What to Wear Rock Climbing
Wear stretch pants you can high-step in and a fitted top that will not ride up when you reach overhead. Gyms run 65F to 72F and you will be warm two routes in. Four formulas plus the harness-friendly fabric and shoe picks, so you can stop thinking about it.
Wear stretchy pants you can high-step in and a fitted top that will not ride up when you reach overhead. Climbing gyms sit between 65F and 72F and you will be warm two routes in, so start lighter than feels comfortable. Outside in fall, bring a light hoodie for belaying and pull it off when it is your turn on the rope. Skip jeans and baggy shorts, because a harness sits on your hip bones and anything bunched under the waistbelt becomes a pressure point by route three.
🛒 The Rock Climbing Outfit Forecast Formula
Temperature feel Climbing gyms hold 65F to 72F year round. An outdoor fall crag feels 10F to 15F colder than the forecast while you are standing still belaying. Key layer A stretch-woven pant or high-rise legging with a gusseted crotch, so a high step does not fight you. Base layer A fitted sweat-wicking short sleeve that stays put when you reach overhead. Avoid Jeans, baggy cargo shorts, drawstrings, hoop earrings, rings, and anything that catches on a harness buckle. Footwear Climbing shoes on the wall. A light trail shoe for the approach and for walking between problems. Tested in Chicago bouldering gyms in January and the Red River Gorge in October, same pair of pants both trips.
Four Outfit Formulas for Rock Climbing
The Indoor Gym Session
Fitted moisture-wicking tee, stretch jogger or high-rise legging, low socks you can peel off at the wall. Gyms run warm and you generate real heat hanging off a wall, so a third layer ends up on the floor next to your chalk bag. I keep a hoodie in my bag for the fifteen minutes after I stop climbing.
Outdoor Voices CloudKnit Shortsleeve
Light enough that it dries between burns and long enough in the body that it stays put when you reach for a hold above your head.
Shop This PickThe Fall Crag Day
Same base, plus a light hoodie and long pants instead of shorts. You climb for four minutes and then stand still for twenty, belaying, and a 58F day with any breeze feels like 45F when you are not moving. Long pants also save your shins on slabby rock.
The First Time
Leggings or joggers you already own, a snug t-shirt, and socks. Rent the shoes. Do not buy climbing shoes before your third session, because you have no idea yet what fits your foot. The only rule that matters here: you should be able to lift your knee to your chest without the waistband fighting you.
The Summer Bouldering Day
Bouldering gyms in July get hot because there is no rope work and everybody is moving constantly. A tank or light short sleeve, athletic shorts with at least a 7 inch inseam, nothing else. The inseam matters. Short shorts ride up on every high step and you will spend the session pulling at them. No harness for bouldering, which is the one time baggy is fine.
Do and Don't
- Do pick a top long enough in the body to stay tucked when both arms go overhead.
- Do take off rings and bracelets. Rings and jugs are a bad combination.
- Do tie long hair back and away from the belay device.
- Don't wear jeans. No give, seams sit wrong under a harness, stiff back pockets dig in.
- Don't bring a hoodie with a long drawstring. It gets caught in the belay device, which is exactly as bad as it sounds.
- Don't wear brand new light-colored anything. Chalk is fine white dust and it goes everywhere.
Best Shoes for Rock Climbing
Climbing shoes are the only thing that goes on your feet at the wall, and for your first several sessions the rental pair is the right answer. Once you buy, a flat all-day shoe beats an aggressive downturned one for everything except steep bouldering. Examples include the La Sportiva Tarantulace, the Scarpa Origin, and the Black Diamond Momentum. Price range: $85 to $120.
A light trail shoe covers the approach to an outdoor crag and the walk between boulder problems. You want grip on wet leaves and low weight, because it lives in your pack most of the day. The HOKA Speedgoat 6 and the Salomon Speedcross are both easy calls. Price range: $130 to $165.
A flat slip-on handles the walk from the car and the twenty seconds between burns. Anything you can kick off without untying works. Price range: $40 to $70.
HOKA Speedgoat 6
The walk in to the crag is the part nobody plans for. Grippy enough for wet leaves and light enough that you forget it is in your pack.
Shop This PickAvoid: Hiking boots. Heavy, hot, stiff through the ankle, and no part of a climbing day is better in a boot than a trail shoe. Examples: mid-height leather hikers, insulated winter boots, anything with a shank.
Mistakes People Make
- Dressing for the temperature instead of the effort. A 60F gym feels cold in the parking lot and hot on route four. Dress for route four.
- Wearing shorts that are too short. High steps are most of climbing. A 5 inch inseam rides up on every one.
- Forgetting that belaying is standing still. Outdoors, the belayer needs the extra layer, not the leader.
- Buying climbing shoes on day one. Sized too small because somebody said they should hurt, then worn twice. Rent until you know.
Why This Approach Works
A climbing harness puts its waistbelt on the iliac crest and carries most of your body weight through a band about two inches wide. Every seam, pocket rivet, and waistband button under that band becomes a pressure point once you hang on it. Stretch-woven nylon pants in the 4 to 6 ounce range have flat seams and 10 to 15 percent elastane-assisted give, so a full high step does not pull at the hip. Denim gives you almost none of that.
The temperature logic is just as physical. Climbing is a series of short anaerobic efforts, not steady aerobic output, so your body heat spikes during a four-minute route and drops fast during the twenty minutes you spend on the ground. In a 68F gym you run 10F to 15F warmer than the room while you are on the wall. Outdoors at 55F, standing still in the shade belaying, you feel closer to 45F. One hoodie that comes on and off handles both ends of that range better than any fixed layer can.
⭐ Nate's Pick
prAna Stretch Zion Pant
I own three pairs and I have never once thought about them mid-route. The gusset is the whole reason. Roll the cuffs for a gym session and drop them for a cold belay.
Shop This PickFrequently Asked Questions
Do you wear socks with rock climbing shoes? Most climbers do not. Climbing shoes fit snug and are built for barefoot contact, which gives you better feel for small footholds. Rental shoes are the exception, where socks are usually required. If you own yours and want socks, use the thinnest pair you have.
Can you wear jeans for rock climbing? You can, but it is the worst common choice. Denim has minimal stretch, the seams sit badly under a harness waistbelt, and stiff rear pockets dig in when you hang. Joggers you already own beat your best jeans.
Can you wear shorts rock climbing? Yes, especially for indoor bouldering where there is no harness. Pick at least a 7 inch inseam so they do not ride up on high steps. Outdoors, long pants protect your shins on slab and your knees in chimneys.
Can you wear gloves rock climbing? Not for the climbing itself, because you need skin contact for grip. Belay gloves are a different thing and are useful for rope handling on long outdoor days.
What should I wear rock climbing for the first time? Leggings or athletic joggers, a fitted t-shirt, and socks for the rental shoes. Nothing new, nothing loose, no jewelry.
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- What to Wear Kayaking
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- What to Wear in 55 Degree Weather
About the Author: Nate Calloway is a former personal stylist and outdoor gear tester based in Chicago who covers hiking, running, climbing, and anything where activity level matters as much as the forecast. Read more from Nate.
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