How the Brazilian Climber Girl Rigs Her Van as a Gear Closet

Gisely Ferraz—perhaps more widely known as “the Brazilian Climber Girl”—is fired up and on the move. And with three big projects around the Americas this year, she’s anchored to her van. First, she’s aiming to send Belly Full of Bad Berries (5.13) and put some “serious time” into refining her offwidth and invert offwidth technique at Indian Creek. This summer, she’ll also be training to achieve her goal of climbing El Cap in a day. “Big wall speed has always inspired me,” Ferraz says, “and I’m ready to level up.”

Lastly, she’s hoping to complete a long-term project that she’s been working on for the past three years: climbing the Seven Summits of Cerro Chaltén in Patagonia. “I’ve already ticked off five, and just have Poincenot and Mermoz left,” Ferraz says. She recently took up ice climbing to prepare for Cerro Chaltén, which means she now has even more gear to find creative ways to store.

Watch the Brazilian Climber Girl take us on a tour of her van

The key to climbing gear organization in a van

“I wish I could hang my gear in a dedicated room, but living in a van means making the most of limited space,” Ferraz says. She stashes her gear under the bed of her van in a dedicated space she refers to as her “garage.” Her secret to keeping things dialed on the neverending open road? Bins.

“I’ve got everything organized in bins,” Ferraz says, “one for ropes, another for camalots, others for chalk and all the essentials.” She even maintains a dedicated bin just for offwidth gear: big cams, kneepads, elbow pads, and everything she needs for wide climbing. She also maintains a separate storage unit for her new ice climbing gear, camping gear, big wall gear, her bike, her paddleboard, and crashpads. While it’s expensive to maintain the unit, she says it’s well worth it since she’s into so many different stripes of adventure. “The list keeps growing as I commit to new pursuits,” she says.

Ferraz’s tips for gear organization

Through her years and miles on the road, Ferraz has learned a pro tip or two about staying dialed on the go. Here are a few of her best tips for keeping your own gear closet dialed, whether on the road or at home.

• Use clear bins to easily see what’s inside
• Label everything by category (e.g., ropes, cams, ice gear)
• Group gear by activity for faster access
• Put things back right away to stay organized so you’re always ready for the next climb
• Recycled Silica gel packs (that often come with new products) are a great way to keep your gear dry—especially in a van, where moisture can build up. Toss a few into your bins or rope bag to help prevent rust, mildew, and funky smells.

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