Tape Gloves

Forced rainy rest days sucks... Is there anything else to do than sipping an Espresso while surfing the web at Starbucks? This PM I was browsing thru my photos on my lap-top and found old pictures my friend Eric Odenthal took. The plan with these photos was to make a how-to-tape-gloves article. We never got around to make the article... so here's a quick method to make a good tape glove for crack climbing.

I use athletic tape of 1.5 inch width.

Step 1: cut 2 or 3 pieces of tape that are the width of your hand and place them on the top of your hand (perpendicular to your fingers). Makesure the first piece you put is over the knuckles. This way they will be well protected.

Step 2: cut a piece of tape that is twice the finger-tip-to-wrist length. and wrap it around the thumb. Make sure both ends reach the wrist. This way when you secure the glove at the wrist it'll stay there.

Step 3: This step is similar to the previous step, but to make it easier, there's a little trick. So after you've cut a piece of tape that is twice the finger-tip-to-wrist length, make a little "bow" with it by squeezing the middle of the piece together. Then place the squeezed section between the pinky and ring finger and wrap the piece around the pinky. Alway start with the pinky and then the index-finger. Finish with the 2 middle fingers. This way it'll be more secure and the glove will hold on better. Again make sure both ends reach the wrist.

Step 4: Repeat for all fingers

Step 4: Cut a piece of tape that would be twice the length around your wrist. Wrap it around your wrist to secure the other glove parts. Don't make it too tight or you'll get pumped in an instant when you start climbing.

Your gloves should look like this:

If you didn't trash your glove too much while climbing, you can re-use them by cutting the wrist part and peeling it off (it is smart to shave your hands if you have a lot of hair like me...). Next time you need them just put them on and put another piece of tape around the wrist.

ENJOY TAPE GLOVES WITH YOUR FAVORITE SPLITTER CRACK!