+1 for Carhartt work pants, seriously rugged.

Climbing... the lamest of the fashion shows.

Seriously. After a while, do you find yourself at crags thinking you know somebody? Climbers all look alike and blend together into a dusty melange. No one cares.

Man, all these threads about what jacket or pants dudes can wear? WTF. Where is the thread discussing the merits or n00biness of the different brands of yoga pants and sport tops for the ladies?

Why bash people who love to buy the latest and greatest trends in outdoor gear...all that means is i can buy the same gear a year later in past season colors for 50-70% off because no one else wants it or better yet go to the web specials section and get long underwear and soft shells for almost nothing because they are military green. I love all of the people climbers or not that spend 300-400 on the newest arc or paty jacket because thats how companies make a profit and can afford to sell me the same jacket for 150-200 if i wait a little while...to all of you thank you, stay employed, and please keep paying retail!

In all honesty i have no idea why anyone would care at all who wears what.

Yup, in addition to the pants, I have the shorts, they're great. I have a few Mountain Hardware technical T's they are light and dry fast. I have a Patagonia Capalene t-shirt as well as the long sleeve version with a zipper, It's amazing how light and yet warm they are! I have a Patagonia Nano jacket as well as fleece pants, tights and shirts from REI, hell, I even have a Fleece Mountain Gear cap!

Am I a Gumbie!

Yes!

As you get older, like me, you learn that you can actually BUY safety! I'm not going up on El Cap with a fircken down sleeping bag with some crummy bivy sac, I don't head up the Nose in the uncertain weather of the Spring wearing cotton pants! I want to live! I buy all the best gear I can so that I don't have to worry about it when I'm out climbing!

Sure, if I was at Smith Rocks every day, sport climbing, it wouldn't matter a bit what I wear, but El Cap is bigger and badder than anything at Smith and my clothes will help keep me comfortable, warm in cold weather and ALIVE!

Do I care what you think of how I dress?

NO!

That would be good pop psychology but ultimately you're reasoning does not prove your conclusion.

If you wore honey badger, you wouldn't give a shit about anything

Indoor climbing at Gameworks on the Vegas strip many years ago, in a suit. Now that was strange clothing.

Vegas indoor climb. Submitted By: Woodchuck ATC on Jan 11, 2012

I get my climbing pants at Good Will but you gotta chatch toe 50% off saturday to get braggn rights

Because it's so ridiculous that someone should equate someone's climbing ability with the clothes they wear! It's completely unrelated! Sure, there are some people out there who wear what is "in style" and what "looks cool" and wear "what the cool people" wear but one does not lead to the other.

The original poster noted that "is it that only nerdy dorks who like trad gear purchase $90 climbing pants?", well, no, it just so happens that certain $90 dollar pants are freaking good pants for climbing!

I have been climbing for 38 years now, I certainly don't need to "wear the right clothes" to impress other climbers. I buy the most functional clothes I can find for the sport I'm doing and I suspect quite a few other climbers do also.

And as far as posting, I'm doing the same thing you're doing, I'm sitting here, doing a bit of work, surfing the next, posting stuff, it all carries only a small level of importance in my life, don't make it out to be something bigger and more important than it is.

How about those poor boulderers that can only afford a prana beanie and not a t-shirt?

It really sounds like Goodwill is the new Prana. I don't want to get left behind. However - what if I find my Prana or MH or Patagonia at Goodwill - will people notice? What other brands should I be looking for? Is there a Goodwill house brand? That would be really f'n cool, I think. What if I don't like the stench of 100's of unwashed donkey balls that eminates from these Savers/Goodwill outlets - and I actually have a job? Will I get the same effect of coolness if I just shit my pants a few times? Please - more details here.

Hmm... maybe if you leave the Goodwill tags on..

Ya know, on 2nd thought - +1 to needing specifics here. Now that we all know what total t00b steaks we've become, the least you could do is provide some specifics on how we go about ascending into the l33t ranks.

(did anyone just see that sweet MH Monkey Man pullover that was just on SAC?!?)

Uh oh...

I have been climbing for 12 years with some decent climbs under my belt. But I just bought a pair of $75 Patagonia climbing pants. Am I now a Nooby again? Will it once again take me 3 minutes to place #2 cams?

This is true of anything, the more brand names you wear, the bigger (to use an oldschool word) the wannabe you are.

this vid sums up how i feel about climbing clothes pretty well

this vid sums up how i feel about climbing clothes pretty well

most of my climbing clothes are my old office job clothes. those khakis work pretty well.

There's a big difference between needing protection from the elements and needing clothes to crag in.

Damn I just ordered Royal Robbins pants for $20 - where do I fall if I buy new but at 50% or more off? Am I still a n00b? (I mean I know I'm a newb climber, but will my clothing give it away instead of my shiny rack?)