Equipment!

In very basic terms, all you need to do bouldering are these items:

The big yellow thing is a bouldering mat. That will hopefully protect you from broken ankles when you're climbing a boulder with a landing spot that has uneven ground. It's also a lot more comfortable landing on your ass on that mat that it is on the floor.

The "pod" bag contains chalk. I have a chalk ball in mine, other people prefer just loose chalk. Either way works, it's down to personal preference. You use chalk to dry your hands of sweat and allows your fingers and hands and skin to grip better onto rock surfaces.

And then you have the rock shoes, as discussed in a previous post.

The grey thing hanging out of the bouldering mat is jut something to wipe your feet on before climbing. It's nothing special and not essential, it's actually just a feature of that particular bouldering mat, so nothing to worry about.

But that's basic items. If you did what I did, and go camping for 4 days, you need a lot more - and if you don't put thought into it before hand and just throw things in a bag assuming all you'll need is clothes and a place to sleep with a bag to sleep in like I did, you're wrong.

FOOD AND OTHER SHIT

You need:

• A mess tin or something to eat stuff from. You don't want to have to buy multiple plastic plates like I did, just to throw the majority of them away
• Eating utensil to eat stuff with. See above
• Mug or something to drink stuff from. Plastic ones don't hold coffee or other hot drinks so well, which is why I ended up borrowing a mug every time I wanted a coffee. Kind of embarrassing.
• Stove. Not everyone will have a stove, and even if they do, it's much nicer using your own fuel for things like coffee and hot drinks. If you're all cooking together a big stove will be a big help, so discuss this beforehand. Either way it's a handy thing to have if you ever go for a climb by yourself and fancy a cuppa'. You can get really small stoves that are perfect for such a function
• Knife to cut stuff. Try and make it a utility knife like a Swiss Army or a Leatherman. That way, you'll have multiple tools for multiple uses all nice and neatly tucked away (Can/bottle opener for instance)

I had none of these things, and I wish I had. Especially the mug. It's a bit annoying watching everyone drink coffee while you can't, and then have to borrow someone elses after they've used it. Or, equally, you drinking your coffee really really fast and burning yourself because you're using someone elses shit.

COMFORT STUFF

You'll want

• A chair. That's right - I didn't think, while packing, that I'll want to sit on something other than the ground for the whole 4 days. *shakes head*
• A pillow. See above.
• A head torch/torch. I actually had one of these, and it's very useful for going into dark woods for a late night piss.
• Tent. Clearly. Try and get one with an outer shell in case it rains.
• Washing up liquid. 
• In car cables for any essential electronics like a smartphone, because they die in a day.