ZIGZAG's Ultimate Climber Gift Guide

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With the end of 2024 closing in (seriously, where did the year go?), the most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner. Whether or not you agree that the holiday festivities make for a merry time, you are likely facing down the gift-buying timer. If the last month of 2024 flies by as fast as the other 11 months, you will blink and be out of time to order gifts and wrap them before celebrations commence. 

Get ahead of the chaos and stress of last-minute shopping by starting early, especially for niche gifts. Knowing what gift you’ll give is half the battle, and the sooner you make your list of things to buy, the quicker you’ll have your holiday shopping over. 

If you are a rock climber shopping for a fellow climber, a family member, or a friend who climbs, you’ve landed on the right page. Not only have we created the ultimate gift guide for a rock climber, but every item is linked. So grab your credit card and keep reading. By the time you finish, you’ll have checked off holiday shopping for at least one person (if not more) on your 2024 gift-giving list. 

Gift Guide For Rock Climbers

Crash Pads

Crash pads are the perfect gift for rock climbers who love to boulder outside. Even better than a regular folding crash pad are modular pads that seamlessly link together to enhance every part of the bouldering experience, from hiking the approach to sending your project. ZIGZAG’s LINK Crash Pad System is the most innovative crash pad in climbing. With the ability to connect and combine pads, it's like taking the gym floor outdoors. Arguably the most portable and certainly the most configurable crash pad to date, packed with features and functions to benefit climbers of all levels. Not to forget, these pads are of the highest quality construction and are eco-conscious, with ballistic grade body fabrics made from 100% recycled plastic bottles so you can feel good and confident about the gear you carry.

When buying any gift, its always important to make sure it will fit the recipient well. Fortunately, the LINK Crash Pad is the only pad to feature a fully removable and re-positionable harness, ensuring the perfect fit for every climber.

Bouldering crash pad sets of one, two, or three pads are available, depending on your budget. The great thing about ZIGZAG’s system is that if you buy one as a gift, the climber can purchase additional ZIGZAG crash pads that easily attach to the others they have. Grow you pad collection and combine with friends for even more customization and landing zone coverage.

Chalk

Every climber needs chalk and will be grateful to receive it as a gift. Gift ZIGZAG’s Impact Chalk that goes one step above other brands. In addition to the chalk, your purchase will remove 1lb of ocean bound plastic through ZIGZAG’s partnership with CleanHub. 

Chalk Bag

If every climber needs chalk, they also need a chalk bag to hold it. ZIGZAG’s Vessel Chalk Bags are unrivaled with their features. Each bag has three gear loops, a phone sleeve, a no-spill closure system, and a zippered pocket that fits a wallet, keys, nail clippers, snacks, etc. Any climber with a ZIGZAG Chalk Bag will turn heads in the climbing gym and get asked where they got the chalk bag. 

Apparel

Appeal to a climber’s passion for protecting the outdoors and gift them a ZIGZAG T-shirt or Beanie. Most appreciate a high-quality, comfortable t-shirt, but if a t-shirt isn’t something your gift recipient needs or wants, a beanie for winter bouldering sessions might appeal. You can feel good about giving either item as each is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

But we're not here to just toot out own horn. For puffer jackets, outer shells, and other necessary gear to keep climbers warm during those long projecting sessions, you cannot do better than Patagonia. Patagonia shares our mission to reduce fossil fuels and do our part to clean up the playground we call the outdoors. Learn more about their mission here.

Water Bottle

Rock climbers love their water bottles but are also very good at losing them (check any rock climbing gym lost and found bin). The perfect holiday gift is a new water bottle to which they can add vinyl stickers from their ever-increasing collection. A high-quality, reusable water bottle also helps to keep climbers from falling into the trap of disposable water bottles or cups at the gym.

A classic and affordable option is a 32oz Wide Mouth Nalgene. If you’re up for splurging, a Hydroflask is a great option to keep the water cold for long climbing days outside. 

Nail Clippers 

No climber wants to hear or feel their nails scrape along the climbing wall or rock as they reach for a hold. A good, durable pair of nail clippers is a must for a rock climber to trim long nails and clip away dead skin. This pocket-sized gift complements a ZIGZAG Vessel Chalk Bag if you want to create a small gift bundle! 

Skin File

The skin on a climber’s hand is their Achilles heel. Keeping it healthy and conditioned is vital to having good climbing sessions. Sandpaper skin files are another must-have for climbers and make a great gift. Most nail and skin files fit perfectly inside the bottom of a ZIGZAG Vessel Chalk Bag alongside a pair of nail clippers and the final gift idea, finger tape. 

Climbing Tape

Rounding out the climber addition gift guide is Rhinos' Own Adhesive tape. While any athletic or climbing tape will do the job, Rhinos' Own Adhesive tape is made from 100% cotton and utilizes a skin-friendly Zinc Oxide adhesive. Available in a thin and thick widths, as well as two color options. Gift a roll with a skin file, nail clippers, and a ZIGZAG Vessel Chalk bag, and you will have the perfect gift for a rock climber. 

Climber Gift Bundles

Need help deciding between multiple gift options? Opt to give a few smaller items in a gift basket. Some bundle ideas are:

  • ZZ Apparel t-shirt, ZZ Apparel beanie, Nalgene water 
  • Vessel Chalk Bag, Impact Chalk, Nail Clippers, Rhinos' Own Adhesive tape
  • Link Crash Pad System and ZZ Apparel t-shirt or beanie. 

Any gift(s) you pick are sure to be loved and used by the rock climber in your life. Peruse the links, choose your favorite, and find the perfect gift for you climber. Don’t wait until the holiday’s are here to shop, when you can start checking off your holiday shopping list now. Happy Holidays from ZIGZAG!


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