Indoor Rock Climbing Clothes?

I did look this up already but I had another question that I can%26#039;t find....





First off...is it cool to wear jeans? Or atleast comfortable jeans (Loose, bigish)....big t-shirt, or is that a no no?





Ok, I%26#039;ve always wondered if wearing converse to rock climbing is a bad idea? My friend says they don%26#039;t have enough grip, yet in only one case online did I find a guy that says he always uses converse in outdoor rock climbing. Of course I%26#039;m doing it indoor....but still. Is it all on preference?





So, should I wear a big t-shirt? Loose fitting jeans? Or would it be better to wear a big shirt over some short pants, and you rent shoes there....or are tighter clothes better? Then again is it all in preference?





First time and I want to make it a life habit type of thing....and do outdoor climbing eventually. Of course I need to make sure I like it in the first place. Just asking, I%26#039;m abit nervous cause I fear heights.....Wish me luck!

Indoor Rock Climbing Clothes?
i personally wear leggings when i climb. I dont like baggy pants b/c ppl can see up under them sometimes when ur kinda high up. I wear a semi baggy tee shirt and leggings or bermuda shorrts and a long fitting tee shirt. Shoes? i wear my climbing shoes but before i had them i DEFINITLY rented shoes. Although, (yes i kno gross) other ppl wore them they help a LOT when ur climbing (using toes) .... hoppe you have fun and get over the fear of heights!! best of luck








the climber girl











**edit**





oh hair? as long as its NOT in your face- i put half of my medium length hair up-- SOMETIMES my hair gets annoying on ym neck but as long as bangs are NOT in my face its fine-- for me any ways.
Reply:As far as the hair thing goes - I would pull it back. It isn%26#039;t as important, but having your hair flying around can be really annoying.





Jeans? well thats up to you. Personally I wear loose shorts that don%26#039;t restrict my movement (i find even loose jeans do restrict movement). Maybe it%26#039;s just me, but whenever I wear a pair of jeans rock climbing i tend to rip them or damage them in some way - just keep that in mind. As far as the shirt? wear whatever is comfortable. You don%26#039;t want it to be so baggy that it hangs off of you, but you don%26#039;t want it to restrict movement either. Just wear what you find comfortable.





Footwear - you will probably want to invest in a pair of rock climbing shoes. Look on SierraTradingPost.com, Amazon.com and other websites - shop around, a good pair will cost $70 or more, but sometimes you get lucky and find a pair for $40. I would personally recommend Five.Ten Coyote%26#039;s for a first pair, but that%26#039;s just me. Also, you will want to try a few pairs out before buying - size is simply relative, you really need to find a pair that you find comfortable and easy to use. Take your time shopping. You don%26#039;t want a pair of converse because they will rip apart, don%26#039;t give you the support you need, and have little friction.





Outdoor climbing is similar - you want to be comfortable, but also warm. If its a cold morning I would reccomend spandex pants and a warm long sleved shirt.





And as far as the fear of heights? Almost everyone has a fear at some point. Just push yourself to your limit, and keep trying to improve. It%26#039;s not a race - just go with whatever you are comfortable with. Good Luck!
Reply:Actually, I like to climb in jeans, but outdoors. Roll them up till they%26#039;re almost at your knees. Whatever you wear, it must allow you a full range motion. Don%26#039;t wear a baggy shirt, it will get in the way. Put you hair back, but don%26#039;t worry about it too much for indoor climbing. Just keep it away from the belay device.
Reply:Like somebody said, rock climbers are very relaxed people, doesn%26#039;t matter what you wear... just have fun!





Jeans.. .well it is cool to wear jeans... if you%26#039;d like. Personally I can%26#039;t climb in jeans. In fact I need to be wearing shorts to climb (just a habit/perference), and find it werid to climb otherwise. There are those who boulder in jeans, but again it%26#039;s up to your personal preference. Remember you want to be able to move a flex, so something like super tight jeans might not be the best plan, but losoe ones can be great!





T-Shirts- I perfer a baggy shirt, because I always feel like if I wear a tighter work outtop, then my boobs are hanging out when I make a tough move. So for me, I wear a work out top (to hold everything in place) under, and then a loose baggy shirt over top to cover up.





As for shoes- If you are looking at doing climb regularly I highly recommend you go buy your own pair of shoes. The gym shoes (I used gym shoes for about two months), are gross (even though most gyms spray them) and you don%26#039;t always get the same pair everytime, meaning your first few climbs are spent getting adjusted to the shoes again. It does take some time to break in a new pair of shoes, but it is definatly worth it! I love my shoes!





Hair- Personally I tie mine back.. I don%26#039;t want it getting caught in my ATC or in the quick draws.. I generally ponytail it, or even braid it... however I feel for the day... it depends, but have fun with it.





