C4 Camalot by Black Diamond — The gold standard in cams. For a beginner rack, a single set of #0.3-#3 is a great range for Colorado.
Stopper Set #4-13 by Black Diamond — A great first set of nuts.
DMM HB Alloy Offset Stopper Set - Sizes 7-11 Multi-Colored by DMM — A great complement to a set of standard nuts. These off-set nuts can be really helpful in areas with flared cracks or tricky placements. Just wish they came in a wider size range!
Petzl Aquila Harness by Petzl — My go-to trad climbing harness. It has four large gear loops on the hips for racking cams, nuts, and slings, and a fifth gear loop on the rear that I use to rack my anchor material, belay devices, spare locking carabiners, etc.
Nordwand Alpine Belay by Mammut — After trying and wearing out a few different tube style belay devices, I've landed on this Nordwand Alpine Belay. Full metal construction for a minimal weight penalty, plus steel wear points means it should last much, much longer than the typical aluminum belay devices, plus leave less aluminum oxide residue on my ropes! Great for belaying from above or rappelling.
Edelrid HMS Bulletproof Screw Carabiner by Edelrid — I pair this with my Mammut Nordwand Alpine Belay device for hard-wearing steel on rope surfaces. It's great for belaying one or two people from above, and is a rockstar on rappel. A buttery smooth screw gate with a red warning to remind you to lock your carabiner make this a great choice.
Sterling 6.8 mm HollowBlock2 Loop by Sterling — The go-to aramid prussik loop. I nearly always use a third-hand backup for my rappels and the Hollowblock is a durable, easy to use choice.
Mammut Contact Sling Dyneema 8.0 by Mammut — Again, the Mammut Contact slings are great because of the neatly sewn bartack. 60cm lengths make great alpine draws.
C.A.M.P. Photon Wire Straight Gate Carabiner by C.A.M.P. — I've been using the Camp Photon wiregates on my alpine draws for years. They have a big basket, but are still quite light. Only downside is the nose can get snagged on things. If you want to spend a bit more, check out the Camp Dyon. Keylock nose with a minimal weight penalty, but still a large basket.
TC Pro by La Sportiva — Shoes are very individual, but I'm a big fan of La Sportiva shoes. I typically wear the TC Pro for trad climbing. I enjoy the extra ankle protection for crack climbing and the stiff, precise edge for feeling confident on small edges.
