Climbing with wedding ring?

Harlan Stockman wrote: I have spent about 3 hours looking for a documented case of degloving, due to a ring, while climbing.  So far, nada; all cases i've found involve more mundane circumstances, such as falling over a fence or descending a ladder, with the more extreme situations for people working with fast-moving machinery (and for Jimmy Fallon, tripping on a rug). Can someone provide a *documented* example where ring degloving occurred during climbing?  I have seen lots of pulley injuries from over-crimping, but that's the limit.

I have had my ring catch on a chicken head when I was trying to let go for the next move; it was about as scary as having my sticky-rubber soles catch.

No but I have personally witnessed a decking due to getting a ring stuck. The climber struggled for a long time, panicked, ripped the ring free and decked.

Suburban Roadside wrote:

Ah MR, it's been a constant race to the bottom 'round here lately. Haran missed the point as have others. What do you need a wallet for on a climb? Nothing really. leave it in the pack/car or hidden under a rock if you're worried about someone pilfering.  Also having a wallet makes a good place to put your rings & piercings while climbing.

I don't take my wallet with me, because it is very easy to leave behind.  My ring is extremely hard to remove; the knuckle above it was crushed in a non-climbing accident.  I've bought a silicone ring, but since there are no data either way, I'm not convinced that is safer.  I think this is an issue that causes an emotional response in climbers, but is hypothetical.  The photo you link is almost certainly not from a climbing accident. If you've ever used a lathe turning at 4000 rpm, you might understand why most degloving accidents happen to machinists, farm workers, and people with real jobs.

Ken Tubbs wrote:

No but I have personally witnessed a decking due to getting a ring stuck. The climber struggled for a long time, panicked, ripped the ring free and decked.

Thanks, that is a useful comment.  The medical case studies I read pointed to loose thin rings that caught onto metal.  The one bad situation I've had involved no pain to my finger, but nearly dumped me headfirst 30'.  I'm not sure a silicone ring would have been better. But I've also had my pack, laces and crampons catch and dump me.

Harlan Stockman wrote:
I don't take my wallet with me, because it is very easy to leave behind.  My ring is extremely hard to remove; the knuckle above it was crushed in a non-climbing accident.  I've bought a silicone ring, but since there are no data either way, I'm not convinced that is safer.  I think this is an issue that causes an emotional response in climbers, but is hypothetical.  The photo you link is almost certainly not from a climbing accident. If you've ever used a lathe turning at 4000 rpm, you might understand why most degloving accidents happen to machinists, farm workers, and people with real jobs..      

Right . . .  no conclusive data . . .  "emotional,(read hysterical)response" "hypothetical" . . . . .  until it's not. . .
Look, it's not my  hand!
This is just another case of hearing what you want and not hearing the voice of reason.

There are a few strategies that have been discussed; silicone rings, pre-cutting the 'to-tight-to-remove ring so that it might tear away if a catastrophe occurs?  All good, but as has been pointed out by other very long in the game climbers, you don't need to worry about the ring or the finger if you take the ring off the finger.

For some climbers, strong attractions to one another happen.
And happen often when involved in reoccurring intimate playful activities.
Climbing, working together to un-lock the moves while in pursuit of the send, taking exertion to complete exhaustion- can be very passionate.
   The right thing to do is be aware of others' feelings, don't let things go.  Say, with steely resolve,   "Oh, sweety, sorry if my charm was misunderstood, I'm taken",  then a bit later, reassure that it was  "no foul" & "if things were different . . ."
Many climbers, in relationships, With significant others, married or not fall to The-Pressures-of-the-Heart* when it comes to climbing on their climbing partners. (*if you want - call it lust...)
 
Anecdotally? ok, There was a woman who posted about losing her fingers when she fell gym-climbing. Somehow the cord looped around her ring & pinky fingers and ripped them off when it came taught. I could search the Super Topo archive, (so could you). (&While it was not clear whether the injury would have happened without a ring anyway)  It was a thread showing the stump, her prosthetic fingers that were strictly cosmetic, asking for opinions on what to do going forward. I don't think she ever filled us in on how her surgery to rebuild the hand went.

 There is also a person who posts here "Grog" I think? he lost a good bit of a finger(no ring) when he ripped it off falling off a crack where his finger remained. (at the 'Creek' IIRC)

The point is that while freaky stuff can happen we as climbers try to reduce the risks involved.
 Removing jewelry is one of the 1st topics to be brought up; part of the 1st-morning start.
 Often skillfully used as an ice-breaker during the pre-climbing introduction, day-one in instructing/guiding.

