Build A Climbing Advocate Toolkit

March 19, 2020

Sending temps are right around the corner, and now is a good time to build or restock your climbing advocate tool kit. Our staff and advocates have curated some of their favorite climbing advocacy finds and provided links below.

Stock Your Pack

We recommend having a few advocacy essentials in your climbing pack at all times:

Restop 2 bags. Sh*t happens. If restrooms aren’t available at the climbing area, packing it out is the most environmentally responsible thing to do. And it’s much easier and less disgusting than you might think. Check out this how-to video.

Boar's hair brush. Clean off unsightly chalk and tick marks without damaging the rock. Too much chalk on the rock is concerning for land managers, and it also undermines the self-discovery and problem-solving aspects of climbing.

Small trash bags. These compostable dog poop bags are great not only for cleaning up after your dog, but also handy to have in your pack to clean up micro-trash (think bar wrappers, bits of tape, orange peels, etc.) at the crag.

Wear Your Cause

When you wear the cause, you inspire others to advocacy as well. Here are some of our favorites:

Access Fund member shirt. Help protect America’s climbing, and get a great t-shirt with original climbing artwork! Access Fund offers a new t-shirt with one-of-a-kind artwork each year. Collect them all!

Metolius–Access Fund chalk bag. Give your chalk a stylish home, and support a good cause. A percentage of proceeds come back to Access Fund to support the mission of protecting America's climbing.

Long Live Public Lands shirt. Show your support of public lands with this one-of-a-kind artwork depicting majestic Red Rock Canyon in Nevada, and a "Long Live Public Lands" message. Bonus: it’s super comfy.

2020 Climbing Advocate sticker. Nearly 60% of climbing areas in the U.S. are located on public lands, and they need our support. Are you voting for public lands this November? Get your free 2020 Climbing Advocate sticker when you pledge to vote.

Build a Volunteer Trail Day Kit

As our sport continues to grow, we have our work cut out for us restoring climbing areas. Get your volunteer tool kit ready, and answer the call:

Safety glasses. A necessity for any trail days that include technical rock work or removal of trees and brush. Protect your eyes from rocks and debris with these affordable safety glasses—a must-have for most trail days.

Rubber work gloves. Whether you're picking up litter or swinging tools, proper hand protection is a necessity. These rubber work gloves are cheap and have a good grip, but they don't last as long as the leather option below.

Leather work gloves. These leather work gloves last much longer than the rubber option, and are a better choice if you plan to make trail work a more regular thing (which we wholeheartedly support).

Sun hat. A lightweight sun hat is a good way to protect your face and the back of your neck from the sun during volunteer days. This is a great breathable option with a number of color options to suit just about any taste.

Sunscreen. Make sure you have plenty of sunscreen in your volunteer kit. We prefer this natural, mineral sunscreen as an effective option.

Biodegradable trash bags. Most organized litter cleanups will provide volunteers with bags, but it never hurts to have some on hand when you’re feeling inspired to do your own litter cleanup.

Clif Bars. A good quality bar offers essential fuel for a day of trail work. While there are many great options out there, why not support a company like Clif Bar, which gives back to nonprofits, including Access Fund.

Advocate Reading List

Use some of your copious amounts of free time to brush up on your climbing advocacy skills.

That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands. Nearly 60% of climbing areas in the U.S. are located on federal public lands. Brush up on the history and future of public lands.

Tools for Grassroots Activists. This is a great book, published by Patagonia, with best practices for participating in the environmental movement.

The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors. Chronicles the first all–African American summit attempt on Denali, the highest point in North America. Part adventure story, part history, and part argument for the importance of inspiring future generations to value nature.

Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors. Look beyond the discourse of the environmental justice movement to examine how the natural environment has been understood, commodified, and represented by both white and black Americans.