12 Essentials You Need To Climb Big Walls
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Big Wall Bible #2 of 14 - www.bigwalls.com
I know you are excited to get on the rock but you have a LOT of prep ahead of you in order to live in a vertical world for several days. This is your 2nd NON-SEXY big wall topic but if you get this wrong, you're coming down early.
1-Water
2-Getting the gear to the base
3-Prepping Haul Bags
4-Food
5-Sleeping
6-Pooping
7-Electronics
8-Clothes
9-Toiletries
10-Spare Carabiners
11-Knife
12-Spare car stuff
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Preparation
00:02:36 Water
00:11:45 Hiking Loads
00:15:10 Preparing Haul Bags
00:21:36 Food
00:35:13 Sleeping Bag
00:43:02 Pooping
00:55:42 Electronics
00:59:23 Clothes
01:01:40 Toiletries
01:03:29 Spare Carabiners
01:04:50 Knife
01:06:34 Car Stash
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I lost a rocky talkie in the middle of a rain storm coming back from emigrant wall, found it a little over three weeks later (now missing the carabiners and bungee attachment) still charged to 80 percent! The charge port was left open and had rained several times since it was lost, it charged right up and works just fine! Great piece of equipment.
I was a rigger in the military and now I’m an arena rigger in the entertainment industry as well as a casual climber. I’ve learned so much from your channel that has helped me get better at my job as well as my hobby. Thank you brother!
I only climb LED walls, but I love the content format. Hope to see you out there on the road sometime.
I have also been rigging in the entertainment industry for over 10 years in San Diego
Since it was mentioned: If you put peanut butter on each piece of bread 1st, THEN the jelly (for pre-made PBJ) in between, then the jelly doesn't soak into the bread. Yummy, not soggy!
Food tip that I've done a lot for backpacking: get a food dehydrator, make your favorite stir-fry (or whatever you want, so long as it's not soup), and dehydrate it. Now you have an inexpensive, delicious Mountain House-equivalent that you know you will like. Use freezer baggies for storage so you can pour boiling water in just like you would with a Mountain House bag. Or, just eat it like raw, because you basically have the granola version of a stir-fry. I'll also dehydrate fruit and whatever else I have sitting around at home that would likely spoil during my trip.
This is especially helpful if someone in the group has food sensitivities or diet preferences. One of my friends with IBS has specific foods that work well for him, so I'll make the food with that in mind and dehydrate it so he can have normal BMs throughout the trip!
Big thanks from another with IBS that had concerns about finding food that'd be safe for me - hadn't considered a dehydrator! Awesome tip!
I just saw the interviews you did with Doug Robinson, talking about what was revolutionary...You guys are revolutionary, for real. There is a whole new generation of climbers learning from you and actually understanding what the technical aspect of climbing is all about. Thanks a lot.
Lordy do I wish that videos like this were out before I climbed my first wall.
Well, you could be walking at the base of Dihedral Wall and hear a growing whistle from above for like 20 seconds and have a full haul bag hit the talus 10m away from us after some idiots threw their bag off from the top of the Shield. Had to tax them a bit since their haul bag exploded with lots of nice gear blown all over the place. It did almost hit us.
Love watching before work to keep the stoke alive
These long informative videos are my favorite. Like to hear what other folks method to the madness is.
Super good info guys! I hammock through the winter in bc. Might not be right for everything but in a haul i think bubble foil insulation would be awesome. As when your not sleeping on it, it serves as both a cooler for food and as you said a physical barrier to cushion your gear while also taking less room than a air mat or blue foam for the same r value. You can bring as much or as little as weather dictates. And could be a huge signal miror. Thanks for the awesome content!
Hey brother, really appreciate all the content just wanted to say thank you!
Thanks!
Highest quality content worth watching from start to finish. Can't wait to watch whole course even tho' I dont event plan to climb big wall yet I do tree camping. Thanks !
"There are more places in the world than Yosemite" these are the kinds of insights I tune in for :P
So, I don't know if something similar already exists in outdoor gear already and I don't know if these products exist everywhere, but there are those little squeeze-out meals with fruit or pudding for kids and it turns out you can get empty ones you can fill, clean and refill yourself. They basically have a ziplock in the back and a screwlock on top. Though I would imagine they don't like being squeezed much while closed. Might be a good way to bring your PB&J and save on waste at the same time.