But by all means, climb while wearing your ring, you clearly understand the risks. Some say that protecting the ring by taping over it also reduces the chances of the edge of the ring getting caught on something. It seems to assuage the fear for some (YMMV)

As for the comment "I don't take my wallet with me, because it is very easy to leave behind."
~Put Your house in order before you leave the ground~

 The best way not to leave/lose things while going climbing is to not spread your stuff out.
The last time I went to a popular climbing zone (over-crowded/Gunks) I saw that it has become very regular to claim an area at the base/start of a climb by spreading stuff around.
 In cooking, called "Mise en place", it applies in climbing to the "Garage-Sale-style": where the proponents of the style dump the contents of their pack & then set "staging areas" at various convenient locations around the base of a climb.
 Mise en place' is a (German term) appropriated by French culinary training.  A phrase which means "putting in place" or "everything in its place" most correctly used when describing, (in) preparation . . . and allows for easy planning of the steps involved with the process.(Also used to describe When keeping track of utensils/tools; "Clean-as-you-go & you will be graded on your "Mise en place')

 In climbing this often is a "routine":  Shoes here, where you'll sit to put them on. The rope stacked over there, with the rack of gear next to it on a rock; Sunblock, chapstick, food/water back a bit over there, camera, puffy/overshirt just next to where you set up the belay, (any Galactic Hitch-hikers? Where do you unfurl your towel?)  all waiting just there, there & there. Then you set off on the lead, leaving your kit spread out as if it was a yard sale.When you return you pack up, but miss something, that you can then ask to have returned to you.
(SMH) Climbers were once proud to be self-sufficient and did not need someone else to look after/ clean-up after them.

Suburban Roadside wrote:
Right . . .  no conclusive data . . .  "emotional,(read hysterical)response" "hypothetical" . . . . .  until it's not. . .
Look, it's not my  hand!
This is just another case of hearing what you want and not hearing the voice of reason.

There are a few strategies that have been discussed; silicone rings, pre-cutting the 'to-tight-to-remove ring so that it might tear away if a catastrophe occurs?  All good, but as has been pointed out by other very long in the game climbers, you don't need to worry about the ring or the finger if you take the ring off the finger.

Thanks, I appreciate anecdotes that have a tie.

My wallet (except basic ID and license) stays home, but as a reminder, **my ring is extremely hard to remove** -- I've done it once since the accident 16 years ago, and it was quite painful; next time I may need to have it cut off. Another strategy I've considered is to tape it, but that is bulky and hot.  Twice I've been stung by bark scorpions, once on that finger, and the finger swelled-- I was sure I would need to get the ring cut.

I never questioned that it was dangerous; but I kept getting "degloving" as the reason. As I've said, I had the ring catch without causing pain (but almost ending my life).  I have a scar from my watch being ripped off of my hand, and ploughing up all the skin as it was stuck between my arm and a 200 pound slab, so I get that risk too.

A friend nearly lost his entire hand in a bizarre rap accident, when the rope wrapped around his wrist; he was in the hospital for multiple surgeries for a long time. But that means I'll be more wary of such situations; I'll keep using ropes.

Harlan Stockman wrote: Thanks, I appreciate anecdotes that have a tie.

My wallet (except basic ID and license) stays home, but as a reminder, **my ring is extremely hard to remove** -- I've done it once since the accident 16 years ago, and it was quite painful; next time I may need to have it cut off. Another strategy I've considered is to tape it, but that is bulky and hot.  Twice I've been stung by bark scorpions, once on that finger, and the finger swelled-- I was sure I would need to get the ring cut.

I never questioned that it was dangerous; but I kept getting "degloving" as the reason. As I've said, I had the ring catch without causing pain (but almost ending my life).  I have a scar from my watch being ripped off of my hand, and ploughing up all the skin as it was stuck between my arm and a 200 pound slab, so I get that risk too.

A friend nearly lost his entire hand in a bizarre rap accident, when the rope wrapped around his wrist; he was in the hospital for multiple surgeries for a long time. But that means I'll be more wary of such situations; I'll keep using ropes.

Ah . . . . ?  wow! that is a whole lot more awareness of the potential risks than I was giving you credit for. 

