Sometimes getting out of debt seems like an impossible task. When you are not earning enough money to pay off your debts, fear and hopelessness can set in and make it difficult to see a way out. However, it is possible to make more money and get...
Finding a job in your 20s and 30s entails more than just an application. It often takes a lot of planning, networking and marketing just to get your foot in the door. Most companies must sift through stacks of candidates to fill a single position,...
Working from home is an increasingly popular choice, as the Internet has made telecommuting, freelancing and contract work more feasible. However, many people find it challenging to set the necessary boundaries and schedules for a work-at-home...
Nut tools, also called nut keys, come in various shapes and sizes, but are typically long, skinny and flat with a hook at one end and a handle on the other. Most are made of stainless or chromoly steel, but some include titanium components. Though...
Pulleys offer aid climbers or climbers practicing (or implementing) rescue techniques a mechanical advantage when they are hauling loads up a wall. A pulley consists of a stainless steel wheel/axle with a grooved rim for the rope that turns in an...
Credit and debit card spending can go wildly out of control for some shoppers. Because you never physically see the money, the consequences of heavy spending can sometimes be ignored. That is, until the nasty credit card bill arrives in the mail....
A fitness trainer creates personalized programs that help individuals develop strength, endurance, shape and flexibility. As a fitness trainer, you become responsible for teaching people the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and fitness....
Rock climbing approach shoes can be anything from regular old tennis shoes to hiking boots. However, as the sport of climbing becomes more popular, companies are specializing in providing climbers with shoes that can function in more versatile...
Climbers use climbing holds for indoor "woodies" (bouldering walls that they build inside their homes, garages or in their backyards). In the past they were made from carved wood holds or people just bolted real rock into their plywood walls....
A technical raincoat is a must for all climbers, especially those who spend a lot of time in the mountains, do multipitch climbs or even people who just hang out all day out of doors. Since they will (hopefully) usually be stashed away in your...
Gloves for ice climbing are used to keep your hands warm, but they must also be supple enough to handle the unwieldy equipment used for this sport. A variety of gloves are available for climbers of all levels, from rank beginner ice or mixed...
Non-technical pants come in styles suitable for rock climbers of all types, from boulderers and sport climbers to traditional climbers or alpine climbers bouldering around basecamp while waiting for the weather to clear. Whether they are stretchy...
A technical raincoat is a must for all climbers, especially those who spend a lot of time in the mountains, do multi-pitch climbs, or even people who just spend all day outdoors. Since rainwear will usually be stashed away in your pack,...
Most daisy chains are three- to four-foot pieces of webbing that have been doubled back and divided into multiple, two-inch bar-tacked loops. They come in various diameters and lengths and are made of a variety of materials, including ultra high...
Technical climbing pants are important primarily for alpine, big wall and multipitch climbers. As with non-technical pants, technical pants might have: knee darts for articulation and a gusseted crotch; reinforced knee and seat; flexible...
With hundreds of thousands of people worldwide trying climbing these days, dozens of learn to climb books are on the market. They cover every possible subject you can imagine: sport or gym climbing techniques, gear placement, climbing knots, how...
Hooks are employed almost exclusively by aid climbers, although sport climbers putting up new routes also use them in order to rest and place bolts. They are not for use as protection; they are utilized only to create a "hold" for ascending a...
Passive gear, which has no moving parts, includes nuts (chocks or stoppers), tri cams and hexcentrics (hexes). Of varying sizes and shapes, passive gear is made of steel, aluminum, brass or copper, iron or a combination of these metals. The piece...
Also called a "biners," this is the key piece of climbing equipment a climber owns. It attaches every single other piece of climbing equipment to your harness or gear sling and it connects the climber to her safety line--the rope. All biners...
Also called a "ledge," a portaledge is a temporary shelter and bed for climbers who spend multiple days on the sheer faces of rock walls. Typically portaledges are made of a series of connected aluminum poles that, when assembled correctly, fit...
Boots are made of plastic, leather or a composite material like Kevlar or carbon fiber. Plastic boots are rigid, supportive and ideal for really cold temperatures. Leather boots are lighter, more supple and versatile, allowing a climber to hop...
Backpacks are not only essential, but a good, well-fitted backpack will make a day or multiple days out climbing a much more pleasurable experience. Various styles of climbing backpacks are available, from large-volume mountaineering packs to ice...
Headlamps--flashlights that cinch around the forehead or helmet with an elastic band enabling a climber to see but also have both hands free--are a must for all climbers. They can mean the difference between making it back to camp at a reasonable...
A variety of equipment protects ice climbers, including: screw-in tubes (aka screws), pound-in tubes (snargs) and hooks (spectres). Screw-ins make up the bulk of an ice climber's rack. They come in various lengths--between 10 and 22 cm--and...
Haul bags, called affectionately "pigs" by big wall aid climbers, are constructed of slick, industrial-strength vinyl. Some pigs are made of cordura or nylon, but after multiple days being dragged up and banged off of the sides of abrasive rock...
Ice tools are composed of five key parts: the pick, the grip, the shaft, the spike and the hammerhead or adze on the opposite end of the pick. The pick connects your tools to the ice. Picks come in various shapes and can be filed for precision,...
Etriers, or aiders, are four- to six-step ladders made of nylon webbing that aid climbers attach to pieces of equipment that they place, bang or hook onto rock faces that are too difficult, blank or steep to free climb. Aid climbers ascend rock...
