To help our less experienced climbers to prioritise their equipment purchases we in the KMC would recommend the following basic equipment to ensure that the early climbing experience remains as safe and positive as possible.

For single pitch climbs:

1. A Climbing harness (not a lightweight scrambling harness)
2. A climbing helmet- although unfashionable in the past modern helmets are fairly comfortable and lightweight and help to manage the hazard of falling debris and dropped climbing gear at the crag. The KMC recommends all its members wear a helmet when climbing and at the base of a crag
3. Rock boots/shoes. Perhaps a luxury in some circles a pair of shoes with a sticky rubber sole will help new climbers to build confidence and trust in their feet
4. A “half” rope or a thin “single” rope. Trad climbers usually climb on two ropes, as a rule of thumb everyone should bring one rope each to the crag. If you don’t have a rope, be sure to let the meet leader know before you turn up
5. A screw gate carabiner and belay device……how else will you belay the lead climber.
6. A nut key on a wire gate carabiner to allow it to be carried on your harness, an important responsibility for the second is to recover the lead climbers gear as you climb up to meet him. A nut key will give you the best chance of recovering all but the most stubborn of nuts

In addition for multi pitch climbs:

7. Two screw gate carabiners and two 120cm slings. These are versatile pieces of equipment; they will let you secure yourself when you arrive at an intermediate belay rather than relying on the lead climber to look after you
8. A pair of prusiks, thin loops of cord which can be used for rescue, self-rescue and during abseiling, usually carried on the harness on another screw gate carabiner