When you are out for a day’s climbing, considering what extra technology to take along with you is not always the first thing on your mind. Practical considerations come first – after all, you only have two hands and those are needed for the actual process of climbing. It is more important to be able to hang onto those ropes and find the crevices in the cliff face, than to worry about dropping phones and gadgets.
Recognising this, manufacturers have come up with a solution: technology you can wear. This does not necessarily mean extra layers of clothing (as yet) but it does mean wristbands, health monitors and even cameras that you wear to document your climb.
These are items that you can wear around your wrist or on your clothing and incorporate computer and other electronic technology. This is becoming big business – it is a way of helping people to enjoy their sports while taking advantage of technology to improve or analyse performance.
Initially such products were more gadgets than anything else, such as USB heating gloves to keep hands warmed when plugged, headphones stitched into beanie hats or headphones allowing people to enjoy hands free music.
Climbers need more than this – monitoring and real time feedback is much more important, as is being able to access up to the minute data on weather conditions. Demand is rising as products become available and inventors are constantly on the lookout for new ideas. Smart clothing which involves digital electronics embroidered on suitable fabrics are just one of the intriguing possibilities that are emerging.
The value of wearable tech for climbers is immense. It offers immediate hands-free technology that can be used while you climb. Smart wristbands are very popular. Worn on both wrists, they monitor movement, muscle exertion and speed. The resulting data can be used to customise training regimes and highlight weak points.
What if you want to physically see how you climbing? Use a tiny drone camera. It clings to your wrist until you order it to fly off and take suitable photographs and videos, following you or coming straight back.
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