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Tell me about belay gloves
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I need some belay gloves. What do folks like? Actual belay gloves (full leather or fabric backed) or is there a better (and cheaper) option? |
Eric M wrote: It's a good question. First, though, what kind of climbing do you do? And why do you think you need belay gloves? |
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As much as I know I'll buy a pair of overpriced BD belay gloves for belaying and via ferrata someday, I'm confident that any old construction work glove for 3 bucks a piece will do a similar job. |
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Honest question - unless it’s really cold, why would you use belay gloves? In years of belaying I can’t say I’ve ever hurt or burned my hands catching falls so I don’t understand the need |
Cosmic Hotdog wrote: Two reasons that I can think of off the top of my head. They keep your hands cleaner and keep all the black aluminum dirt crap that’s on my rope off of my hands. And this one is anecdotal, but I swear I tend to get fewer splitters when I wear gloves…IDK they seem to keep my hands/fingers from drying out and splitting. |
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Personally I really like using belay gloves. My climbing partner is heavier than me, so lowering him typically wears on my hands. It also keeps my hands clean(er) than they would otherwise be. I like 3/4 length because it gives me a bit more control. But that's my personal opinion. You don't need super pricey ones either. I like my OR fossil ones as they're flexible and have a nice clip loop. But I also have a pair of leather construction gloves I cut the fingers off of and they also work well. |
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Go to Harbor Freight. They have several models of heavy duty work gloves for less than $20 that make good belay gloves. I get them a size larger that I would normally get so they are easier to put on and take off. Unfortunately they don't have a hole so you can clip them to a carabiner. It would be easy to cut or burn a hole. I haven't gotten around to doing it. https://www.harborfreight.com/camo-high-performance-work-gloves-large-64414.html |
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Don;t remember which I bought last time, either: https://www.harborfreight.com/safety/gloves/pigskin-leather-work-gloves-large-64172.html or https://www.harborfreight.com/safety/gloves/full-grain-cowhide-leather-work-gloves-large-61459.html I punch holes in the cuffs with a hole punch and clip to my belay device locking biner when carrying on my harness. They are single layer leather, tough enough, and not bulky. |
csproul wrote: Makes sense! Thanks for answering |
Cosmic Hotdog wrote: I only have so much hand-skin, and I'd rather spend it on rock than rope. And, this becomes especially true on multi-pitch climbs, where I may be pulling 30 or so meters of rope up to the anchor before putting a partner on belay. |
Eric M wrote: Decent pair of leather-palm, usually fabric-back work gloves. You want reasonably close-fitting, to maintain dexterity. And there's more sizes/brands of work gloves available than climbing-specific belay gloves, so easier to find a good fit. |
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Never used to wear them, but I got tired of getting blisters when belaying my husband while he was doing speed laps. (Not speed climbing, just endurance laps on easy routes) However, I wasn't ready to fork out the $$ for a "nice" pair of specialized gloves. So these are what I have been using. Nice cheap generic sheepskin work glove. Sewed in some paracord core as an attachment. I've even washed them. Possibly won't last as long as the nicer ones, but they suit me fine. And I'm not gonna cry if I lose 'em either. HowNOT2 store also has them here.  |
csproul wrote: I never used to bother with belay gloves but, recently, my old man's dry skin has benefited from using them regularly. They are like wearable humidifiers. $4 leather and canvas work gloves are fine, for all the reasons above plus inverted snobbery. |
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If you use an ordinary ATC or Reverso type plaquette, the rope can run on a big fall and then gloves might be the difference between a catch and a failed belay. And even if the belay doesn't fail, rope burns can be very serious. If you are using an ABD, rope running in a fall isn't an issue. If you happen to be a half-rope user, you will probably have strands running between your fingers. Without gloves, you can get blisters on that sensitive skin just from ordinary rope handling (ask me how I know this). But ever with single ropes the skin between the thumb and first finger is vulnerable. Gloves keep hands free of aluminum oxide deposits and protect the skin during ordinary handling, which can in some cases be rapid enough to induce burns (ask me how I know this). Gloves used for rappelling allow you to grab a hot plaquette when you arrive at the stance. I've taken to wearing gloves while hiking in desert environments where there are various prickly things I might accidentally grab. And I'd second the observation that keeping hands moisturized or even sweaty while hiking cuts down on the kinds of splits climbers get in very dry environments. I think full-fingers are better than half-fingers. Not only can you still burn your tips and can't grab a hot rap device, but especially when it's hot out it is annoying to get half-fingered gloves off. Some leather gloves are too stiff for the kinds of rope-handling we do. if possible test 'em out in the store |
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Multi-Pitch with ATC has been it for me for many years - though this year I’ve not done as much. Still, RGold’s reasoning is good as always. So much so that I typically wear belay gloves in the gym - just to keep it a habit. :) |
