A bear canister is a hard-sided, bear-resistant container that backpackers use to store food, trash, and scented items overnight, keeping them from bears. Required in many wilderness areas, canisters protect both hikers and bears — a bear that gets human food often becomes dangerous and may have to be killed.
Gaiters are protective sleeves worn over the lower leg and the top of the boot to keep out snow, mud, scree, water, and debris. They range from low trail gaiters that block trail grit to tall, waterproof mountaineering gaiters for deep snow, and keep feet drier and more comfortable on rough terrain.
Trekking poles are adjustable, lightweight poles used in pairs to improve balance, reduce strain on the knees and legs, and add power on climbs and descents. They help on steep, uneven, or slippery terrain and when crossing streams, and are a popular aid for hikers and backpackers of all levels.
A Kilter Board is an adjustable-angle training wall with large, friendly holds and LED-lit problems set through an app, designed to be more accessible and fun than other system boards. The lights show each problem's holds, and the changeable angle suits a wide range of abilities, making it popular for both training and casual sessions.
A MoonBoard is a standardized, steeply overhanging training wall with a fixed layout of holds and an app that sets thousands of shareable benchmark problems. Because every MoonBoard is identical worldwide, climbers can compare their performance and train on the same problems anywhere, making it a benchmark tool for serious bouldering strength.
A campus board is an overhanging training board fitted with horizontal rungs that climbers move up and down using only their hands, with no feet, to build explosive pulling power and contact strength. Invented by Wolfgang Güllich, it is a powerful but high-stress tool best reserved for experienced, well-conditioned climbers.
A hangboard (or fingerboard) is a wall-mounted training board with edges, pockets, and slopers of varying sizes, used to build finger and grip strength through timed dead hangs and repeaters. It is the most popular and effective tool for targeted finger training, but its intense loading makes a careful, progressive approach essential to avoid injury.
A neutral climbing shoe has a flat, relaxed shape that keeps the foot comfortable and supports all-day climbing, crack climbing, and beginners. It sacrifices some power on steep terrain compared with downturned aggressive shoes, but its comfort and versatility make it the usual choice for a first pair.
An aggressive climbing shoe has a strongly downturned (cambered) shape and an asymmetric toe that concentrate power onto the big toe, making it excel on steep, overhanging rock and small holds. The trade-off is comfort: aggressive shoes are tight and not designed for long days or beginners.
An auto belay is an automated belay device installed at the top of a climbing-gym wall that takes in slack as you climb and lowers you smoothly if you let go or fall. It lets climbers practice roped climbing alone, without a human belayer — though clipping in correctly every single time is essential.