Climbing Equipment

You don’t need to be fit to approach Climbing, and you don’t need to spend a lot of money in pointless or expensive equipment. We often find misleading or wrong information about the “best” equipment or clothes needed for climbing but, trust us, you don’t need expensive top-quality jackets to enjoy a day out!

The team here at Climbing Sardinia has drafted a series of articles to give the best possible advices on what equipment to buy and how to choose. These are all independent articles, they don’t depend upon sponsors and there is no brand we advocate. We give you our impartial vision, you chose the item or brand that best suits your budget or preferences.

The articles you find within this website apply to both beginners and experts.

What do I buy first?

The first items a beginner has to buy to start climbing are Shoes and Harness (and a Helmet for outdoor climbing). If you intend to do bouldering only, the only thing you’d need are shoes.

We strongly recommend to try on your new harness, helmet and climbing shoes before buying. Thus we advise against buying on the internet if you’re not entirely sure of your size. In regards to ropes, quick-draws and carabiners it is safe to buy over the internet, as their specifications are usually stated and need do not have to fit your body.

When buying over the internet we can easily find the best prices, we just need to know what is best to buy. There are countless products on the market and the amount of choices can sometimes be overwhelming. We at Climbing Sardinia have created these articles to guide you making your choices, knowing the precise specification each item should present and what to avoid, without being distracted by fancy shapes or fluorescent colourings! Our main focus is on durability and comfort.

Helmet

Belay devices

CE and UIAA marking

By law, all climbing equipment ought to be approved by the European Community prior to be put on sale. CE norms establish all the necessary (read minimal) requirements all climbing equipment must have, and each item put on a shop shelf must clearly show the CE logo.

Check on any piece of climbing equipment you may have and you’ll see the CE logo. If you can’t find it, we hope it is because of wear! Next to the CE logo you may also notice a UIAA logo, which refers to the International Union of Alpine Associations. The quality standards imposed by the UIAA are much higher than those of the CE, but are not compulsory to manufacturers. Producers can choose whether to subject their product to UIAA standards or not. The vast majority of harnesses and climbing helmets available on the market today are certified by both CE and UIAA.