Stone Hanger Mini: Design Process of Making Finger Training More Accessible
Most ideas don’t start in a workshop. This one started at the crag.
Watching climbers warm up before getting on rock, there was a pattern. One edge. Over and over again. Not full routines, not complex protocols—just a simple movement to get the fingers ready.
That observation stuck.
If most people are already doing the simplest version of finger training, why are the tools built for something more complicated?
“My intention with the Stone Hanger Mini was to make a more compact tool that you would just always bring, no matter where you went,” says Mads, founder and designer at Nature Climbing.
Reducing It to What Matters
The process wasn’t about adding features. It was about removing everything that didn’t matter.
Different edge sizes were tested—20 mm, 15 mm. In the end, the decision was simple. The 15 mm edge offered the best balance: small enough to build real finger strength, but still usable for controlled warm-ups.
It also made the product stronger. More durable. More reliable over time.
“For me, it’s a lot about the design. A minimal size, without compromising too much on the pulling options.”
What’s left is a compact hangboard that focuses on the essentials: a 15 mm edge, a pinch, a jug, and adjustable angles. Enough to train. Nothing extra to carry.
Built From Real Materials
There’s a difference between training on something that imitates rock and something that comes from it.
The granite edge is there for a reason. Not just for strength, but for skin. Skin training, skin prepping—the part of climbing that’s often overlooked until it matters. It also improves grip, giving you more friction and control—so you can pull safer and stronger.
Paired with wood, the experience becomes more balanced. Controlled where it needs to be, raw where it should be.
The wooden edge is slightly incut, designed to improve grip and ensure better engagement across all fingers. It allows for more precise loading, whether you're warming up or training at higher intensity.
Material choices follow the same thinking. Whenever possible, certified or responsibly sourced wood. Three different options, each with its own character and price point.
“We want the best training tools to be accessible to everyone, no matter their budget. That’s why we’ve extended the line-up to three different types of wood.”
The result is simple: the same tool, different expressions. Same function, different entry points.
A Tool That Lives With You
Most training gear stays where you leave it.
The Stone Hanger Mini is designed to move.
It lives in your chalk bag. In your backpack. Hanging from a tree branch at the crag. Packed into a van. Sitting in a small apartment with no space for a full setup.
It removes the usual barrier: access.
Because the truth is simple—most climbers don’t skip finger training because they don’t care. They skip it because it’s inconvenient.
This changes that.
No setup. No planning. Just something you bring, without thinking about it.
Training Gear, Reconsidered
There’s another layer to it, too.
Training gear has a reputation. Functional, but often overlooked. Built for performance, but rarely for how it feels to own and use.
“Most hangboards are ugly. Training gear is ugly. The climbing world is lacking beautiful items that signal belonging to the culture of climbers.”
At Nature Climbing, that’s part of the equation.
Gear should work. But it should also feel right. Look right. Age well. Belong in the environments climbers care about.
Not separate from climbing—but part of it.
More Than Strength
The goal was never just to make a smaller hangboard.
It was to create something that supports consistency. Something that lowers the barrier just enough that training becomes part of the rhythm of climbing—not a separate task.
“We produce gear that feels and looks good, while offering real training capabilities. We want climbers to be inspired to climb stronger—and mostly, to climb outdoors.”
Because in the end, finger strength isn’t the goal.
Climbing is.
And the best tools are the ones that help you get back on rock—more often, more prepared, and a little stronger each time.
Mads Bülow Duus