The 6 best crack climbing gloves 2020 conquer your crux. Thoughtful glove design means the velcro is covered by the rubber, so that it doesnt get in the way while climbing. Additionally, the gloves provide you with a great grip since they are made from silica gel which adds grip to the gloves. In rock climbing, an outdoor sport that involves skillfully ascending rock cliffs using the hands and feet for balance and power, the climbers hands are used in a variety of positions to grip, hold and cling to the rock. Green gear hand jammies, singing rock chocky gloves, ocun crack gloves, and outdoor research splitter gloves. Climbing gloves are a natural next step when it comes to gaining experience in climbing. Ocun crack climbing gloves, excellent protection for. Tower climbing gloves and other fall protection safety gear.
Meltdown was not just trying physically, but mentally because it took me over 40 daysabsolutely the longest ive ever spent on a single route. Choosing the right pair of crack climbing gloves can be difficult. The shape of the gloves has been improved to offergreater comfort and hand protection whilst crackclimbing. Choosing tower climbing gloves on tower climber shop. The crack gloves keep your hands from losing too much heat on hand jams. Green gear hand jammies were the first reusable crack gloves, but much like rigid stem friends, they have been far surpassed by the innovations of other climbing brands. Apr 06, 2020 if rubber crack gloves take 2 grades off a climb are you supposed to feel as good about sending that 11d as you would if you had the jamming technique. You can also explore other items in the climb, climbing accessories, climbing gloves, climbing gear, climbing gear accessories, gloves yourself to try and find the perfect replacement for you. The thick rubber helps with friction and makes hands thicker so the jams require less effort. The microfiber suede stretches to conform to your hands, meaning these lightweight climbing crack gloves arent bulky and actually help you climb better than tape or chalk alone. It was similar to removing 30 pounds with my pulley. Black diamond equipment climbing gloves official site. The next generation of crack gloves, offering superior hand and finger protection and a high performance factor. The shape of the gloves has been improved to offer greater comfort and hand protection whilst crack.
When choosing a pair for tower climbing, they have to be a balance between durability and climbing functionality. If youre looking for great protection while climbing, consider making the ocun crack gloves one of your top options. The shape of the gloves has been improved to offer greater comfort and hand protection whilst crack climbing. You can broadly divide free climbing into two categories, face and crack climbing, although you will often use combinations of both. Black diamond designed this glove to mimic tape, so its super thin with. There are four brands of reusable crack gloves on the market. If crack gloves help keep your hands in better shape, go for it. Designed with climbing legend hans florine and tested on yosemites granite, the crackclimbing splitter gloves are costeffective without compromising performance. Rock absorbs a fair amount of heat from the sun and can will be warm to the touch even in cold conditions if sun is hitting it. Check out my chalk bags leave a comment and let me know what you think of this crack climbing tutorialvlog. Our selection includes full body harnesses, lanyards, cable grabs, climbing gloves, and other fall protection safety gear. Crack climbing gloves, great for protecting your hands when crack climbing, increasing your comfort and security. My wife always has been a hard climber but a bit of a wuss when it comes to scratch her hands.
Despite her decision to leave it without a definitive grade, from the getgo people knew it was on another level of hard, and even, perhaps, the hardest period. For me, the best thing about gloves or tape is that i can climb hard cracks for me day after day without bruising and tenderness a number of climbers have noted that as they get older cuts and scrapes on their hands take much longer to heal and crack gloves make sense for that reason too. I recently lost my chalk bag and noticed climbing gloves for sale. After that i then used tape gloves from time to time in the often very crystalline granite cracks of the crags of my local area tape gloves are reusable and youll get many days out of a pair. Thin rubber protects the backs of your hands while providing maximum sensitivity and friction when jamming. Rubber now conceals the quick hook and loop closure preventing unfastening when hard crack.
Review of best crack climbing gloves price comparison moja gear. Thick crack glovesgloves with a large solid rubber patch on the back, like wearing a climbing shoe on your handmake the jams easier. Offering the perfect balance of warmth, protection and dexterity, the punisher is our goto ice glove for hard climbing in variable weather conditions. Jan 01, 2017 you can still feel every crystal in a sharp granite crack, but i would feel pretty confident with them in a thin hands crack. Better tape gloves for crack climbing climbing magazine. A thin rubber layer provides perfect hand protection while simultaneously offering maximum friction and sensitivity when climbing.
