Trying to find the right gifts for climbers can feel like a puzzle, especially if you don’t climb yourself. Relax, though, because this guide has you covered. The climbing-obsessed person in your life is going to love whatever you pick from this list.
Shopping for a climber might look intimidating, but it’s easier than you’d think. Honestly, of all the climbing friends I’ve made over the years, most of them are happy with anything climbing-related you hand them. So don’t stress too much. Whatever you grab off this list, they’ll probably love it.
To make this even easier, I’ve split these gifts for climbers into 6 sections so you can jump straight to whatever fits your climber.
- Gifts for Climbers Under $25
- Gifts for Boulderers
- Gifts for Sport Climbers
- Gifts for Trad Climbers
- Gifts for Indoor Rock Climbers
- Stocking Stuffers for Climbers
How to pick the best gifts for climbers
The good news is that climbers go through gear. Chalk runs out, tape gets used up, skin needs care, and there’s always room for one more carabiner. So you don’t have to guess at some fancy one-off. The best gifts for climbers are usually the everyday stuff they reach for every session. If you’re still figuring out what your climber even needs, our rundown of the minimal gear needed for bouldering is a quick way to get your bearings before you buy.
Climbing Chalk
Chalk is probably the second most important piece of gear a climber uses, right behind climbing shoes. It helps them hold on longer, and it soaks up the sweat on their palms so they don’t leave chunks of skin on the rock. Most chalk gets the job done, but a lot of climbers swear by Friction Labs or Black Diamond. If you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about, skim our quick guide to climbing chalk before you buy.
So Ill Chalk Brush
Holds pick up a lot of chalk over time, and that gunk makes them slick and hard to grip. A chalk brush scrubs it off so your climber can grab the hold cleanly and send the route.
Tape
Climbers go through a ton of tape. Some styles burn through more than others, and trad climbing is the big one. Tape helps support finger tendons, but mostly it protects skin. When your skin gets worn down or you rip off a chunk of it (climbers call those flappers), tape covers the raw or tender spot so you can keep climbing.
Friction Labs Skin File
Healthy climbing skin means keeping your callouses filed down so they don’t catch on a hold and tear into a flapper. You can technically use a nail file or a sanding block for this, but the curve of the Friction Labs skin file fits your fingers way better than anything you’ll find at the grocery store or hardware store.
Black Diamond Session Approach Shoe
I love these shoes. It took about a mile of walking to break them in, and once they were broken in they became my favorite approach shoe. Getting to a boulder often means scrambling over rocks or doing some light climbing, and a solid approach shoe lets you do that safely. Approach shoes are a different beast from climbing shoes, so if your climber still needs the real thing, our climbing shoe FAQ breaks down how to pick a pair.
Crash Pad Gear Organizer
This is a great little add-on for anyone bouldering outdoors. It straps onto the crash pad so all their gear stays organized, and nothing gets tangled or lost on the walk to the boulder or while they’re climbing.
Cute Monster Chalk Bucket
Chalk buckets are a boulderer staple. They hold plenty of chalk and are wide enough to dip both hands in at once. They also sit flat on the ground without tipping over while your climber is working a problem.
Bouldering Pad
Every boulderer needs a bouldering pad. It’s what cushions all the falls that come with the sport, and the thicker the pad, the softer the landing. Most boulderers already have at least one, but an extra pad makes for safer landings when you’re moving around the base of a boulder.
Chalk Brush
Most boulderers already own a brush, but a spare is always handy. I keep one in my chalk bucket and one in my waist chalk bag. One’s fatter than the other, and honestly I wish I had a fat and a skinny brush in both bags.
The fat brush is good for large holds and large coverage whereas the skinny brush gets into small crevices and corners that the large brush can’t reach.
These brushes come in a few colors and they’re tough, so nobody has to baby them when they get chucked on the ground.
