If you’ve spent time living on the road, you know sometimes it feels hard to keep progressing in climbing while you’re traveling. Or maybe motivating to hangboard is hard for you because your hangboard is in your garage or basement and it’s gloomy?
Ready for this? A solution. A way to hangboard outside and while you’re on the road. A way to transport your hangboard and/or pull-up bar and set it up wherever you have the space.
The Climbing Training Tripod.
A lot of you have asked for the specifics, and here they are. This climbing training tripod was designed by Tom Lindner and he was kind enough to share the specs and how to build it. You may know Tom because he is Chris Lindner’s father or because you’ve run into him and his wife Elke living on the road, still psyched and climbing hard. You have maybe even noticed Tom training on his tripod early in the morning before you’ve had a chance to drink your coffee.
Here, Tom shares the what, the how and his tips for building the tripod and for transporting it.
Thanks Tom!
Bill of goods:
Tripod:
3 – 10 foot conduit pipes (1.5” diameter)
1 – 6” 3/8 bolt
2 – 3/8 washers
1 – 3/8 wing-nut
2 – 5” 3/4 bolts
2 – 3/8 nuts
4 – 3/8 lock washers
Andy Wickstrom photo
Optional Chin-up Bar:
1 – 26” conduit pipe (1” diameter)
2 – 3/8 washers
2 – 3/8 wing-nuts
Andy Wickstrom photo
Optional Hangboard(s):
2 – eye-bolts
1 – 26” 1”x 5″ oak board
1 – 26” 1”x 2″ oak board
Instructions:
1. Two of the pipes (A) and (B) need to be drilled at an angle similar to the one below. The center of the outside hole is about 2 3/4” down from the top. The center of the other holes are about 2 1/4” down from the top.
2. The other pipe (C) gets drilled straight. The center of the other holes are about 2 1/4” down from the top.
3. I drilled these out as 1/2” holes so the 3/8” bolt goes through them easily.
Tip: I think I drilled the holes on either side first at 2.75″ and 2.25″ first, then pushed a bit through both holes (on the angle) and “reamed” them with progressively larger bits until I got to the 1/2″ size. Either way, don’t make the holes too big, just enough so that it’s easy to push the bolt through on the angle.
The angle doesn’t have to be perfect though, because you rarely have a perfectly level surface to set it up on anyway. I use small 2x4s or flat rocks to level it when we’re out climbing.
4. When i set it up, I put a washer on either end of the 6” bolt and secure it with the wing-nut.
Tip: I don’t tighten the wing-nut very much. That way there is room to move the pipe (C)
in and out to adjust the angle of the hang board or height of the chin-up bar.
If you tighten it too much, pipes (A) and (B) will pinch pipe (C) making the height adjustment difficult. Not to mention over tightening will put too much pressure on the bolt if you try to adjust the height anyway.
5. About 27.5″ down from the top of the two front pipes (A and B) drill a 3/8” hole perpendicular to the top holes. I put a lock washer on either side and then tighten the nut down for good.
Tip: Note the function of a 1×2 secured to the 1×3 to help the angle of the hang board.
And there you have it.
Detail on hangboards:
Note: the center of the holes in the chin-up bar and the eye-bolts on the hangboards are 22.5” apart.
Tip: I use washers and wing-nuts to secure the chin-up bar to eliminate play. The hangboards don’t move too much because of the 1×2 on the back.
Tip: The wood can split; I put screws through the wood (bottom to top) to reinforce the board if it starts to split.
Final Tip:
As far as training using your tripod while you’re living on the road- Dan Mirsky and I (this is Katy) will occasionally cut a climbing day short to go back and train on the hangboard. We always take a rest day after this. It helps to keep up with finger strength especially if you’re climbing in an area that isn’t super technical or if you’re fully in project mode. As always, make sure your fingers are warmed up before you hangboard and don’t overdo it.
Check it out and if you build a tripod be sure to share your photos of training on it by tagging us on Instagram @trainingbeta:)
If you’re curious about hangboard workouts to do using your tripod, be sure to check out our training programs (the most recent being the Route Climbing Training Program).
This looks great!
Does anyone know from experience if this design is stable enough for muscle-ups, front / back levers?
Thanks!
Just built one of these! Amazing design. I used threaded pipe that screws together so that I could break the legs into two parts and thus transport the tripod in the van. Materials cost me about €150 minus the cost of the hangboard (of course). Thanks for sharing this idea! Great on-the-road training solution.
What type of conduit is used here? Is this EMT, IMC, or GRC? It looks pretty thin from the photos, but it’s hard to tell. Also, has anyone considered the tradeoff with getting smaller diameter, stronger (thicker wall) conduit?
Thanks!
Hi There,
I have a question about the type of bolts you used. I bought some from Home Depot, but after a couple of using the tripod, the bolts bent.
Was there a certain place you bought the bolts from?
Thanks ! Jessica
Has anyone tried with .5″ or 1″ diameter conduit pipes? Is this difference insufficient to hold 150 lbs?
So just curious. I’ve been wanting an indoor outdoor option for me. with the 10ft pipes what height does this up at after your setup the tripod?
Hey Vien, depending on which size conduit you use (I went with 1 1/4″ instead of 1 1/2″) they are about $10-18 each. The the other hardware may be about $2-4 total.
One minor correction too, the 6″ & 5″ bolts should be 3/8″ and not 3/4″, I think that may be typo.
Here it is. I used Tom’s ideas and made it so that it comes a part for travel. Longest piece is 5.5′ so it can easily fit inside a car. It has 3 sides with 3 possible different workout stations. We will mainly be using it for travel and doing demos. https://www.facebook.com/PocketRocksClimbing
Where is this post from tom that I’m not seeing?
Hi Craig, I would love to get details on how you did this. I am looking for the same thing, but your link just goes to the pocketrocks facebook page. Sure would like to see how you made yours. I was planning to get a pipe with a slightly larger diameter and fit it over the smaller pipes and screw it all together. How did you make yours?
This is great! What’s the estimated costs for the materials?
Thanks for sharing these details Tom, we are making one for our travels too!
Thanks for the info. This is great. We travel around promoting our grips and this will be a good way to have a portable device to bring with us. We can actually have three stations (one on each side) promoting three different types of grips.
I wonder if anyone has made a tripod where the legs were in 2-parts and joined so that the tripod would come a part with no one piece longer than 5.5′ – 6′?