Alex Honnold is one of the best and most well-known rock climbers in the world. His historic climbs are the subject of numerous films, including the award-winning documentary “Free Solo,” which follows his journey to climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any ropes.
Since his generational accomplishment, Honnold has gotten married, become a father and even partnered with Dr. Squatch to start his thumb wrestling career and create his own soap. But don’t worry, his outdoor escapades haven’t slowed down. He’s continued climbing and linked 17 alpine summits in Rocky Mountain National Park, while also extending his love of the outdoors to other extreme sports such as long-distance biking.
We caught up with Honnold halfway through an epic 2,000-mile ride from Colorado to Alaska to get his recommendations for his favorite outdoor and travel gear.
Whether you’re jetsetting or logging miles through the mountains, Honnold recommends this all-around, versatile pack from The North Face, a brand Honnold has worked with for years. “The Route Rocket specifically I like because it’s the right middle ground between having enough structure that it’s comfortable but still light enough,” he says. “There are a lot of really light bags, but then they have no structure to them, so when you put climbing gear or shoes or things into them, it digs into your back.”
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Honnold says he takes these noise-canceling headphones on every plane trip he goes on. Available in two colors, the headphones have built-in voice control and a steel headband. “I’ve used Bose headphones for a long time, and my wife got me whatever the latest thing is recently because mine kind of died,” he shares.
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All that adventuring can really make you work up a sweat, so if you want to be (and smell) like Honnold, go for this soap, which is his?new collaboration?with Dr. Squatch. “If I’m at home and I’m showering, or actually even traveling, I’m using it. It’s just nice soap,” he says. “Mostly, I like the smell of it. It does smell like the Sierra.”
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Honnold’s adventures take him over a multitude of varying terrains, but when he knows there will be some climbing along the route, he always reaches for this pair of shoes from La Sportiva. Honnold, an ambassador for the brand, says that while the shoes are fine for walking, “what makes them exceptional is that you can climb very very well in them.”?If he’s sport climbing or having a more casual session at the gym, Honnold says he grabs either the La Sportiva Solution or the Solution Comp.
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Finding the right balance of warmth and breathability can be difficult when you’re exercising in nature. When you don’t want a layer that will make you sweat but it’s too cold for just a T-shirt, Honnold recommends this fleece. “I wind up using [this fleece] way more because you only really use a puffy when it’s quite cold out, because if you’re exercising, you’re never that cold,” he says. “It keeps you a little bit warmer but not too hot when you’re exercising.”
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Climbing big walls takes a lot of logistics and a lot of trust in gear. So when someone like Honnold has a favorite piece of lifesaving hardware, it’s worth a look if you’re attempting any climbs yourself. “I think they’re way better than anything else on the market, and they’re friggin’ awesome. [I use] them all the time,” says Honnold, who works with the brand as a?Black Diamond athlete. “They're smaller, it takes up less room on your harness while still affording the same safety and protection, and basically, they're just freaking great.”