Bring some tape if youre planning to go all coyne crack with. The ocun crack gloves are made of thick rubber and takes the scrapes for you. The outdoor research splitter gloves are a wonderful replacement for tape gloves, while the ocun crack gloves offer an unprecedented level of protection from jagged cracks. In reality, even a wellmade and expensive pair will only survive one expedition climb. Both the or splitter crack gloves and ocun climbing gloves are generally superior to traditional tape gloves. Jul 01, 2019 if youre looking for great protection while climbing, consider making the ocun crack gloves one of your top options. As part of the rei coop family, were dedicated to making websites and mobile apps that help outdoor enthusiasts connect, share information and get out into the places they love to play. Designed with climbing legend hans florine and tested on yosemites granite, the crack climbing splitter gloves are costeffective without compromising performance. The bd crack gloves white color reduces heat uptake during mega pitches in the desert sun, and also mimic the classic tape glove construction for superior fit.
While many crack climbers tape their hands to help protect them from the. Crack climbing gloves supertopo rock climbing discussion topic. Good technique will save your mitts somewhat, but for most of us, who arent crack masters, a decent mauling can be expected. Review of best crack climbing gloves price comparison. We climbed thousands of feet of granite and plastic in them and had a hard time finding many flaws. Why not just take a ladder or helicopter to the top. That first pair of tape gloves lasted a full week of daily crack climbing in the. Crack climbing gloves by black sheep adventure sports. Glove systems for mountaineering and alpinism must offer a balance between waterproofness, dexterity, durability, and other qualities. Expedition climbing is hard on gear, and gloves are no exception. Many cracks have torn off skin from climbers hands, fingers, knees, or any part of you that can be useful for stuffing into a crack. Crack climbing gloves are easier to take on and off than tape gloves, making them more practical in the uk, where there are fewer larger crack systems, than say our north american counterparts. By protecting hands better than traditional tape gloves, they offer the best benefit of all.
The shape of the gloves has been improved to offer. Ocun crack gloves provide protection when jamming your hand into a crack. Now that im over 70, my skin cracks if i so much as think about a handjam, forget about actually doing one. If rubber crack gloves take 2 grades off a climb are you supposed to feel as good about sending that 11d as you would if you had the jamming technique. It was a long abandoned ron kauk project that had fallen by the wayside. Maybe for crack climbing too so that your hands dont get mangled. If youre still not sure, buy a pair of ocun crack gloves, some or splitter gloves and some climbing tape and try them all out. They tend to run a bit small so i suggest that you go up a size. Are a bit thicker than thin tape gloves and so make thin hand cracks harder. If you didnt trash your gloves too much while climbing, you can reuse them by cutting the wrist tape and then peeling off the glove. Next time youre crack climbing, thread each finger and your thumb through the appropriate holes in the glove, and then secure it with a fresh piece of tape around the wrist. Meltdown owes its difficulties to the extreme thinness and relentless nature of of the crack. Around a decade ago the singing rock crack gloves started being sold in a local climbing shop and lots of us started buying them rather than using tape. Crack climbing by pete whittaker provides a single point of reference for all crack climbing techniques, regardless of the grade you climb.
For me the best thing about gloves or tape is that i can climb hard. Hand jammies feature wide elastic finger loops, extra padding across the knuckles gotta love that, and most importantly a thin layer of famous sticky rubber on the entire back of your hand which will instantly improve your crack climbing. Any time that hands may be exposed to punctures, burns, lacerations, hazmat exposure, electricity, or extreme temperatures, osha requires that gloves be worn. I saw a movie where a guy used stitched up golf gloves instead of chalk for deep water soloing. Gloves dont really work for climbing, but it would probably help to make sure you are climbing in areas that are getting direct sunlight. Measurment is approximate and is taken from the outside of the back of the hand, to the outside of the first knuckle of the index finger.
Shop the best selection of climbing gloves at, where youll find premium outdoor gear and clothing and experts to guide you through selection. Synthetic suede for maximum abrasion resistance and breathability. The shape of the gloves has been improved to offer greater. Naturally, given the tough, stubborn roots of climbings culture, there is a traditional stigma against using any kind of gloves at all for crack. The splitters design wraps durable synthetic suede around the hand, layers on knuckleprotecting, nonsip synthetic leather, and holds them securely in place with finger loops and. Get to grips with a better style of climbing with premium quality gloves. These super tough hand guards are designed for crack junkies and jamming officiandos looking to protect the backs of their hands from abrasive rock. Learning to free climb is as natural as climbing a tree, but doing it well is a long process. But i must admit that now that i am on the take, its hard to go without them for a long day of crack climbing on textured granite. And even on thinner cracksface climbs keeping the back of yr hands warm is often enough just make sure to have a pair of gloves that can fit over them for belays. Learning to free climbto pull and step on only the rocks natural holds, never using equipment as an aidis liberating and exhilarating. So this year, after 10 years of climbing i decided i need to figure out how the hell to crack climb, after many failed. Though no text could ever substitute for experience, here is an outline of basic movement techniques to help you get going.
