Moon vs. Kilter vs. Tension Board

Warren WhiteKnight wrote:

Ok joining this conversation very late and have read the whole thing.

Live in Canada, eastern Ontario with wet and cold and humid winters.  

Was just in Red River and saw a kilter board set up on an Onsite wall with adjustable angle looked amazing.

I want to do a home wall for me and my kids. Kids all climb indoor and outdoor and are between 4 and 12 years old.

I don’t think Moon is the way to go for us. I also don’t think wood holds will hold up well in my garage, even with insulating etc. 

Thoughts on best set up? We want adjustable wall angle, LED and database of problems. None of us are very strong, climbing up to V6/5.11, but the kids will get stronger obviously with time and training. 

I think you would be surprised with wood holds in varied conditions. I've had my tension board in a semi-conditioned space for about five years now with no issues such as cracking or anything else. The wood isn't confined to a space so it can expand/contract whenever they need to. At least on my holds, the selection is very good for straight grain that is less prone to significant warping. Additionally, whether its humid, dry, hot, whatever the holds feel pretty near the same (terrible lol) so I think wood is actually better for a spot where there are big fluctuations. Especially if it's going to be cold, wood is a terrible insulator and doesn't draw off your hands as much as plastic does (have both in my garage, can feel the difference in the winter). 

Honestly, I think wood holds do the best in cool and humid conditions. There might be a reason they're so popular in the UK. For me in Calgary, I have my best days on my wood holds when it's raining; otherwise, it's too dry. 

That said, I think the Kilter is by far the most fun board. Moonboards are great but can be a bit grim. Kilter is pure fun for everyone. 

Warren WhiteKnight wrote:

Ok joining this conversation very late and have read the whole thing.

Live in Canada, eastern Ontario with wet and cold and humid winters.  

Was just in Red River and saw a kilter board set up on an Onsite wall with adjustable angle looked amazing.

I want to do a home wall for me and my kids. Kids all climb indoor and outdoor and are between 4 and 12 years old.

I don’t think Moon is the way to go for us. I also don’t think wood holds will hold up well in my garage, even with insulating etc. 

Thoughts on best set up? We want adjustable wall angle, LED and database of problems. None of us are very strong, climbing up to V6/5.11, but the kids will get stronger obviously with time and training. 

I agree with the couple people above who said that wood holds work quite well even in cold/wet/humid climates, assuming that you will put it is a shed/garage, not out in the open air where rain would actually fall on the board.

However, it kinda sounds like you want a Kilter board. It's been a few years since this question has been asked, and I have been climbing on all three boards in these intervening years. There are even more boards now, but... I definitely see a trend of newer climbers and kids gravitating to Kilter over other boards. Kilter feels most "fun" in a sense that 

--It is the easiest in terms of how the grades feel, it has a lot more problems in the lower grades, and it is the least morpho of all boards, in my experience, so more kid-friendly. 

--It doesn't require the effort to memorize the holds, which you kinda need on Moon/TB and other boards where the lights are little pinholes under the hods, and often not easily visible once you are above them, so again, easiest for young kids.

But if you are looking to build adjustable-angle wall with LEDs and all the bells and whistles, it would cost you quit a bit.