That said - it is as I said & I'll also point out that 3 climbers, each with at least 3 decades of climbing experience weighed in to say that it isn't worth the risk.

Maybe I'm not the most sympathetic ear, but it concerns me when an easy solution to a potentially life-changing injury/issue is  passed over for a lack of searchable info.

 

By the way, I think Greg McKee was the guy who left the tips of two fingers in a crack in Utah.

I did a search on gym climbing accidents, and found that losing (or badly damaging) a finger at the rock gym (irrespective of rings) is quite common; great google search for graphic photos.  Maybe that reflects reporting bias, as it tends to be for mainly young people with smartphones.

I was toproping once and fell in a weird position while pulling a roof; I was to the side of the anchor so there was a swing. It was harmless, but my hand was sandwiched between the rock the belayer's end of the rope as I swung, and my ring (silicone) shot off my finger, never to be found. It wasn't enough force to deglove my finger if I'd been wearing a metal ring, but I bet it would've hurt.

I was on a night jump on either Xmas eve or New Year Eve 1988, and some idiot caught their ring on a wire that you used to use to ensure your static line stayed hooked to the cable that runs the length of a C-130.  We exited to the jumpers right, so you use your left hand to control your static line.

It didn't remove the finger, but resulted in that wire being pushed through their finger and then removed in a twisting motion that may as well have been a de-gloving.  There is a reason they tell you to remove all jewelry.

Thanks.  And on the side of "doing what you learned:"
https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(06)70314-3/fulltext

Buck Rio wrote: I was on a night jump on either Xmas eve or New Year Eve 1988, and some idiot caught their ring on a wire that you used to use to ensure your static line stayed hooked to the cable that runs the length of a C-130.  We exited to the jumpers right, so you use your left hand to control your static line.

It didn't remove the finger, but resulted in that wire being pushed through their finger and then removed in a twisting motion that may as well have been a de-gloving.  There is a reason they tell you to remove all jewelry.

Military personnel are generally told to get silicone bands these days; the silicone ring websites have a lot of bands with USAF logos.  But beside people in obviously dangerous operations, a fair number of degloving accidents occur when workmen are descending metal ladders.

For obvious security reasons I think you should put the wedding ring on the list of things that stays home when climbing

I have never understood why people insist on wearing even a silicone ring while climbing. It gets in the way. Obviously. Just take it off. Your relationship should probably be able to withstand taking your ring off sometimes.

I never understood wearing anything on the fingers or wrists while climbing. But I see folks climbing with multiple rings and/or multiple bracelets, wrist watches, etc quite often. I guess when gym climbing or sport climbing on crimps maybe it is not an obvious big deal... (unless you are unlucky enough to hook something on the rock or a carabiner in a fall)... but try some crack climbing (fingers, hand, arm-eating fist, OW) and it becomes obvious what the right answer is. 

I wasn't able to remove the ring. The proximal knuckle was crushed in an accident 16 years ago. I developed arthritis after taking fluoroquinolones, and was finally able to remove it after my fingers atrophied. Now wearing a silicone ring, quite happy with that.

I work in construction and climb as well so I ring has never been too practical.
Tattoo for me.

I lost my wedding band on a climbing trip, in Red Rock, of all places.

My wife had stayed home, and was a bit suspicious of the circumstances under which I’d lose a ring in Vegas. I explained the theoretical risk of degloving injury, which prompted me to remove (and lose) the ring in Calico Basin.

Her solution? A replacement ring for another, ummm, private appendage, that wouldn’t possibly get caught on rock, or anywhere else in Sin City.

It works Ok, but some partners are off-put by my climbing erection. 

Sauron was doing some bouldering in Mordor with his ring on, despite the King of the Nazgul suggesting he take it off. Fucking caught it on a little projection and ripped his finger right off and he disappeared in a cloud. It took him centuries to get back to where he was on the problem. 

felix atticus wrote:

I keep a silicone ring in my chalk pay pouch and swap it for my real wedding ring while I climb so I’m not without one. The silicon ring is sufficiently thin that it’ll snap if it gets caught so no risk of injury.

Why do you need any ring for climbing?

Yury wrote:

Why do you need any for climbing?

I realize I'm responding to a 7yo thread, but how can you ask such a question?!?!

Clearly felix is so hot, that, without the ring, he/she/they will be swarmed by all single persons in the vicinity. It's really for protection against predators.