Trad is expensive. A full rack is $1,000 to $2,000. Here is the minimum kit I recommend for someone starting to lead easy trad.
Cams
One set of Black Diamond Camalot C4s, sizes 0.5 through 3. That's six cams. Covers everything from hand cracks to off-hands in the 5.6 to 5.9 range.
Budget for doubles later. A single set gets you off the ground. If you climb splitter cracks (Red River Gorge doesn't, Linville Gorge does), you'll want doubles in the 0.5 through 2 range.
Total: around $475.
Nuts
Full set of Black Diamond Stoppers, sizes 3 through 12. $80. These are for finger-sized cracks, constrictions, and anywhere a cam would walk.
You will not love placing nuts at first. That's fine. They're still mandatory.
Slings and draws
Six single-length (60cm) Dyneema runners. Four double-length (120cm) runners. Six alpine draws (single-length slings with two carabiners).
Plus six trad-style quickdraws for bolts (not the stiff sport versions).
Total: around $250.
Carabiners
Four locking carabiners for anchor building.
Twelve non-locking for the runners.
Total: around $120.
Other
Nut tool. $20.
Personal anchor (PAS or daisy). $40.
Cordelette (7mm, 20 feet). $25 for anchor building.
What I wouldn't buy yet
Offset nuts. Wired hexes. Tricams (except the pink one, get a pink one, everyone loves the pink tricam). Big cams above 3.
These are useful for specific rock types. Save them for when you know what you climb.
Total starter investment
Around $1,000 for a solid first rack. You'll climb thousands of routes on this kit. Take care of it.
Come by and I'll walk you through it. We don't push you to buy everything at once.
