Climber/Comp. buying gear

[Sam Hodgson]

I was woundering how many of you that work for a company have to buy your own gear? The company I work for I brought all my own gear in and I have to pay to keep things updated, is a normal practice or am I just getting the shaft here?

 

[Babberney]

I've worked at places that provided gear and I've worked where I bought gear. There are good arguments on both sides. I would say you should be getting paid better where you are than you would be at a company providing gear.

But, remember, the upside of your situation is that you never have to talk a boss into replacing gear you don't trust. You always know exactly what you have (or should, anyway). You can replace it whenever you think it needs replacing.

 

[dylanclimbs]

I think its good for a climber to pay for his/her own gear...especially those helpful little trinkets a person doesn't really need.

That said, if you've been with a comp. for a good amount of time and are a workhorse, they should help you out with some of the costs. They certainly don't have to, but its nice and appreciated when they do.

 

[simplyarbor]

I think that companies should definitely help out with gear costs, or at least compensate a fair amount. I like to be able to customize all my gear though and like knowing the exact use and wear on my ropes. I wouldn't say you are getting shafted though, its like a carpenter having his own bags and basic tools... A climber should have the necessities (saddle, rope, biners, etc), but have some sort of compensation for additional gear.

 

[familytree]

Nothing better then spending big bucks on quality gear to help get the jobs done faster, which in turn makes the company more money, just so the company WON'T compensate for the gear.

I've trained guys how to climb for over 3 years now, all on my gear and my dime and I haven't seen a single penny to help with the wear and tear on the gear.

Ever since I've shut down my training