Strength on the go: the portable hangboard.

The Power Board

It is easy to move. Pack everything in boxes, or in my case throw it all in the car, and go. It may take a few trips, but it gets done. Disassemble, assemble, reorganize, done.

Not so with a hangboard. I had my dear hangboard very much attached to the house wall, screws, nails and all, and just could not rip the whole thing apart in order to move. Worse, I could not bring myself to drill new holes in my new rental apartment in order to put the hangboard up again. Everytime I would think of it, the word ''damage fee'' would instantly pop up in my brain, blinking lights and all. I gave up the idea of ever having a hangboard again.

So I installed a pull up bar on my kitchen door for my ''daily dose.'' I did pull-ups and hung from it, but I could not accomplish any kind of finger workouts. 

Then along came Blank Slate. It came dismantled in a box, tools provided, with detailed instructions and photos online. Easy. I tried to mount it on my kitchen door, but the flat wooden back piece didn't fit on the back wall over the door frame. So I called customer service, I talked to Brett, the man who actually came up with the system. I ended up mounting it on my closet door, with the slate inside the closet. I works.

A great feature of the slate is that, as the name clearly states, it is blank. I can attach a hangboard to it, or single individual holds, or a board-hold combo. All I have to do is screw in my the holds of choice, and I instantly have a whole new set of hanging options to suit my needs.

For the hangboard itself, I have the Power Board, which I love. It features the ''rounded balls,'' which are a great for rehab, and it doesn't hurt that it is colored a beautiful red, my favorite die.

The hangboard is a great tool for me not only as a climber, but also as a cellist. By using it to keep my fingers strong, I am able to practice more efficient, as my fingers are always in shape, and ready to take on whatever music they are told to bring to life.