Climbing gear, as we all know, is quite pricey and is only made to last for a set amount of time as the materials degrade over time. That being said, there are ways to make sure your climbing gear lasts for as long as it possibly can. If you take good care of your gear and make sure to store it well, then your gear will last for its manufacturer’s determined amount of time, but if you neglect your gear, you may be putting yourself in harm’s way and losing money while you’re at it.
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How Do You Organize Your Climbing Gear?
Many climbers take pride in their climbing gear storage system, but there really is no one right way to organize your climbing gear. There are some things that you should think about when investing any time or money into a new climbing gear organization system.
Your organization system will be what holds your gear when you’re not using it, so make sure that your new system stores your gear in a safe way. That is to say, make sure that your gear is in a dry place that is out of any direct sunlight. Many people find that closets are a great place to store their climbing gear and to keep it organized. Just make sure that your gear is fully dry and clean before you shut it away in any enclosed space since leaving it damp or dirty could lead to the growth of mold.
If you look around the internet, you will find countless ideas on how to organize your climbing gear. Some people prefer to keep their gear out of sight, while others like to store their gear in their main living space. Some people even incorporate hooks or rods into the aesthetic design of their living space, making their climbing gear a central focus on their walls.
The choice is totally up to you, but here’s some classic climbing gear storage ideas to serve as inspiration:
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Using store-bought shoe racks is a great way to organize things like climbing shoes and chalk bags. This storage system also uses some pegs and some wooden shelving units to hold old climbing rope for gear to be clipped onto easily.
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Pegboards are a classic way to store climbing gear. They are super adjustable and can easily be modified as your gear collection grows and shrinks over time. Just make sure that the pegboard that you choose is strong enough to hold the weight of all the climbing gear that you plan to put on it.
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Bins and shelves will never go out of style when organizing gear. They give the classic garage look to your gear and can easily be labeled with what’s inside of them, for easy access. This is also a super adjustable way of storing your gear, and it tends to be pretty cost-effective. While it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as some of the other options, it does the job well and can often be done without needing much modification to the space that you’re putting it in.
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This example shows more of integrating your storage with your interior design choices. While this is an amazing looking organization and storage system, it does take more time to put up a system like this one.
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You can always use old pieces of furniture for your gear storage, like this old wardrobe that was given a new life holding climbing gear.
Some people like to take old pieces of furniture, like the one above, or even old climbing gear, such as old bolts, to give their organization system an older feel. This can be really nice if there is a specific style of design present throughout your entire home that you want to continue to match. If you live in a gorgeous old home, you may want to try to integrate your climbing gear storage into the aesthetic of your home, so it fits in well.
How to Store Rock Climbing Shoes?
The best way to store your climbing shoes is anywhere that is dry and out of direct sunlight that could cause damage to the materials. Make sure that you clean any obvious dirt and debris out of and off of your climbing shoes before putting them away and thoroughly dry them out. Any moisture can lead to the growth of mold, so making sure that your shoes are dry is super important.
As long as your shoe storage fits these rules, pretty much anything will work. Some climbers have a specific shoe bag for each pair of shoes that all fit into a large bin. Some climbers use shoe racks that you can hang in your closet. There is no right way to organize your climbing shoes, as long as the shoes are clean, dry, and out of harm’s way.
How Do You Store a Climbing Harness?
Similar to storing climbing shoes, climbing harnesses are made of nylon, which needs to be stored in a dry location away from any direct sunlight. Moisture and direct sunlight can speed up how fast the nylon degrades, thus shortening the lifespan of your harness. Storing your harness in a closed bin or in a dry drawer works great. Some people like to hang their harnesses up, which can work, but it’s also nice for the nylon to be totally at rest and not have any pressure points on it.
What to Do with Old Climbing Ropes?
Climbing rope, like any nylon climbing gear, is only made to last a certain number of years, depending on how frequently you use your rope and under what conditions. All climbing ropes will come with a tag that tells you how long the rope will last given a certain pattern of use, but even unused, a climbing rope is only good for 7-10 years maximum since the material will degrade over time.
With regular use, most climbing ropes will only last a few years, usually in the range of 3-6 years, but it does depend on the climate you live and climb in, the manufacturer’s specifications, the thickness of the rope, and how well you care for and store your rope.
Since you will inevitably have to buy a new climbing rope every few years, you are likely to end up with a growing collection of old climbing ropes that you are no longer able to use for climbing. This doesn’t mean that you should throw your rope in the garbage; old ropes can be used for a variety of projects. Below are some examples of products that can be made from old climbing rope, but you could also use them to fix things around your house.
