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indigo_nite
Sep 23, 2002, 7:58 PM
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initially I figured gloves would result in lost friction. I was doing this safety test and got pretty painful rope burn though and feel maybe gloves are worth investigating...
1. which belay gloves would you recommend? (especially for pretty small hands in the xs/sm range)
2. have you had any experience where belay gloves resulted in lost friction and the rope slipping significantly?
3. are rappel gloves safe to use for belay?
4. specific brands: do you have any feedback on the metolius 3/4 rap gloves or the franklin catcher's mitts?
-thanks, Carol
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betaben
Sep 23, 2002, 8:03 PM
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Carol,
I climb with a lady who has small hands. she has a pair of the metolious 3/4 rap gloves. they fit her great and she really likes them. She uses them to belay and I cannot see a reason this would be unsafe.
Ben
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mauriceb
Sep 23, 2002, 8:13 PM
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C - I want the less expensive route (I've seen leather gloves from climbing manufacturers for $25-35) and picked up a pair of leather work gloves from the local HomeDepot. Haven't had any loss of rope control and I'm able to give a much smoother belay b/c of less friction on my hands.
maurice
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rckfreek
Sep 23, 2002, 8:38 PM
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PMI all the way!!!! They are the sweetest gloves, look cool, feel great, and are about the same price as all the rest....Your local REI should have some for you to try on.
-Rock Freek-
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ubotch
Sep 23, 2002, 8:44 PM
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I got mine from Wal-Mart for 6 or 7 bucks. I don't see why I should spend over 20 for a pair, but if someone can tell me why "official" belay gloves are better I'll listen.
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duskerhu
Sep 23, 2002, 8:48 PM
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Belay gloves are fine... And, they keep your hands clean-er for the most part.
DO NOT spend your hard earned cash on the Metolius or PMI gloves though... Save yourself at least $20 and go to Menards/Home Depot/ or even just the local gas station/convienience store and spend $5 - $10 on a pair of leather work gloves and cut the fingers off if you need to...
Live Free!
Play Hard!
Climb ON!
duskerhu
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bsperes
Sep 24, 2002, 1:40 PM
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Get sailing gloves. I did some sailing in college and the gloves work great for rope work. Mine ran about 30-40, but have lasted for at least 5 years now. Remember that sailing is a VERY rope intensive sport as well.
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thoxsie
Sep 24, 2002, 2:06 PM
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I use the leather work gloves that I got at the local hardware store. The only problem is when I do fast rappells off of anything over 50 feet I can start to feel the heat going through the gloves. Has anyone els experienced this? Do rappelling gloves acualy prevent this?
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theamish
Sep 24, 2002, 2:23 PM
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Thin padded bicycle gloves. They are fingerless, comfortable, have a sweat wiper built on the outside of the thumb (usually), and you can get them on sale most of the time really cheap.
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climbchick
Sep 24, 2002, 3:17 PM
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I had a pair of those bicycle gloves and they wore through very quickly. I've seen others that might work though, just make sure the leather part comes all the way around between thumb and forefinger because that's where the rope will wear them away first when rappeling. I've got a pair of fingerless leather weight-lifting gloves now and they're holding up very well. Cost about $25 at one of those big all-purpose sporting-goods stores.
I would think that a pair of full gloves would end up making your hands sweaty and soft, which would suck when it was your turn to climb.
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thoxsie
Sep 24, 2002, 6:30 PM
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FY.I. -
That "sweat wiper built on the outside of the thumb" on biking gloves. Are more commonly used for wiping your nose when biking. So if you ever use your friends biking gloves I would wash them really good before useing them to wipe sweat from your face.
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wlderdude
Sep 24, 2002, 6:48 PM
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I got some Mechanix gloves for christmas that work okay. They don't seem to be as cumbersome as most gloves. I don't use them much, but my partner likes belaying with them.
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grigriese
Sep 24, 2002, 6:59 PM
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PMI's are worth the Money!!! I cut the fingers off of mine and where them for belaying, rapping as well as on aid routes. I've actually worn through the triple layers from using them so much. I actually feel safer using them - my hands a pretty thin and not super strong. The gloves allow me to grip the rope better and without fear of getting a burn. Besides, after a long rappel I can actually remove my rope from my atc when it's still toasty hot from the friction. People may make fun of you for belaying with them on - they make fun of me - but they usually don't say anything when I'm belaying them and I put my gloves on.
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krustyklimber
Sep 24, 2002, 11:38 PM
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I worked at a gym for a while, belaying for birthday parties, believe me I have tried evey kind of gloves made.
The pmi's, though fairly durable, are bulky (especialy if your hands are small) and expensive.
Hardware store gloves can work well but getting ones that fit my hands is always "hit or miss". And even when would I buy the expensive goatskin ones they didn't last long.
The best gloves I have ever found for rope handling are these from West Marine. They are synthetic leather fingerless gloves, with added panels where rope wears them, not handlebars. At $20 they are a bargain.
Mine have a few walls on them, and countless days of cragging. When they get dirty and sweaty, it's into the washer and dryer with them, and they're good as new. The velcro wrist loop is more than strong enough to keep them on a gear loop when not in use.
I like em so much I hardly ever use my PMIs.
I hope this helps,
Jeff
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spoon
Sep 24, 2002, 11:46 PM
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I use a pair of handball gloves. They've got strong leather palms with mesh backs. They've worked really well for me.
Good Luck
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indigo_nite
Sep 25, 2002, 5:35 PM
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thanks for all the feedback. for now, I'll probably try using my biking gloves (which I forgot about until someone suggested in this thread). I checked out Home Depot, Sport Mart.
agreed with krusty that pmi's seem a bit bulky. the weight training gloves (womens' sizes!) seemed to fit a little better than Home Depot gloves. then again, just saw an upcoming rei sale ad with the metolius ones on sale ~$20.
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