{"id":197262,"date":"2024-09-06T09:54:41","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T16:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=197262"},"modified":"2024-09-06T09:54:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T16:54:43","slug":"new-climbing-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/new-climbing-gear","title":{"rendered":"Climbing Gear Is Better Than Ever. Here Are 5 New Favorites.\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sarah Kendzior\u2019s passion for climbing, along with her route to working at REI, began at a climbing gym in Wisconsin where she grew up. She took an introductory course and was quickly hooked. Kendzior started climbing outdoors and eventually progressed into alpine multi-pitch climbing and mountaineering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating from college, she worked for a time in product development for a large department store and then spent a year and a half dirtbagging around the world. Eventually, she moved to Seattle in 2018 for a job with REI and is now the co-op’s buyer for climbing gear and shoes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sarah Kendzior, buyer for climbing gear and shoes at REI and co-op member since 2016, on Dragontail Peak in the North Cascades, Washington. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Memories of her own introduction to climbing continue to inspire Kendzior when she looks at the industry. \u201cClimbing gyms allow people from all backgrounds, income levels and ages to get stoked to one day climb outdoors if they choose,\u201d she says. The same pattern she followed\u2014learning in a gym and transitioning to climbing outdoors\u2014is being repeated all around the country. Gyms open; new athletes get hooked. Climbing \u201cbrings in some of the youngest and most diverse members to the co-op,\u201d Kendzior says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the coolest new climbing gear exhibits that same democratic, scrappy spirit with uncompromising sourcing, clever fixes to age-old problems and, dare we say, sexily sustainable designs. It\u2019s fair to say that if Kendzior is impressed, you\u2019ll want to pay attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, Kendzior, a co-op member since 2016, recommends five climbing products, like handmade chalk bags from STATIC<\/a>, which reinvests a portion of their profits into seamstress organizations local to San Diego where the brand is based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Petzl NEOX Assisted Blocking Belay Device<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Petzl\u2019s<\/a> NEOX is an assisted belay device built for lead climbing outdoors or in the gym. Whereas the GRIGRI<\/a>\u2014the top-selling climbing item at the co-op\u2014can sometimes lock up while the belayer is paying out slack, this new technology has an integrated wheel that prevents the rope from catching, leading to a smoother belay experience. This means no more scary, stuttering belays for lead climbers. The technology will make the biggest difference for smaller-bodied belayers and people with “a negative ape index” (or whose arm span is shorter than their height). \u201cAs a shorter woman letting out slack for a tall lead partner with longer arms, it was difficult [with a GRIGRI],\u201d Kendzior says. \u201cBut now it feels seamless.\u201d  $149.95<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Edelrid Zodiac 3R Helmet<\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edelrid<\/a> has been at the cutting edge of climbing for over 150 years. The company continues to snag a bunch of industry firsts. Bluesign\u00ae-certified since 2009, they released the NEO 3R<\/a>, a climbing rope made of 50% recycled materials<\/a>. Now, with the Zodiac 3R, they\u2019ve produced a helmet partially made from recycled materials. The helmet’s outer shell is made entirely out of recycled climbing ropes from Edelrid’s production. The inner foam is 50% recycled too. Plus, it looks good. \u201cWhen you think of sustainability, you think you\u2019re going to lose some of the sexiness,\u201d Kendzior says. \u201cBut that\u2019s not true here. It\u2019s sleek.\u201d $69.95<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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La Sportiva Mandala Climbing Shoes<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

La Sportiva<\/a> was the first climb shoe brand carried by the co-op to have a Climate Neutral certification<\/a>. Now they\u2019ve brought that same innovative spirit to a key feature in climbing shoes: the edge rubber. The edge has historically seemed as essential to a climbing shoe as the downturned toe or the sticky rubber. But now La Sportiva is going edgeless. The Italian brand has introduced a series of no-edge shoes whose wrapped sole and rounded toe means the shoe has increased sensitivity without compromising grip, even on the smallest of holds. Without the single edge at the toe, the entire front end of the foot can be used to balance on even the tiniest rock chips and indoor footholds. An added bonus: This distributes use across the forefront, allowing the shoe to wear more evenly and, ultimately, last longer. $209<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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STATIC Waxed Canvas Chalk Bag <\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The co-op began carrying STATIC<\/a> when a former REI assistant buyer came across the product line while browsing Etsy. Since then, STATIC has grown to be the co-op\u2019s top supplier of climbing chalk bags. The female-owned company was founded in 2014, when it was just Taylor Barnes and a sewing machine in her garage. A decade later, every bag is still handmade by the five-person team in San Diego. And STATIC sources fabrics and other materials from small companies. Climbers can also reduce waste by swapping waist belt, which sold separately, between chalk bags. The best part? The bags come with a lifetime warranty. Blow a seam, and Barnes will restitch it for you herself. $35<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Trango Superfly Evo Autolock Carabiner  <\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Browsing the carabiner aisle, a customer without a clear sense of what they\u2019re looking for might get lost in a sea of orange and gray aluminum. Not anymore. Trango\u2019s<\/a> newest autolocker is lime green. Auto-locking carabiners tend to sell better than their screw-lock counterparts, but Trango also offers the Superfly Evo Screwlock Carabiner<\/a> in a cool cyan with a fuchsia lock gate. The no-frills hardware with bright, unusual color combinations speaks to a generation of younger climbers. $14.95<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shop all climbing gear<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sarah Kendzior\u2019s passion for climbing, along with her route to working at REI, began at a climbing gym in Wisconsin where she grew up. She took an introductory course and was quickly hooked. Kendzior started climbing outdoors and eventually progressed into alpine multi-pitch climbing and mountaineering. After graduating from college, she worked for a time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30028,"featured_media":197313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[352,724,974],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-197262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climb","tag-climb","tag-gear","tag-gear-advice"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/climb\/new-climbing-gear","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Climbing Gear Is Better Than Ever. Here Are 5 New Favorites.\u00a0","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/new-climbing-gear","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/new-climbing-gear"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/08\/new-climbing-gear-gym-hero.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/08\/new-climbing-gear-gym-hero.jpg?fit=900%2C455"},"articleSection":"Climb","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Erin Berger"}],"creator":["Erin Berger"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["climb","gear","gear advice"],"dateCreated":"2024-09-06T16:54:41Z","datePublished":"2024-09-06T16:54:41Z","dateModified":"2024-09-06T16:54:43Z"},"rendered":"