Thanks a lot! Lots of good info and as always just the right amount of jokes, that really keeps you hooked in the conversation
Outstanding video. I especially like the tip of making a mini refrigerator at the bottom of your bag surrounded by frozen water bottles. Keep up the good work guys! 👍
Another great video! I have been up 6 walls and still found myself taking notes because there is so much to remember. Here is a tip. I prefer to use a bull hitch instead of a clove hitch when attaching the 2mm cord to the lip of my water bottles. They are harder to dress properly but the Bull Hitch will not loosen when there is slack on the cord. (Kind of a belt and suspenders thing, in that not that the clove hitch coming loose is not a big problem.)
So I am a 40+ y/o with a chronic fear of heights.
I came across your videos and have become obsessed. I don’t know if it means anything guys, but I am looking into a local climbing gym to overcome my fear.
I have used this for years while camping on the ground and I’m sure it would work fine in a vertical world. It is very easy to reheat dried meat and vegetables with hot water so what you can do is take a tray style food dehydrator and a Pot of boiling water when your prepping at home.
Take Any veg you like such as carrots,broccoli,cauliflower,onions,etc And blanch it in boiling water for 1-5min based on size and thickness of how you sliced it up.
Now place it in the dehydrator flat on the trays and allow it to run till nicely dehydrated.
You can also do this with a nice cut of meat like a ribeye steak,etc.
You can make your own really gourmet bagged meals like this to take anywhere that reheat with just water.
I just seal mine with a foodsaver. The FS bags are fully capable of taking boiling water without damage.
Super good enough video!
Great primer on Big wall gear needs. Can't wait to check out the forums.
OMG it's here! 🍿Let's go! Been waiting for the next vid.
I dont know the masses of your fine gems. I like a knife to feel more like a knife than these choices. Benchmade has a 42.5g mini bugout knife (handle is very plasticy but your trade off is how light it is. Titanium scales can upgrade the rigidity while not changing the mass much).
Spyderco has the para 3 at 68g. Both of these knives are about 7.3cm for the blade length. If you must have more blade, try Benchmade's tagged out at 8.9cm blade and only comes in at 59.5g.
All knives have a space to apply some kind of leash with paracord or use the screw for the belt hook to make a custom eyelet.
Disclaimer: I have a long history of buying benchmades (rarely at full retail though) and bias towards them but never have been sponsored by benchmade.
Can we get a full overview of the indoor wall you're using to make all these videos? It looks nice, I want to see the whole thing and know why it was made.
I’m so glad you emphasized the importance of just how critical it is to secure things like water bottles.
At 14:12 you say you fix one or two pitches, and leave your gear. You may have covered fixing pitches in the past, but this is a gap in my knowledge.
(I’m going to update my comment as I watch the video.).
27:30 make sure you can actually stomach and eat the food you bring. So so true. One of my first backpack trips I opened a tapioca desert and the flavor made me nauseous. The leader explained how I ‘had’ to eat it or it would attract bears. Maybe, but it I’ve learned so much about what I like to eat since then lol.
Fixing gear. Climb pitch on belay get to anchor tie in rope to anchor with a 8 now the rope is fixed. You can ascend and descend at your leisure.
@@TheSubieFan thanks
I currently have a 1L Nalgene tied with a constrictor hitch using 550 Paracord around the flanged neck. I boinked the crap out of it, and it seems very very secure. It feels safe.. I think it's safe.
honestly really enjoyed this one! thanks for the video guys
Stasher bags are amazing for cooking. Reusable and can take boiling water. Come in all sorts of sizes too!
A constrictor knot on your bottle works a tonne better than a Clove hitch in my experience ✌️
Super useful and informative video! Would be interested to see all the gear related to the actual climbing needed for a big wall and some gear that may not be necessary but nice to have
Awesome video, super enlightening, thanks guys!
Love this series!
So what I gathered as an Aussie Shearer and climber I'll need 3 cartons of piss for 3 days on a big wall. Sold!!
Recipe Idea: " The Ramen Bomb" mix Ramen, powdered Mashed Potatoes and Beef Jerkey or Fritos together. Easy, High Calorie, lightweight, delicious and a classic Thru Hiker meal.