Quickdraws
Quickdraws are a core part of every sport climber’s kit. Your climber probably already has some, but you really can’t have too many. They keep a climber safe on the way up the rock. Unlike the top-rope setups you usually see in a gym, sport climbers bring the rope up with them and clip into bolts using quickdraws.
Gear Pack
Every sport climber needs a bag to haul their gear to the crag. The crag is just what we call the base of the cliff you climb.
This one is big enough to carry everything they need while staying as comfortable as possible on the walk in.
Belay Glasses
A common gripe among sport climbers is the sore neck you get from craning up to watch the climber while you belay. Belay glasses let you keep your head in a neutral position and still see everything happening above you.
Waist Chalk Bag
Sport routes are long, so climbers usually need to re-chalk partway up the cliff. A waist chalk bag is what they use to carry that chalk with them.
Waist chalk bags come in all kinds of designs, but the good ones have a chalk brush holder and sometimes a little pocket for tape.
Climbing Training Book
A lot of the time a climber already has the strength and technique to send a route. What holds them back is fear, and that’s something plenty of sport climbers have to work through. This book was written to help with exactly that, with exercises and drills that help a climber manage the fear and climb through it.
Black Diamond Notion Pants
These pants are amazing. I liked my first pair so much that I bought them in 3 other colors. That’s how much I like these pants.
They have extra material in the crotch so you can drop into a high step or a split for those tricky moves, plus extra material on the knees so they hold up against the rock and last longer. I’ve been wearing mine for over a year and none of them have holes or any real signs of wear.
Trad Rack Peice
A trad climber’s most prized gear is their trad rack. That’s the gear they slot into the rock to build protection, so if they fall, they only drop a few feet. A rack is made up of a bunch of “pieces,” from tiny gear for hairline cracks all the way up to giant pieces you could practically fit your leg into. Every route eats up a different number of each size, so a trad rack or even a single piece of protection makes a perfect gift for climbers.
TC Pro Climbing Shoes
In trad climbing you’ll sometimes jam your foot and ankle into a crack (that’s off-width climbing), and it tends to scrape your ankles up. That’s why so many trad climbers love the TC Pro climbing shoes. They have a higher cut around the ankle, so there’s a bit of cushion and protection back there. Plus, they’re the same shoes Alex Honnold wore in Free Solo.
Climbing Slings
Climbing slings are what most trad climbers use to rack up and carry their protection on the route. They’re also key for building an anchor once you reach the top. A sling is one of those do-it-all pieces, and there’s always room for more, which makes it a perfect gift for trad climbers.
Hand Care Kit
I bought this Black Diamond skin care kit two years ago and it has almost everything a trad climber needs to look after their hands. Most climber skincare kits only come with a couple of files (like this one from BackCountry), but this one also has a flat-edge skin clipper that’s ideal for trimming off flappers. It comes with tape to protect new skin and a file block with every texture you need to keep callouses in check and head off flappers before they happen.
Tape comes in handy too when your trad climber is jamming their hands into cracks (crack climbing). It acts as a barrier, and sometimes a bit of cushion, to keep the backs of their hands from getting torn up.
Climbers Chalk: Friction Labs Unicorn Dust
Chalk is often the difference between holding on and sending versus your hands slipping and you coming off the wall. Not all chalk feels the same, though. Some of it feels like you’re rubbing little bits of gravel on your fingers. That’s why I love Friction Labs Unicorn Dust. It’s so soft and powdery that it works into every crack and wrinkle of your fingers. I’d honestly say it feels like petting a unicorn when you chalk up with it.
Petzl Adjama Harness
Most gyms rent harnesses, but rental harnesses are usually pretty uncomfortable to climb in and even worse to belay in compared to a personal one with cushioned leg loops and waistband. A personal harness also has two tie-in points for the rope and a dedicated belay loop, which makes it even nicer to own.
Grigri Belay Device
A lot of gyms now require auto-locking belay devices, and when they’re used correctly they’re the safest devices out there. The Grigri is an auto-locking device and it’s the most popular one on the market. I’ve used mine for years and recommend it to climbers at any level doing any kind of rope climbing.
