For bouldering, you need good shoes, a chalk bag and a pad to cushion the falls. To climb higher, add a harness, a belay device for keeping the right tension on the rope and a locking carabiner, which functions like the key chain for everything. Your entire anchor system for roping in should include four locking carabiners, five meters of Perlon cord or tubular webbing and 50 to 60 meters of rope.
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Expect sticky weather in Thailand, so bring lots of chalk to keep your fingers dry and good books for rainy days. Also bring your "rack" of protection, including 8-15 quickdraws, a range of nuts, camming devices, long slings, and carabiners on a shoulder sling.
Shoes are the most important and intimate piece of gear for every kind of climbing. They must fit like a glove. Try on as many models as you can, such as Five Ten's Spire (909-798-4222, www.fiveten.com, $99), one of the few women specific shoes, and Diamond ($138) both with Five-Ten's Stealth Rubber soles for gripping. If comfort is your primary concern, try La Sportiva1s Mythos (303-443-8710, www.sportiva.com, $138), one of the softest feeling shoes available. Boreal products (949-498-1011, http://www.e-boreal.com/ , $150) is specially designed stiffer for better footing while crack climbing.
Next on the list, a snug-fitting, padded harness that is comfortable and secure around your thighs and waist to keep you tied in. For men, either Petzl's Aquila (877-807-3805, www.petzl.com, $84) with easy-to-operate well-designed buckles or the Metolius Contour Slim (541-382-7585, www.metoliusclimbing.com, $69), which has been streamlined with the sport climber in mind. For women, try Petzl's Ciconia ($82) or Arc'teryx's Isis (604-451-7755, www.arcteryx.com, $65).
A 60-meter, 10.5 mm rope is ideal for most climbs and offers durability for top-roping without excessive weight. The Bluewater 10.5 mm Accelerator (770-834-7515, www.bluewaterropes.com, $150) features a bicolor duodess (the rope's midpoint) to help you keep your rappels even. It can be dry treated for about $20-$30 to keep dirt from getting into the weave and wearing the fibers down—an excellent choice if you don't bring a rope tarp to Thailand or are in Mexico in the dusty, dry season. Buy a large crash pad from Cordless (888-378-7437, http://www.revolutionclimbing.com/ , $149) for bouldering. It has a soft, carpet-like covering for cleaning the bottoms of your shoes in between problems and also makes an excellent travel bed.
Your climbing gear rack continues with a set of nuts. Black Diamond makes the popular Stoppers (801-278-5552, www.blackdiamondequipment.com, $5.95-$7.50 each). Spring-loaded cams like the Metolius 3 Cams (541-382-7585, www.metoliusclimbing.com, $49) and 4 Cams ($54) are among the lightest and least expensive. Pack it all into Dana Design's 5,200 cubic inch Glacier backpack (888-357-3262, www.danadesign.com, $299), or the legendary world-proven 5,800 cubic inch Terraplane ($439) to keep even a heavy load feeling comfortable.
What you really need to know here is that climbing is a little bit like letting a hyperactive kid try to solve a puzzle, what with all the anaerobic energy and thinking going on. Climbers, like kids, run on carbohydrates and sugar, and as such, you should plan to bring energy bars. Try Powerbar (800-58-POWER, www.powerbar.com), Balance Bar (800-678-4246, www.balance.com) or Clif Bar (510-558-7855, www.clifbar.com), one of the few vegan-friendly bars out there. Also don't forget gallons of water.
For mountaineering, you have to be prepared for anything. Your body and gear are exposed to the elements in the high country, where even the smallest mistake can quickly magnify into an unhappy ending. As you head to the summit in the Cordillera Blanca or the Himalayas, you progress through a series of increasing altitudes, which means that each day more and more demands will be placed on your gear. It needs to be as technical and trustworthy as possible. Dress in layers, which will allow you to add clothes as you climb and take them off as you come down.
Take care of your feet first. Kayland's Multi Traction boots (514-871-0771, www.kayland.com, $270) are stable and grippy for scrambling across talus on approach or while in Borneo. The EVA foam-lined, plastic shelled Scarpa Inverno (801-278-5533, http://www.scarpa.com/, $299) are constructed to keep your feet warm while maintaining the ankle flexibility and support needed to ascend the snowfields and seracs of the high alpine.
Next, keep your temperature regulated. The Alpha Series Gore-Tex jacket ($475) and bibs ($400) from Arc'teryx (800-985-6681, www.arcteryx.com) are an excellent outer layer for almost all alpine conditions and will prove especially appropriate in the high lonesome of Imja Tse. Wear a pair of Powershield fabric Gamma Bibs ($365) and Delta R fleece jacket ($115) underneath for insulation, with fleecy Powerstretch Rho top ($110) and bottoms ($90) as the critical next-to-skin ingredient you'll be living in. For summiting Everest, however, the added warmth of an outer layer one-piece suit like the Marmot 8000m (707-544-4590, www.marmot.com, $1,000) is mandatory.
Integral Design's XPD2 Himalayan Series sleeping bag (403-640-1445, www.integraldesigns.com, $545) boasts 700+ goose down fill and a -20 Fahrenheit rating making it suitable for even the coldest climates. Take the North Twin ($200) with Primaloft instead of down for warmer, wet conditions.
The North Face's Evolution 45 (800-719-6678, www.thenorthface.com, $600) is a proven four-person expedition tent designed to make frozen hell hospitable, while the Ambition 35 ($459) is a lighter three-person tent for fast-paced approaches and high camps wherever you choose to make them.
Black Diamond's (801-278-5533, www.blackdiamondequipment.com), Raven ice axe ($70), Blizzard harness ($79), Hemisphere helmet and two-layer Gore-Tex Guide Gloves ($150) provide the hardwear you need for roping in. The Sterling Ropes Marathon (800-788-7673, www.sterlingrope.com, $136), with its unique sheath weave and Dry Core, is virtually indestructible.
You will also need a tested and tried micro-filtration system to keep the parasite party out of town. The Macke Water Systems (http://www.purwaterfilter.com/) is a great one-liter personal filtration and purification system that functions like a sport bottle and has a three component filtration system to remove cysts, parasites, bacteria and viruses. The Brunton Optimus Nova (800-443-4871, www.brunton.com, $139) is an award-winning multifuel stove that burns everything from rocket fuel to kerosene and features an aluminum pump to eliminate spills.