Climbing ropes can be used to make railings more aesthetically pleasing. They can also be cut up and used as a clothesline or a new dog leash. The possibilities of what to make out of your old ropes are endless. Although rope doormats are some of the most common things, there are so many more options out there; just get creative!
Here are some classic and creative options of what you can do with your old climbing ropes:
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Here’s a classic recycled rope doormat.
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This zippered pouch is made by a company that takes old climbing ropes and turns them into purses, pouches, and totes. If you have no idea what to do with an old rope, many artists, like this one, will gladly take your old rope so they can use them for projects.
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This wall hanging is made out of some old climbing rope that had the sheath cut off of the core, and the core unraveled. This is an interesting way to get more colors and textures out of your old rope.
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Making dog toys or leashes out of climbing rope is also a super popular activity, but the odds of needing 60 meters of dog toys are pretty slim, so you might want to find something else to do with the rest of your rope.
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You could even make a chair out of your old rope if you’re feeling up to it.
Is It Safe to Store Your Climbing Gears in the Car?
This question has a variety of answers depending on how you plan on storing your gear in your car, the amount of time that the gear will be stored in the car, and even the weather where you will be. In general, your climbing gear should be stored in a dry, clean place, away from any direct sunlight. Extreme temperature changes also aren’t good for climbing gear, though, so if you can minimize the temperature change that your climbing gear goes through, that is best.
All that being said, you can store your climbing gear in your car safely if you are careful. Many climbers love to live in a larger car or a van for ease of getting to climbing areas. This means that their gear will have to be stored in their vehicle. As long as you make sure to completely dry your gear and keep it clean from any debris, there are so many car organization systems that you could choose from for your car.
If you live in a hot place and are just too lazy to take your gear out of your car, that’s another story. If you want to store your climbing gear in your car, you should make sure that the gear is out of the way of the sun. This could mean storing it in bins with lids or getting a cover for the back of your car. Although a car isn’t the most ideal place to store your climbing gear, it can totally work.
Here’s some cool car gear organization systems to inspire your next project.
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Here’s an option for a minivan.
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The classic gear storage in a van is the pull out shelves, bins, or rods to organize your gear under a bed or other storage in the back of your van or car. This is a great option for a climbing gear storage rack for your vehicle.
Things to Consider When Storing Climbing Gear
Like we’ve talked about a few times in this article, the most important things to consider when looking at how to store your climbing gear is how your storage choice will impact your gear’s lifespan. Making sure you take the time to clean your climbing gear and store it clean, storing your gear away from any moisture, and keeping it protected from direct sunlight are the most important factors to think about.
Cleaning your climbing rope will allow you to check over your rope for any issues as well as get any particles that might rub your robe when you store it off of your rope. Your rope is your lifeline, so you should make sure you take good care of it. Clean it regularly and store it well, and it will last you a while.
The best way to keep your climbing gear out of direct sunlight is to store it in a closed room or closed bin. This means that your gear should be stored indoors and away from large windows. A place like a closet is a great option for storing your climbing gear. You can often store climbing gear in an outdoor shed, but you have to make sure that the shed is sealed from the outside.
Moisture and water will degrade all climbing gear, so make sure that your gear is dry when you put it away. This is super important with things like shoes that might be slightly damp from your sweaty feet without you even realizing that they’re damp at all. Take some time to let your gear air out after any climbing trip so everything can fully dry out.
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Here’s a simple way of storing climbing shoes and helmets that keeps them out of the sun and gives them good airflow so they can fully dry out after every use.
Another thing to think about when trying to store your gear to increase its lifespan is making sure to clean and care for every piece of gear. Remember that your rope can be in good condition and stored well, but if you take it out and run it through a belay device that is filled with mud or rocks, the rock won’t hold up. Think about cleaning your belay devices, carabiners, and any other metal gear you have that might have to come in contact with your nylon goods.
Wrapping Things Up: Climbing Gear Storage Ideas
Overall, as long as your climbing gear is clean, dry, and kept away from direct sunlight, there are no rules for how you have to store your gear. You could opt to create an amazing climbing gear storage, and organization system that is part of the aesthetic appeal of your home, or you could deck out a closet or cupboard with all sorts of organizational systems to keep your gear in good condition, but neither will work if you don’t take good care of your gear.
Make sure you clean and check all your climbing gear regularly, as gear can and will degrade over time. With regular cleanings and good storage practices, you can make sure you get the most out of your climbing gear while still being super safe.
Did you enjoy this article? You might also be interested in our other climbing tips here.
> How to Clean Rock Climbing Shoes
> When to Resole Climbing Shoes