Crack climbing frequently involves jamming flesh eating crevices. The gloves offer protection to your hands from getting bruises and calluses. Perfect hands equates to perfect jams, while thin hand cracks are more difficult because the climber cant fit their hand all the way inside the. Mar 25, 2019 check out my chalk bags leave a comment and let me know what you think of this crack climbing tutorialvlog.
This, ultimately, was the inspiration for the outdoor research splitter gloves, a quickandeasy, costeffective, highperformance and lowenvironmentalimpact alternative to oldfashioned tape crack climbing gloves. The thin layer of rubber protects the back of your hand whilst offering great levels of friction and sensitivity. Our improved climbing glove has a higher grade leather for better quality and durability, plus an updated pattern for better fit. Explore and shop our full line of gloves for ice climbing, aid climbing and belaying. They are a great choice for anyone engaging in rope work, like rappelling, as they can protect the skin from dangers such as rope burn. When you discover how to bear down on edges, stick to slopers or relax in a handjam, youll be stoked. Crack gloves supertopo rock climbing discussion topic. Value for what they offer, the ocun crack gloves come reasonablypriced and wont break the bank, so if protection is a must for you, youll likely find that theyre worth it. They are a grippier, lesstime consuming and more protective solution than tapingup. Because it takes time to wrap your hands with tape, the mere seconds it takes to put on a pair of gloves can add to the climbing experience. The thick rubber helps with friction and makes hands thicker so. Glove systems for mountaineering and alpine climbing. We field tested the best crack climbing gloves in 2020 from top brands ocun and.
How about just aid climbing the 11d with your gear. When facing difficult cracks, the ocun crack gloves are the absolute glove of choice. The ocun crack climbing gloves are our testers favorite models for abrasive splitters. Our super crack gloves feature a thicker layer of super sticky texture climb x climbing rubber, extending all the way down to the first joint for those especially gnarly off widths. Some climbers opt for gloves made of thin sticky rubber, which not only protects your skin but also increases the friction between your hand and the rock. The hard rocks can cause blisters and bruises to your hands, and for this reason, you need climbing gloves. For unknown reasons i always was reluctant to use such gloves. Crack climbing gloves are easier to take on and off than tape gloves, making them more practical in the uk, where there are fewer larger crack systems. Theyre thinner than the singing rock gloves and almost as thin as using tape but theyve been durable.
Pete is widely regarded as one of the best crack climbers in the world, having made dozens of cuttingedge first ascents and hard repeats, including the first ascent of century crack 5. In a 2010 interview with rock and ice, rodden said, 5. Rubber now conceals the quick hook and loop closure preventing unfastening when hard crack climbing. The super crack gloves open palm design and flexible material still allow plenty of ventilation while conforming to the shape of your hand, offering the best comfort with superior climbing ability. I had the older generation pair that you had to use the tape around the wrist on.
Learn to move efficiently in the vertical realm and you will be rewarded with a lifetime of challenges. This, ultimately, was the inspiration for the outdoor research splitter gloves, a quickandeasy, costeffective, highperformance and lowenvironmentalimpact alternative to. Get the best deals on climbing gloves when you shop the largest online selection at. The downside i suppose is that theyre pretty thick so it will make thinhands cracks hard to climb. On february 14, 2008, beth rodden redpointed a 70foot, barelythere crack in yosemite. Get the best deals on climbing gloves when you shop the largest online selection at ebay.
Our product experts have helped us select these available replacements below. Ocun crack gloves has been discontinued by blicard and is no longer available. Theyre more cost effective as theyll far outlast their cost in climbing tape hard to say if theyre more environmentally friendly due to the different construction materials but reusable gloves do. Jan 17, 2018 if you didnt trash your gloves too much while climbing, you can reuse them by cutting the wrist tape and then peeling off the glove. Best climbing gloves for belaying, cracks, and rappelling. They offer an excellent alternative to tape gloves and dont add much volume to your hands. Crack climbing gloves have become increasingly common. Reusable gloves are a game changer for crack climbing. The shape of the gloves has been improved to offer greater comfort and hand. Next time youre crack climbing, thread each finger and your thumb through the appropriate holes in the glove, and then secure it. Finding the best crack climbing gloves for your needs isnt too hard, because there arent really that many options.