Gym Bag
Hauling all your stuff to and from the gym gets old fast, which is why a good gym bag is worth it. A solid one holds all their climbing gear, and if they’re an indoor sport climber, it needs room for a rope too. This bag has all of that, and it’s easy to get into so you’re not digging around for your shoes.
Climbing Class At The Local Gym
Most climbing gyms run classes throughout the month for climbers of every skill level. I’ve taken over 6 classes in the last year at my local gym and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves climbing. You pick up a bunch of new skills, and you meet people who are just as into climbing as you are. That makes it a great gift to give. Just call a climbing gym near you for the details.
Friction Labs Secret Stuff Liquid Chalk
Liquid chalk is like regular chalk except it comes as a lotion-like paste that climbers rub into their palms. People reach for it at gyms that don’t allow powder chalk, or use it as a base layer under powder chalk so they can climb longer without constantly re-chalking. My favorite by far is Friction Labs Secret Stuff. It’s alcohol-free, which is a lot easier on your hands than most liquid chalk.
NoSweat Helmet Liner
One of the most important things for climbing safely outdoors is wearing a helmet. The catch is that climbers sweat, and sweat dripping into your eyes is the last thing you want in the middle of a hard move. That’s where these NoSweat inserts help. Instead of pulling your helmet off to wipe your forehead with your dirty hands, you stick a NoSweat liner inside and it soaks up the sweat, dirt, and oil up front.
RhinoSkin Repair
Climbing is brutal on your skin, and it’s normal for climbers to deal with torn skin, cracks, and tender palms. RhinoSkin Repair is made for exactly that. It helps your skin heal faster and takes the edge off the pain too. I’ve been using it for almost a year now and it’s easily my favorite skincare product for climbers’ hands that I’ve tried.
Locking Carabiners
Climbers always need more carabiners, and they’re small enough to drop into just about any stocking. Even if your climber already has 5, there’s always a use for another, whether it’s bailing safely off a route or building an anchor. There are a few types, but locking carabiners are the ones in the most demand, especially twist-lock carabiners since they tend to be the easiest to use when setting up anchors outdoors.
Send It, Sending It, Sent It T’Shirt
A t-shirt is always a fun gift, and you can roll it up to tuck inside a stocking. This one is especially great for climbers because it captures the whole send cycle: deciding to send it, actually sending it, and that feeling right after you top out.
One more free gift they’ll actually use
Here’s a bonus gift that won’t cost you a dime, and it works whether you’re shopping for your climber or treating yourself. Send Edition’s free newsletter drops a short climbing drill in your inbox every week, and each one takes about 15 minutes. It’s a low-key way to keep getting stronger between gym sessions. Sign up free and level up your climbing in 15 minutes a week.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best gifts for climbers on a budget?
The best budget gifts for climbers are the everyday consumables they burn through, like chalk, tape, and a chalk brush. A Friction Labs skin file also lands under $25 and gets used constantly. Pretty much anything in the “under $25” section of this guide is a safe bet.
What’s a good gift for a beginner climber?
A beginner who’s hooked will get the most out of their own chalk bag, a good bag of chalk, and eventually a personal harness and belay device so they’re not stuck with gym rentals. A class at their local gym is another great pick because it builds skills and helps them meet other climbers.
What do I get a climber who already has everything?
Lean into the stuff climbers always run out of or can never have too many of, like carabiners, slings, quickdraws, tape, and skincare products like RhinoSkin Repair. Fun extras like a climbing t-shirt or belay glasses are great too, since most climbers don’t buy those for themselves.
What’s the best gift for a boulderer versus a rope climber?
Boulderers live out of a chalk bucket and crash pads, so a bucket, an extra pad, or a crash pad gear organizer hits home. Rope climbers (sport and trad) get more use out of a harness, a belay device, quickdraws, slings, and a gear pack for the crag. When in doubt, chalk and skincare work for every kind of climber.
