags are made of the parachute, polyester, or polar materials. Some even put dacron on the inside to make sleeping more comfortable.
As with mountain shoes, there are three sleeping bags: mummy, envelope, and humanoid. The sizes also vary, with a width of 75 cm being good for someone between 170 and 175 cm tall and a width of 80 cm is good for someone between 175 and 180 cm tall.
4. Tent
People in the wild can say that tents are the most comfortable temporary homes. There are many different types of camping tents on the market, such as dome, tunnel, ridge, etc.
Most tents are made of materials that don’t let air or water in. This is because it is a place to rest and be safe.
Climbers should choose a tent with a flysheet that keeps condensation from getting inside. Not only that, but the flysheet can also keep more of the weather out and warm up the air inside the tent.
5. Mattress
The next thing that needs to be carried up is the mattress. The mat not only gives you a clean place to sit, but it can also keep you from getting cold from the ground.
Most climbers prefer mattresses made of foam. Foam mattresses are not only cheap, but they are also useful and easy to move. It must only be folded or rolled and then attached to a particular part in the mountain bag.
6. Jacket
As everyone knows, the air is freezing in the mountains or highlands. The air temperature gets colder as you go up a mountain or get closer to the top.
Climbers are strongly encouraged to bring a jacket to keep warm on the mountain. At least choose a jacket with a layering system, which means that it has at least three layers: a base layer, a middle layer, and an outer layer.
Also, pay attention to the material that the jacket is made of. Choose a jacket that can keep water out of the wind to protect your body from rain and wind. Simply put, the better a jacket’s material is at holding water, the better it is at letting hot air out of the body.
7. Raincoat
In addition to a jacket, you must wear a raincoat when climbing. Climbers need to know that it’s hard to tell what the weather will be like on the mountain. There are times when it rains so much that it makes it hard to climb.
Even if you have worn a jacket before, you should wear a raincoat every time it rains. In addition to keeping the body dry, the raincoat keeps bags and other luggage from getting wet in the rain. This is especially important for mountain bags that don’t have a cover (waterproof cover).
8. Cooking Equipment
Cooking is another thing you must do when camping on the mountain. As everyone knows, it will be hard to find a place to eat if you are in the mountains or the middle of the forest.
So, the only way to stay alive in the mountains is to bring cooking tools that can be used to prepare the food that is already there. Ingredients for cooking are also straightforward, like instant noodles, eggs, rice, and so on, because climbers usually need food that can be made quickly and doesn’t need a lot of things.
The tools used for cooking aren’t that different from those used in homes, like stoves and pans. The size and shape have been changed to make it easier to carry for mountain climbing.
Oil, gas, or paraffin can be used as fuel. But you shouldn’t bring oil because it’s easy to spill and can start a fire.
9. Hat
Hats are very important things because they help protect the head. Two mountain hats are often used for climbing: bucket and beanie.
The bucket hat is excellent for climbing on hot days because it keeps the head from getting too hot. On the other hand, the beanie hat is great for keeping the cold air out at night.
10. Gloves
When you go mountaineering, you also need gloves. Gloves protect your hands from getting hurt on rocky trails, cliffs, or forests. They can also protect your hands from cold air, bug bites, and sunburn.
11. Sock
Like gloves, socks keep your feet from getting hurt when you wear mountain shoes for a long time. Not only that, but socks are also helpful because they keep the cold mountain air from getting to your feet at night. When hiking, you should bring more than two pairs of socks.
12. Pants
When climbing, it’s best to wear comfortable clothes and quickly move in. When climbing, it is very important to wear long pants.
Long pants not only make it easier to move around, but they can also keep your feet from getting hurt or bitten by bugs. It is strongly suggested that you don’t wear jeans as pants. Instead, it would be best if you got pants for mountain climbing.
13. Flashlight
If there isn’t any lighting out in the open, it will be tough to do things, especially when it gets dark. In addition to bonfires, climbers must bring flashlights or other ways to light their way.
Even though it can only light up a small area around the mountain, the flashlight is handy. A flashlight is very helpful for climbers who want to climb at night because it is easy to carry and gives enough light to see the trail.
14. Rope
A rope is another piece of mountain climbing gear that must be brought. This one thing can do many things, like tie the tent to the pegs, mark the trail, dry clothes, go up and down cliffs, and so on.
There are many different kinds of ropes on the market, so adjust it to what you need it for. If climbers have to climb a cliff or the hiking trail is too steep, they need a strong karmantel rope that won’t break easily when carrying heavy loads.
That was some of the gear for climbing a mountain that needed to be set up first. For safety’s sake, climbing should only be done with a professional or an experienced person.