Field Notes Climbing gear guides, written by climbers
Everything we've worked out about chalk, bags, brushes and grades — from our own sessions, not from a spec sheet. Straight answers first, detail underneath.
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Joshua Tree Bouldering: Winter Season, Sandbagged Grades and Where to Start
Joshua Tree grades run about two numbers stiffer than your gym, so here is where to start, when to go and what the desert expects of you.
Send Temps: Why You Climb Harder in the Cold (Temperature, Humidity and Friction)
Send temps explained: why cool, dry air (roughly 35–55°F, humidity under 50%) helps you grip, what the dew point tells...
Red Rocks Bouldering: What to Climb When Half Your Group Has a Rope
Where the Red Rocks bouldering is, why Calico Basin skips the timed entry, and how to plan a weekend when...
Joe's Valley Bouldering: The Easiest World-Class Bouldering Trip in the US
No permit, no guide, boulders minutes from the car: Joe's Valley is the easiest world-class bouldering trip to plan, as...
Hueco Tanks Bouldering Without Blowing the Trip: Permits, Guides and the 70-Person Limit
Hueco Tanks is a permit problem before it's a climbing problem: 70 North Mountain slots a day, booked by phone,...
Bishop Bouldering: The Buttermilks and the Happys, Honestly Rated
Bishop's two bouldering areas climb nothing alike: the tall, crystal-studded Buttermilks and the tuff canyons of the Happy and Sad...
How to Store Climbing Chalk So It Stays Dry (And Does It Go Bad?)
Climbing chalk doesn't expire, it gets wet: how to store it at home, in the car and in your session...
The Best Bouldering Chalk Bag in 2027 (Our Bias, Stated Up Front)
Five bouldering chalk bags ranked by the job they do best, with current prices, our criteria, and the three places...
Gifts for Someone Who Just Started Climbing (2026 Guide)
What to buy a new climber when you don’t climb yourself: the three questions to ask first, the gifts that...
What to Get a Climber Who Already Has Everything (2026)
A fully equipped climber isn't missing gear — they're missing a number to track, a resole, a coach's eyes and...
How to Project a Boulder: What V17 Sends Teach the Rest of Us
How to project a boulder at any grade: pick the right problem, solve moves in isolation, link sections from the...
How to Become a Climbing Influencer (Without Being Insufferable)
How to become a climbing influencer, from the brand side of the inbox: pick a lane, film the process, pitch...