Get some MRE style meals. Theyre highly convenient and quite calorie dense.
If you wanna go the gourmet route get a dehydrator and make your own food. And boom your climbing in style.
I dry pasta and sauce (separately), and put a packet of bacon bits in, as well as some parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
No cooking needed just buy your favorite sauce and boil some small pasta like orzo or mini penne, put each into their own sheet pans, and dehydrate.
Then, put the dehydrated sauce into a blender, and turn it to powder.
Place a portion of penne into a heat proof bag, and put a ziplock bag with your portion if sauce within that bag.
Its like 30 minutes of active work and like 8+hrs of dehydrating depending on quantity.
Nice! I wonder if constrictor hitch around bottle throat would have better results than clove etc..
thanks for the "hole" hand gestures when talking about pooping in a bag. really made me understand that i have to take my pants all the way off in order to shit on the wall.
Love that the shirt is nuts...
Ryan is so so so proud of himself at 47:45 … like /quite/ proud of himself 😂
SUPER entertaining and informating (😅?) enough content!
I appreciate the use of duct tape, but you could just make a net and wrap your bottle in it, no duct tape needed and way more secure.
I'm shocked that you guys didn't include electrolytes in the water section. Planning hydration around water alone is dangerous! Jeremiah briefly mentioned electrolytes in the food section, but I think the topic needs more direct discussion. When you're sweating a lot, water is not enough to stay hydrated! You can lose a lot of electrolytes through sweat, and your body needs them to move water (and other things) around properly. Supplemental electrolytes need to be part of your hydration strategy.
Different people lose different electrolytes as different rates, so as with everything, test your hydration strategy beforehand.
Hahaha 13:38 “iM sUrE YoU cAn Do iT FaStEr~”
I’ve got a challenge for you guy, should you choose to accept. This is important because it’s relevant to what I feel is misinformation or misinterpretation of safety guidelines in the tower industry. Industry standard is that a personal fall arrest system must support at least 5000 lbs. and have a kN rating of at least 22.2 kN. Here’s the issue. On more than one occasion I’ve heard of safety managers setting policy that slings not having an attached inspection log be removed from service. Now the most common man rated slings designed and tested for fall arrest forces are being removed from service due to lack of inspection log. They are being replaced with rigging 8,900 lbs. rigging chokers. These chokers are tested for rigging in a straight line, do not have a kN rating as they’re not designed for shock loading and are completely soft. No D-ring connector or softeners as found on the man rated fall arrest straps. You guys think you could help me save some lives or prove me wrong. I need some drop force tests. Hopefully both typical circumstances and worst case scenario. Say a 250 lbs. man who had no choice but to rig below waist level and falls 12 ft. or so?
Biking, which you have better cooling than climbing, you want to drink about 600 to 700 ml/HOUR, thus a 9 hour day is about 5850ml of water. I do believe cyclists sweat more than climbers but you can see how much is needed to keep hydrated. (obviously you want to replenish electrolytes if you are drinking 700ml/hr, for multiple hours).
Please hydrate fully!
Biking tips for hydration: have flavoured water! I use barely 'tea', some squirt a lemon/lime in, thats before considering any electrolytes. Basically you want to trick your body to absorb as much water was possible, so have some taste to it.
Electrolyte of choice: Gu's Tri-berry flavour. You have no caffeine and only 1g of sugar in 4.5g serving (though I'll prefer to dilute this and make half tablets, to thin out the 320mg of NaCl. Your micro nutrition may demand different ratios of NaCl and KCl).
You are also burning much more calories per hour when cycling hard.
@@connordobsonclimb true. It is likely that the human body's threshold for hydrating happens far less so learning techniques from other disciplines can help when you are at the extremes for hydration (when your body refuses to accept water and just passes it through).
Cycling (especially road cycling) is stressing very different body systems and far more taxing in some respects. Good reference material but it's not 1:1 with climbing.
You guys are the bomb
What about MRE's the minestrone is good and with a little water it's got these chemical heating bags
Check out packit gourmet for dehydrated meals. They are hard to beat
Do you have videos of climbing the walls?
Would take a MRE(meal ready to eat) to a big wall climb? They also often come with a flame les heater.
How about testing the Kn impact of a water bottle hitting ballistic gel! I bet the plastic ruptures very low Kn and is in fact non lethal.
