Free climbing is becoming one of the fastest growing extreme sports in the United States.  Just in the U.S. there are hundred of thousands climbers.  You add the worldwide participants and the number is significantly larger.  The majority of the reason it has gained such popularity is the advances in climbing technology.  The equipment used today makes this extreme sport safer than it has ever been.  This in itself makes it more available for more people to get involved in the sport. Newcommers to the sport are now climbing walls that were thought of to be to difficult, straight up ascents are now being acomplished by the pros. 

By having the correct equipment makes the participation more joyable and could save your life.  This safer equipment allows the climber to concentrate on improving their technique and fitness.  Lets look at some basic equipment. 

One of the items that is considered by many as a crucial equipment need is a good pair of climbing shoes.  You are asking how is a pair of shoes considered safety equipment?  The answer is traditionally they are not considered safety equipment.  The advances that have been made in climbing shoes have made more things accessible that were at one time thought impossible.  If the climb is easier, it is obviously safer.  So you can see in a indirect way shoes are a safety item.

A modern climbing rope is a traditional piece of safety equipment.  This rope is made of kern.  Kern is continous braided nylon along with an outer sheath.  This outer part will protect the inner core where all the strength is from damage due to rocks and weather.  This ropes typically are 160 to 170 feet long and will actually stretch.  This would allow it to catch a falling climber in the case of an accident.  It allows you to bouce as opposed to being jerked back which can also help eliminate or reduce injury.  These ropes normally cost under 200 dollars.

The next piece of equipment is a harness.  This is critical for climbing safety and technique.  The above rope is attached to you with this harness.  There are several types of harnesses available on the market today and prices are varied.  You can normally get them for under 100 dollars.  The typical harness is a nylon belt around your waist and two leg loops that go around the thighs.  When climbing the majority of the weight is then on you legs.  This leaves your hands free and also is more comfortable hanging.

A must have for climbing is piece of equipment called a belay.  This is what holds the rope to stop a climber should they fall.  The most common is a figure 8 type.  It has two, one inch in diameter rings joined together.  A loop of the climbing rope is threaded through one of the rings, it is then put around and under the other ring.  When the rope is pulled tight it creates 4 right angles which make the rope just about impossible to move.  This then will save the climber in case of a fall.

No matter what type of technique you use to climb you will more than likely also need what is known as carabiners.  This strong, solid aluminum rings have a spring loaded gate that you can open to allow the rope to be inserted.  The spring then will hold the rope inside.  These carabiners are able to hold up to 2 tons and are very inexpensive.  The most common is the D type since it will keep the rope on the side away from the gate.

 As you can see, by using the correct equipment it makes your climb easier, safer and much more fun..  In addition it could possibly save your life.