Climbing Shoes
Climbing shoes are a specialty equipment that is designed with a rubber that will help you stick to the wall with making moves up. This allows you to focus more intently on advancing through the route instead of focusing on slipping on the wall.
These shoes first came out as far back as the 1930’s but it wasn’t until 1950 that a Frenchman (Pierre Allain) created the shoe with a particular kind of rubber to allow better grip. Later on as technology advanced other companies focused on created longer lasting rubber. These shoes also featured a more downturned look that would help the climber dig into the hold they were standing on.
In terms of which specific kind of shoe you should get it comes down to preference. Generally speaking when you first start it would be better to try out the shoes they offer in the gym itself. Most gyms will provide rentals (They won’t be great) but it’s a good start and more comfortable than a shoe you would buy at a retail store. From there you can try some of the cheaper flatter shoes that climbing companies offer since the more aggressive shoes will likely be painful to start out with.
From there it all comes down to experimenting to figure out what works best for you! If you want to keep adventuring in the bouldering world getting a more downturned shoe with Velcro or slip on is a nice place to start. If you would rather switch over to sport climbing then getting a flatter shoe with laces is significantly more comfortable since you will be spending more time on the wall.
Climbing Chalk
Climbing chalk has been used by climbers for decades and is primarily made up of magnesium carbonate (MgCO3). When applied to the hands this prevents the hands from sweating so you won’t slip off the wall in the middle of a climb.
While the base is simple there are other companies that add various ingredients to give their chalk a certain texture or feature that other companies don’t have, like adding an oil that helps kill bacteria, for example.
There are a couple different options in the way to chalk can be bought or applied as well. Block chalk is as simple as it comes and like the name implies it’s a solid block of chalk that you then need to break up into your chalk bag.
Liquid chalk is another option that adds an alcohol base to dry out the hands even further and for a longer duration. There are negative sides to doing this though as drying your hand out too much can cause the skin to split since it prevents elasticity of the skin.
Whatever preference you have any kind of chalk will be better than no chalk and it’s a very important tool to use in the gym whenever you go!
That's it!
Everything else you bring with you is a plus or will help assist with needs that wont come up as often. Items like water bottles (They should have water fountains at any gym you visit) or first aid gear can be picked up later on should you choose to keep pursuing the hobby.