Q:  

Jody,

If you are already a good free climber, you will likely find aid climbing very easy. Aid climbing is more or less purely mechanical and does not require a great deal of strength or technique. The equipment you need to get started is a pair of etriers, and some daisy chains. You can buy these for about [U.S.]$60 or make your own. The book Freedom of the Hills has a description on how to make your own out of webbing which you can buy at any mountain shop. I started out with a homemade pair, though if you're sure you are going to get into aid climbing it is probably just worth buying real ones—much nicer. The process is simple. Find an easy crack at your local crag. Place a piece above your head to start. You'll have both the daisy chains girth-hitched into your harness, with etriers attached to the ends of each one. Clip one of these into the piece you placed, jumping up and down on it a bit at first to ensure that it will hold your weight. Climb as high up the etrier as you can get, then clip a carabiner on your harness into the daisy chain to hold you in place. Repeat the process, alternating daisies and etriers all the way up the pitch, leapfrog style. The best bet is to start out on a toprope until you have your systems dialed. Have fun!