Equipment

In this blog I'll go over all of the equipment you'll need to get started in the different types of rock climbing. I'll start with the basic requirements- Shoes and chalk. If you want to get into any type of rock climbing, these are the two most basic pieces of kit you'll need.
The shoes are extremely important for helping your feet grip the rock. They should be very tight fitting- any space at the toes will make it difficult to stay on small footholds. Scarpa, Evolv and Red Chili are some brands of climbing shoes.

 Chalk is invaluable to climbers as it quickly dries out sweaty hands. A climbers worst nightmare is sweaty hands causing a slip mid way through a difficult problem. Chalk bags allow climbers to dry  out their hands mid way through a climb, preventing this problem.

The next few pieces of equipment I'll mention are for specific types of climbing. While the last two are used in almost every type, these ones are more specific.
Harness: Harnesses are used whenever ropes are. They attach the climber to the ropes to prevent falls. They are extremely important for climbs involving heights.

Carabiner: Carabiners used alongside harnesses. They attach the ropes to the harness.

Crash mat: Crash mats are primarily for bouldering. Since ropes aren't used, the crash mat prevents injury.