Ever gone on a day of guided rock climbing and wondered what gear your guide was carrying? EMS Climbing School manager Keith Moon sat down to walk us through the gear he’s carrying on a day of rock climbing in the White Mountains.
EMS Epic Active Hoodie (Men’s | Women’s)
A good sun hoodie should be your do-it-all summertime shirt thanks to good sun protection and its comfort in hot weather.
Compass 4-Points Pant (Men’s | Women’s)
A little bit of spandex in these pants means that not only are they lightweight and comfy, but they’ll move with you on your climb.
Petzl Sirocco Helmet
The Sirocco is about as lightweight and airy as a climbing helmet gets and it’s made largely of spongey EPP foam that’s less likely to crack. Is it time to retire your climbing helmet?
Petzl Hirundos Harness
The most important factor when choosing a harness for rock climbing is that it fits comfortably, but the Hirundos is loaded with features for efficient climbing.
Petzl Attache Locking Carabiner
Locking carabiners are the bread and butter of rock climbing. The Attache is just big enough for most uses and features a graceful action on the gate. Plus, put two together opposite and opposed, and ridges in the locking gates keep each other from screwing open.
Petzl Reverso Belay/Rappel Device
The Reverso is a belay device that can do it all, and is especially great for more experienced climbers (or guides like Keith) who want to belay climbers from the top of a pitch.
Petzl Cordex Belay Gloves
Save your hands from long rappels or big days of belaying with these simple, comfortable leather gloves.
La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoes
Lace-up shoes like the Katana are super versatile and give you a greater degree of precision across your whole foot than Velcro-style shoes.
Sterling Velocity 9.8 Climbing Rope
At 9.8 mm, a rope like the Velocity is about as light and small as single ropes come—Perfect for packing into a destination climb.

Ryan Wichelns
Ryan was goEast's only editor from it's launch in 2026 until 2023. Now, he's the founding editor of Trails Magazine, the only print publication for backpackers and people who sleep in the dirt. When he's not worthsmithing, he's skiing, hiking, mountain biking, trail running or more in Colorado's San Juan Mountains and beyond.