Gear Up for Your Next Big Adventure
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of leading a trad climb, trusting only your skill, experience, and the gear on your harness. Whether you’re heading to Yosemite, Red Rock, the Gunks, or your local crag, the right trad climbing equipment is essential for a safe and successful climb.
But with so many options for climbing protection gear, how do you know what’s truly essential and what’s extra weight?
This ultimate trad climbing protection gear checklist will ensure you have everything you need—from camming devices and nuts to anchor-building tools and safety essentials—so you can focus on the climb, not your gear.
Climbing Protection Gear: The Backbone of Your Trad Rack
Your climbing protection gear is what keeps you safe and secure on lead. A well-rounded rack consists of cams, nuts, and other passive and active protection.
Spring-Loaded Camming Devices (SLCDs)
🔹 Must-Have: A set of cams covering small to large crack sizes
🔹 Top Choice: Totem Cams (offer superior holding power in tricky placements)
🔹 Other Options: Black Diamond Camalots, DMM Dragons
How Many? A single set (one of each size) is fine for most routes. If you’re climbing splitter cracks, bring doubles or triples of key sizes.
Pro Tip: If you’re new to trad, start with a core range:
- Totem Cam Blue, Yellow, and Purple for finger cracks
- Totem Cam Green and Red for hand-sized cracks
Passive Protection (Nuts & Hexes)
🔹 Must-Have: A full set of stoppers or nuts for small placements
🔹 Top Choice: DMM Wallnuts, Black Diamond Stoppers
🔹 Other Options: Wild Country Rocks, Metolius Curve Nuts
Pro Tip: Nuts are lighter than cams and work in flared cracks where cams may not hold as well.
Micro Protection (Small Cams & Offset Nuts)
🔹 Must-Have: Small cams for thin cracks and pin scars
🔹 Top Choice: Totem Cams (Black & Blue sizes), DMM Peenuts (offset nuts)
🔹 Other Options: Metolius Mastercams, Black Diamond X4s
When to Use? Thin, flared cracks or aid placements where standard cams won’t fit.
Anchors & Slings: Essential for Multi-Pitch & Belay Building
Your anchor setup is just as important as your protection gear.
Slings & Runners
🔹 Must-Have: 6-8 shoulder-length (60cm) slings
🔹 Top Choice: Dyneema or nylon runners
🔹 Other Options: Black Diamond, Mammut
Pro Tip: Use extendable slings on cams to reduce rope drag and keep placements from walking.
Cordelettes
🔹 Must-Have: A 5-6m (16-20ft) cordelette for anchor building
🔹 Top Choice: 7mm nylon or Dyneema cord
🔹 Use For: Multi-pitch belays, equalizing anchors
Carabiners & Quickdraws: The Workhorses of Your Rack
Carabiners connect everything together and keep you clipped into protection.
Locking Carabiners
🔹 Must-Have: At least 4-6 lockers
🔹 Top Choice: Black Diamond RockLock, Petzl Attache
🔹 Use For: Belay device, anchor master point, personal tether
Non-Locking Carabiners
🔹 Must-Have: 10-15 non-locking biners
🔹 Top Choice: Wild Country Helium, DMM Alpha
🔹 Use For: Racking cams, slings, and nuts
Alpine Draws & Quickdraws
🔹 Must-Have: 4-6 alpine draws, 6 standard quickdraws
🔹 Top Choice: DMM Phantom, Black Diamond Hoodwire
🔹 Use For: Extending placements, reducing rope drag
Pro Tip: Use alpine draws instead of sport climbing quickdraws to adjust rope length as needed.
Personal Safety & Belay Gear
Beyond protection, you need gear for belaying, rappelling, and self-rescue.
Belay Device
🔹 Must-Have: A versatile belay/rappel device
🔹 Top Choice: Petzl Reverso, Black Diamond ATC Guide
🔹 Other Options: Mammut Smart, Edelrid Giga Jul
Helmet
🔹 Must-Have: A climbing helmet to protect against rockfall
🔹 Top Choice: Petzl Sirocco, Black Diamond Vapor
🔹 Other Options: Mammut Wall Rider, Grivel Stealth
Pro Tip: Trad climbing involves more loose rock and falling debris than sport climbing—always wear a helmet.
Personal Anchor System (PAS)
🔹 Must-Have: Adjustable tether for anchoring at belays
🔹 Top Choice: Metolius PAS, Black Diamond Link Personal Anchor
Ropes & Rope Management
Your rope choice depends on pitch length and route type.
Single Rope (Best for Shorter Routes)
🔹 Top Choice: 60m or 70m dynamic rope
🔹 Best Brands: Sterling, Mammut, Beal, Edelrid
Half Ropes (Best for Alpine & Multi-Pitch Climbing)
🔹 Top Choice: 8.1mm twin/half ropes
🔹 Best For: Reducing rope drag and providing redundancy on longer climbs.
Pro Tip: If you’re climbing a route with a long rappel descent, a 70m rope gives you more options.
Extra Gear for Big Days Out
🔹 Nut Tool: For removing stuck gear
🔹 Gloves: For crack climbing protection
🔹 Chalk & Chalk Bag: Keeps your grip strong
🔹 Approach Shoes: For hiking to the base of the climb
🔹 Guidebook or Beta Notes: Helps you plan your route
Pro Tip: If you plan to leave gear behind at a rap station, bring older carabiners or slings to sacrifice.
Be Prepared for Any Climbing Adventure
A well-stocked trad rack is the difference between confidence and uncertainty on the wall. Having the right climbing protection gear makes your experience safer, more enjoyable, and stress-free.
Checklist Summary: What You Need for Trad Climbing
✅ Cams: (Totem Cams for marginal placements)
✅ Nuts & Hexes: Passive protection for cracks
✅ Carabiners & Quickdraws: Racking and extending gear
✅ Slings & Cordelettes: Anchor building & reducing rope drag
✅ Helmet, Harness, Belay Device: Personal safety gear
✅ Ropes: Choose the right rope for your climbing style
✅ Extra Essentials: Chalk, nut tool, gloves, approach shoes
Ready to build your ultimate trad rack? Shop Totem Cams and other gear today!
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