[roblaird]

Due to work and family life, I'm finding it harder to climb regularly.

I've got some rough plans to put up a 45 degree board, roughly 2.5m wide and 2.8m long (with a small kickboard).

Would it be worthwhile, and do others have similar sized boards?

Rob

[chris j]

Mine is 2.2 wide and 2.7 (I think) vertical height, slopes at 35 degrees. An extra half metre height would be nice, but it otherwise it works well for me. I built it just before our first arrived, it was a lifesaver for me, would hardly have pulled on a pair of rock shoes in the first 6 months otherwise.

[Nibile]

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
A small board can be excellent, if you bear in mind that it's a small board. You have to think that you aren't probably going to have amazingly fun sessions on it, but you can have some of the best training possible, with a board tailored to your needs.
Small feet, small holds, possibly system training.
True dedication required though.

[masonwoods101]

Mines about that spec... Id say yes.... Can do 6or 7 moves if you move up and across the board in zig zags... Can climb a problem twice and rest for the rest of the minuite and repeat a few times for more endurance stuff...

[roblaird]

That's good to hear, now all I need to do is clear some space and buy some supplies!

[masonwoods101]

Nibs point of true dedication is true. Its harder to be imaginative onviously. Get plenty of holds or holds that can be pinched or crimped to give more options....

[Davo]

 Think mine is roughly the same dimensions and like one of the other posters has been a climbing lifesaver after having a child. Saves loads of driving time to the local wall. Strangely I use it a lot in the spring, summer, early autumn etc when I can get to the crags and then in the winter I tend to go to a wall once a week at least. In the depths of the winter months it does tend to lack that social atmosphere of an actual climbing wall!
Overall it has been a completely worthwhile investment. I would echo the need for a lot of holds.

[GazM]

Definitely worth it.  We moved house in 2014 and the nearest wall is about 35mins drive away. I built a wee board in the shed to save my sanity.  2015/16 was my best bouldering season yet.  Coincidence? (probably)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/100362744@N02/27958241522/in/datetaken-public/

[BicepsMou]

+1 – yes, definitively worth it!

Small board may even have a slight mental advantage in the sense of: once it’s clear that this is built for simple no-fuss training (meaning: no just-for-fun bouldering around), it may be more straightforward to have focused and purposeful training sessions. In this sense, I’d favour a (symmetric) system wall build.

If possible, build it in a variable angle kind of construction (chains, slings…), so system training can be made harder more gradually.

[a dense loner]

In the rafters at the end of my board I've also put a bolt in for the t-rex. 3 sets of 3 I Y and T at the end of the session goes a long way as well. I only do these since there's not that much more room for fancy stuff. Build a board!

[filz]

Definitely worth it. I have one of similar size I  my garage and in a couple of years of training got to climb stuff I'd never have thought possible for me.

And as nibs said use small footholds. They are great to train your body tension.

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[Nibile]

Definitely worth it. I have one of similar size I  my garage and in a couple of years of training got to climb stuff I'd never have thought possible for me.

And as nibs said use small footholds. They are great to train your body tension.

I must stop giving you good advices. Dammit.

[thekettle]

Definitely worthwhile. I live 10 minutes from a decent commercial wall, but after family arrived built one in my garage - 8x8 feet, 35 degrees with kickboard. managed to cram 140 handholds on and keep it fully symmetrical, plus tiny footholds (lego bricks work well for me). Making it fun to use was my main aim so that when knackered, at 9pm I'd still get on it for an hour. Painted the walls white, put up some posters/wishlists for pysche, bought a nice DAB radio for six music, 2 years on I'm still using it and love it! Much easier to work around child care than leaving the house to train. Bouldered harder than ever since building it too 

[andy_e]

Do you wear shoes with lego bits on for extra purchase?

[SA Chris]

Extremely accurate footwork required.

[SEDur]

Definitely worthwhile.
Get lots of holds.
Make sure you do get a set of jugs to though.

[Nibile]

Do you wear shoes with lego bits on for extra purchase?

That would be the home-board equivalent of using knee bars.