Have you tried and tested ARM Battlecord (Atwood Rope Manufacturing) it claims a rating of 2650 lb ? it's like paracord (multicore) and relatively cheap, compared to accesory cord.
If you're belay you can use your buddy's haul bag then later jus say "surprise"
"So. many. epics..." 😆 58:10
How do you train for such a climb like El cap?
how can I get the rockietalkie in Italy? we really need something like them!!
you need light!
Does anyone have experience using a 'taco' instead of a portaledge? I have been hearing a lot of good things about them, but do not know anybody who actually uses one.
Yes, I do. When I Solo Aided The South Face of Washington Column I brought it instead of my portaledge. We also used it for our third while we climbed Zodiac. It was a good option to use for sleeping, but my biggest frustration ( accepted this reality once I accepted it's only for sleeping and nothing else), was the idea that I couldn't comfortably kneel on it when making supper. And the only orientation that felt okay in it was Laying horizontal. Sitting up in it to eat supper was upsetting. In a pinch tho, or emergency bivy it does it's job.
@@jeremiahletourneau9951 thanks for the info! I've been debating one of these instead of a portaledge, but it sounds like a portaledge would give me a lot more options for belays and cooking.
Why is it ok to piss off the edge or on the wall? Surely that's just a bad if not worse than hammering in pitons? That's seriously changing the natural rock...
When I'm moving during the day and it's hot. I wear cotton shirts cause they stay wet longer keeping you cooler. (sweats purpose is to cool you). Once im at camp or it's late thats when I dry off and put on my poly. Being cotton only kills if its cold or you're in a survival situation and its cold.
Baaayg.
Big wall? Get the Arctic MREs. They're great and have a lot of calories for their weight.
its just a dehydrated meal with a bunch of extra trash
>bread will get swooshed - I feel so sorry for all Americans. Unironically bake your own spelt with a little bit of rye bread. Tastes good, high calories/weight and does not get swooshed as it has a relatively hard shell and is dense.
We can’t pee on people? I’m going bowling.
You climber guys need to bring the old fashioned butt flaps back.
Ryan, you said that you got baked off a wall. That you were drinking a lot of water but you still developed brain fog. It sounds like you might have had hyperhydration. Apparently more people are rescued backpacking in the Grand Canyon from hyperhydration that dehydration each year.
As someone who treats severe hyponatremia routinely, it's possible. If you're losing water as sweat and not urine chances are you're losing a ton of electrolytes and should be drinking salty water.
Definitely need to mix in some electrolytes when it’s that hot!
I've been baked off the wall once. The brain fog was intense, The cotton mouth was outrageous. Best weed I ever had man.
That’s why I really just not buying this dudes “Gatorade is too sweet” shit. Gatorade has just enough sugar to provide essential carbs during difficult exercise and it has plenty of electrolytes to prevent hyponatremia (but also don’t just drink Gatorade without water because I’ve seen people get hypernatremia) But then again, everyone is different and you need to figure out what works for you!
Beag.
Beag is the Midwest equivalent of Chyeah
Indian accent had me Rollin
@30:44 Bro....
Disagree on synthetic bags. A good modern down bag will have a DWR shell and treated down and, if you don't suck, your bag shouldn't ever get wet. Source: my experiences, plus I just was talking to some Alaskan guides about this.
i can poop in a bag without peeing all by myself now mommy! practice makes perfect.
This video wasnt boring at all, Mr How To and will certainly be getting a like from me (I am Amazed the like percentage is much lower than it truely should be.in my humble opinion).Had such.good.info for starters and even high level climbers too
For instance the portions on just tying.your bottles amd knowing how much you.need to save space weight everywhere amd ways to keep everything organized efficiently and even how to avoid peeing on your.buddy while his pee iaa also drenching you at the same time! But seriously the timing was fine and I domt feel like you have to rush at the last parts. Us new guys need this information and thorougly, with funny stories youve been in or saw. But still gfeat job Ryan and crazy summer climbing guy!
Hold up, you’re grubbin on mountain house meals up there?!? My guy, your beta is all wrong, their food is so bland and unappealing! Backpackers pantry makes waaay tastier meals in a bag, better to have a dehydrator and make your own meals, but if you’re going the bag route it’s backpackers pantry all day.
Thanks!