In this special “What’s In My Bag” article, Indy ambassador Katie Maxwell takes us through a deep dive into essential kit she takes out bouldering!
A well respected member of the North Wales bouldering scene Katie has steadily been ticking off classic hard problems for many years. Head over to our Instagram to check out this post where she talks about her some of her climbing highlights in recent years.
Warm up items:
– Climbing Therapy Bands to start getting my shoulders warmed up.
– Theraband bar I use occasionally to help warm up my elbows and wrists.
– ‘Taylor Made Holds’ Portable finger board with stretchy band and static sling to gradually warm up my fingers before I start climbing on rock.
Essentials
– Shoes:
Scarpa’s are my preferred shoe as they fit my feet very well and they have top quality rubber. The instinct VS Wms have been my ‘go to’ shoe for a long while, perfect for North Wales bouldering but equally at home in Font. I’m trying out the new VSR LVs at the moment too which were very easy to break in and should fill any gap left by the VS’s.
I like to have two pairs with me if possible. Ideally of different styles just in case one type of shoe works better on a particular problem. I also like to have one pair barely broken in with fresh edges and the other a bit more comfy.
– Chalk bag:
Normally I just use a boulder bucket but I like to have a small chalk bag too in case I decide to do a very long or highball boulder problem
– Chalk:
I’m not too fussy, as long as it feels good quality and not too powdery I’m happy.
‘Rock Technologies Liquid Chalk’
Handy on those very hot sweaty days and as a base layer to powder chalk too.
– Brushes:
‘Dark Peak’ brush and one big wooden brush to fit all different shapes and sizes of hold.
Skincare
– 1.25cm Finger Tape:
I like to keep mine in a little tin to keep it neat and clean
– Nail clippers:
Which are helpful not only to cut your nails, but also to trim any skin flappers or bits of rubber on your shoes that have gone awry
– ‘Crux Taco’ Sanding block:
Helpful to ensure the finger tips are smooth and make early skin flappers less likely to tear
– ‘Rhino Skin’ lotions; ‘Performance’ and ‘Split’
I wouldn’t necessarily bring these to the crag but would always bring them on a climbing trip to try and get the most out of my skin. I use a combination or rhino skin split, rhino skin performance and ‘Antihydral’ to keep my skin as tough and healthy as I can.
Extras
– Kneebar pad:
For those knacky problems where the use of the knee is considered essential!
– Camera tripod:
So that I can film the climbing action. Useful for remembering beta, analysing your movement and remembering the good times!
– Indy Nalgene water bottle:
The perfect amount of liquid for a day out, easy to clean and representing my favourite wall!
– Hula Hoops!
There’s always a packet in my bag!
Missing a few of these from your bouldering set up?
We’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of the products, and their current prices that we stock in the Indy climbing shop:
Warm Up:
BH Climbing Therapy Band – £6.50
YY Mini Crux Fingerboard – £25.00 (James Taylor products coming soon)
Essentials:
Scarpa Instinct VS / VSR (LV) – £145.00 – £155.00
Flashed Chalk Bucket 2.0 – £48.00
Friction Labs 6oz Bam Bam Chalk – £16.00
Rock technologies Liquid Chalk – £8.00
Dark Ventures Recycled Brush – £6.00
Skincare:
Dream Climbing Finger Tape – £6.00
Crux Taco Finger Sanding Block – £9.00
RhinoSkin Performance 30ml – £7.00
RhinoSkin Split 4.5ml – £4.60
Extras:
Indy Nalgene Bottle 1L – £16.00