Have fun while you are climbing and I wish you the best of luck!
Reply:Jeans are grand as long as they don%26#039;t inhibit you when you go to stretch to your limit. They stop you from scraping your knees agains the wall for one thing. I%26#039;d personally wear a pair of shorts or a pair of nice comfy tracksuit bottoms, but you can climb in jeans no bother. It is all preferance and chances are no one will care.





Top? Wear somthing that will allow sweat to get away like you would doing any other exercise, a polyester t-shirt would do the job.





And if you don%26#039;t have your own rock shoes and you can rent them do, but ya know, wear a pair of thin socks to give your feet some kind of barrier. Rock shoes are important because they give your foot much more rigidity by curling up your toes at the front and curving them towards the big toe, also the grip is made of a special rubber that give much more friction on rock.





Enjoy.
Reply:I%26#039;ve just recently started climbing. I don%26#039;t suggest you wear jeans, because you%26#039;ll have to do a lot of different stuff with your legs and jeans can pretty much limit your things. When I climb, I wear shorts or anything that won%26#039;t hold me back. The best thing for me to wear is shorts with t-shirts. I also try to tie my hair back, so it won%26#039;t get in my face, especially if you want to start bouldering (that%26#039;ll take time though).





But to be honest, NO ONE is going to care what you wear. So just be comfortable. Heck, I would wear pajamas to climb, but the pants wouldn%26#039;t be as good as shorts.





And to climb, YOU NEED TO WEAR CLIMBING SHOES! I don%26#039;t care what anyone says, but climbing shoes is for your own safety and it%26#039;s how you%26#039;re supposed to do it. They usually have shoe rentals that are cheap, but if you want it to be a lifelong thing, try out some of the shoes first and then if you find a brand you like, buy it. It%26#039;s costly, but it will wear out for years, especially if you decide to climb inside. It mostly starts tearing outside.





I was also afraid of heights. But there are big pads that are like big pillows. There%26#039;s no way that you can hurt yourself, unless you go to a really crappy gym that%26#039;s not padded. I suggest you climb as high as you feel comfortable and just jump down. Don%26#039;t even try climbing down..just jump. Most people around you will spot you if you climb in areas that need to be spotted on (don%26#039;t worry, they%26#039;ll have signs that say it).





Just have fun. Don%26#039;t worry about anything. Climbing is about having fun :)
Reply:Keep it simple, a pair of sweats or shorts, %26amp; a comfy t-shirt will do just fine... You dont want to restrict your movement w/ your clothing, %26amp; actual climbing shoes make a worlds difference over a set of converse
Reply:cotton pants ,nice and thin, lots of room around the crotch, any tatty old t-shirt
Reply:Hey, chill! Rock climbers are the most relaxed, friendly people that you will meet, and we always give good advice! Anyways, just take a deep breath, everything is good.





Jeans: I personally wouldn%26#039;t wear jeans, rock climbing involves flexibility and movement, and jeans don%26#039;t allow that. Instead I wear sports pants, or capris, that are tight fitting, almost like spandex. There is also a climbing outfitter, %26#039;Prana%26#039;, that supplies some great climbing clothes, they are carried at GI Joes, or your local REI, I would suggest those too. Really anything stretchy works, even sweat pants, any pants that allow movement.





T-shirt: Climbing is hard, and you generally get tired and sweat, therefore, you may want a workout top. At least not a big t-shirt, they may get in the way of your climbing. I would recommend a sports bra as well.





Shoes: For any rock climbing, there are specific shoes that you can buy. Converses will not, not, not, work, your friend is right, they don%26#039;t have enough grip at all. The special rock climbing shoes fit tight to your feet, they should be small, and they help you grip to the wall easier. Trust me, ya wanna have them. They range anywhere from 40-200$, and some good brands are, %26#039;5.10%26#039;, %26#039;evolve%26#039;, %26#039;la sportiva%26#039;, %26#039;mad rock%26#039;, and those are the main ones. You can get them from GI Joes, or REI, or online, or at any sporting goods store near to you. There are also specialized climbing stores that offer you a wide variety of climbing shoes and equipment.





Hair: I would tie it back in a pony tail, since climbing is so strenuous, it is nice to not have your neck all covered in hair, trust me. It also keeps the hair out of your face, and if you need to look down to place your feet, you can actually see. :):)





Rock climbing is a great way to overcome your fear, and make a ton of new friends, like I said, us climbers are the friendliest group of people ever. Make yourself a regular at the gym, you will get better soon. Don%26#039;t let your nerves get the best of ya. And also, you can wear whatever you want, I got a friend who is better than me who climbs in skinny jeans, but I would suggest to start out with not skinny jeans, but no climber is looking at your clothes, it isn%26#039;t a fashion show, all climbers care about is that you are a happy person, and you are fun and nice. Good luck! E-mail me if you have any questions.





Lily K



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