Mountain Project Logo

Sliced finger, road trip. What would you do??

Original Post
Andy Bennett · · Scarizona · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 706

Took a trail spill on sharp rock three days into a nine day road trip and got sliced right where it counts. I'm trying to salvage the trip and hoping for some good taping, glueing, stitching (?!) advice, magic elixirs, anything!

J-- Kaiser · · Southern California · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 116

Super glue.  get the gel type. 

Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245

Lots of climb on when you’re not climbing. Lots of superglue and tape when you are. And go crack climbing. Sorry, there is no magic solution.

Andy Bennett · · Scarizona · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 706

Thanks for your suggestions Ryan and J. Ryan, do you have any specific advice on tape+glue? I've heard things about glueing tape on or layering or something but have never done it. Thanks!

Hayden Moore · · Denver, CO · Joined Jan 2017 · Points: 50

Glue and tape on top of the glue. Then climb cracks because you don't need it anyway. 

Noah R · · Burlington, VT · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 0

How long is your road trip? If its your last week then maybe superglue. If you have a month + left I would just resign myself to easy trad for a week or so and keep it taped up with some Bacitracin  for a few days then let her dry out and heal. 

Roots · · Wherever I am · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 20

After gluing yourself back together...go ride a bike for a day or two.

Lena chita · · OH · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 1,667

It doesn't look too deep... I think a rest day would be enough. But if not resting, I would use the glue. Superglue or CrazyGlue, but not put tape on top, personally...

If you can find a pharmacy, they might have Liquid Skin, or a petstore might have VetLock, or other such skin adhesive (it's a N-butyl cyanoacrylate, supposedly safer for humans, as opposed to SuperGlue/crazyGlue, which is methyl-2 or ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate). But climbers have been using Superglue to protect and repair flappers for years, a couple of dabs of superglue on your skin for couple days won't kill you, or anything... it is just that N-butyl cyanoacrylate is approved for human use, while the Super-glue-type adhesive isn't.

Edited to add: I now have liquid Skin in my first aid, after one flapper-on-roadtrip incident. But of course, now that I'm prepared, it would never happen again. :)

Keith Wood · · Elko, NV · Joined May 2019 · Points: 480

Polysporin on the cut and on the bandaid covering the cut. Reapply 3x daily. Infection, even minor, and drying are the two worst obstacles to healing. Polysporin helps with both. Next worst obstacle is movement. Lay off it for a day or two. Optionally splint it to immobilize it and give the healing a chance to really progress. Climb stuff you can climb with it splinted. In two days it will be a lot better.

grog m · · Saltlakecity · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 70

I can barely even see this cut. That is baby games my man, nothing needed, not even a MP post, climb on.

Brandon.Phillips · · Portola, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 55

I carry superglue in my first aid kit for exactly this issue.  Option one: Glue and tape if you want to keep climbing. Option two: topical antibiotic, bandaid, and multiple days off. 

Clarke Conant · · Davis, CA · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 0

I sympathize with your predicament. I did this Saturday while slicing onions. Taking a week off to go climbing at the end of the month.

Fortunately I was able to put it back on, and it looks like its going to stick.

My neighbor turned me on to butterfly bandages. They really work to hold the sides of the cut together.

Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245
Clarke Conant wrote: I sympathize with your predicament. I did this Saturday while slicing onions. Taking a week off to go climbing at the end of the month.

Fortunately I was able to put it back on, and it looks like its going to stick.

My neighbor turned me on to butterfly bandages. They really work to hold the sides of the cut together.

Ummm... dude that is not good. I don’t think you can just put part of your finger back on and hope it sticks. 

Andrew Rational · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2018 · Points: 10
Ryan Williams wrote:

Ummm... dude that is not good. I don’t think you can just put part of your finger back on and hope it sticks. 

Looks OK to me. I was a pro cook years ago, and did this a few times to my left thumb over the years. Still works just fine, but with no sensation in the formerly detached part.

Climberdude · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 0
grog m wrote: I can barely even see this cut. That is baby games my man, nothing needed, not even a MP post, climb on.

Grog m said it best.  Ridiculous 

Matt N · · CA · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 425

Climb slab only. 

F r i t z · · North Mitten · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 1,155
grog m wrote: I can barely even see this cut. That is baby games my man, nothing needed, not even a MP post, climb on.

When it comes to finger trauma, Grog knows what’s up.

Jonathan Flannery · · Springfield, KY · Joined Apr 2019 · Points: 0

RUB SOME DIRT ON IT AND SUCK IT UP.

Andy Hansen · · Longmont, CO · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 3,561

HTFU

Brandon Ribblett · · The road · Joined Mar 2016 · Points: 80

liquid skin or new skin and tape. easy peasy. 

Jason A · · WASHINGTON · Joined Sep 2019 · Points: 20

I was going to write something that didnt fall with in guideline 1, so instead...
Awww, I hope you get feeling better really soon....

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Injuries and Accidents
Post a Reply to "Sliced finger, road trip. What would you do??"

Log In to Reply
Welcome

Join the Community! It's FREE

Already have an account? Login to close this notice.