How to Buy Parkour Equipment

One of the joys of parkour is that you don't really need any equipment to get involved in it. Its playing field is the parks and sidewalks of the urban landscapes, its uniforms are whatever you happen to be wearing. Though comfortable shoes are recommended (and some shoe companies are now developing models specifically for parkour and free running), many practitioners prefer to be barefoot. There is no other form of required equipment for parkour. However, you can buy certain inexpensive fixtures which can help you to train and provide good tools for honing your skills.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Gym mats
• Measuring tape
• PVC pipe
• PVC cement
• String or twine
• Masking tape
• Wooden rulers or sticks of wood

1. Check your practice location for any equipment than can be used for parkour. The art of displacement makes good use of standing objects and you can identify good pieces to practice jumps, leaps and the like just by studying your gym or practice park. When you find yourself looking for equipment that just isn't there, then it is time to see what you can buy.
2. Buy PVC cement and lengths of PVC pipe. You can use these to make poles for practicing vertical leaps or as makeshift parallel bars. PVC pipes of 3 to 6 feet--with a stable base--are needed for leaps, while using PVC cement to join vertical pipes of 9 inches to 1 foot in length with a cross pipe of about 2 feet in length becomes an inexpensive piece of equipment to practice railing exercises.
3. Use a length of twine or piece of string and masking tape to practice vertical jumps. You can tape the string between walkways, fence poles or two tall pieces of PVC pipe. That allows you to work on vertical jumps and gauge how high you can leap without injuring yourself.
4. Purchase two flat sticks of wood. A school ruler will do, as will pieces of discarded lumber which you can buy cheaply at any lumber store. They can be used to measure the distances of your jumps--starting on one and leaping towards the other--as well as perfecting your precision jumps in safety. You can buy more expensive equipment for this, but simple flat pieces of wood work just as well.
5. Look for skateboard gloves and elbow or knee pads. They are not necessary as parkour equipment, but they can provide extra protection when you practice and will help you gain the confidence to engage in maneuvers more forcefully.

Tips & Warnings

• Always practice somewhere safe, with padding or sand to protect you from falls. As your parkour skills improve, you can move on to more challenging locations, but early practice sessions need to stress safety first.
• Use measuring tape to gauge the distances you set with your equipment. It's important to know how far or how high your leaps are, since it allows you to know what you can accomplish when practicing parkour outdoors in an uncontrolled environment.