To Tape or Not to Tape?

[mountainsloth]

I never tape but would consider it if after days of climbing the condition of my hands necessitated it for me to continue to climb. Regular jamming should make it so you do not have to tape on a regular basis.

 

BTW: Image of full hand to elbow tape gloves for Diedre makes me shit my self with giggles.

[Rad]

I was bouldering at the UW wall and 'The Coach' who uses about a roll per hand was telling me about his latest plan to bike to the Sierras and climb this and that when a young woman came up and asked if we had any tape to spare. I had just run out that day and I apologized and said as much. Without skipping a beat the coach turned his head and barked 'NO!' The poor girl slinked away probably thinking we were both assholes.

 

Coach from the UW outdoor wall? Is that guy still around? He might be the reason earphones were invented.

[genepires]

do what you like and to hell with what others think. climbing is a game which you get to make your own rules. live it that way.

 

I tape often. canucks make fun of me. I don't care what others think. I like tape mitts.

[denalidave]

I only tape the parts of my flesh I want to keep.

[Tyson.g]

Genes tape mitts are HOT!

[BootsandPants]

This is the third time in the past two weeks I've heard this debate. It doesn't matter, do what you want to do and have fun.

 

You can tape if you want to, we can leave your friends behind...

[lummox]

I have been in an ongoing debate with a friend about taping vs. not taping your hands for crack climbing.

You and your friend don't really get into the cerebral kinda discussions, eh?

[shaoleung]

I have been in an ongoing debate with a friend about taping vs. not taping your hands for crack climbing.

You and your friend don't really get into the cerebral kinda discussions, eh?

 

Oh hell yeah! A couple weeks ago we got into high-syllable debate about whether or not ti-ta-ni-um framing hammers were worth the extra money and then we discussed just how useful those little hammer-top magnets are. There's more, but I don't want to overwhelm anyone.

[KirkW]

 

Oh hell yeah! A couple weeks ago we got into high-syllable debate about whether or not ti-ta-ni-um framing hammers were worth the extra money

 

My buddy claims that his Stiletto allowed him to keep swinging a hammer when he was told by his doc to give it up because of chronic tendinitis. So there's that. And they look really good in a Dead On hammer holster. Of course I swing a cheap old Vaughn. I like the sound they make when they break. And...they've got that sweet magnet. I do however usually tape the handle.

 

Never taped for climbing other than covering up the occasional work injury.

 

[DPS]

Of course I swing a cheap old Vaughn.

I'm a third generation carpenter. I own mostly Hart hammers, and a couple specialty Eastwings (roofing hatchet). My grandfather, a SeaBea stationed in the Pacific theater during WWII, was a man of considerable predjudices. He worked with a carpenter whose name was Vaughn and did not like the man and for the rest of his life refused to buy Vaughn hammers as a result. He also felt bricklayers were of poor moral character. He also had strong opinons on scaffolding. (He was pro scaffolding). He had only an 8th grade education, but after seeing a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller, he designed one entirely on the back of a 2 x 4 and built it as his workshop.

 

On another note, my father employed quite a few climbers, friends of mine, including one prolific route setter. He gave him an Eastwing roofing hatchet as a gift and said climber used it for years to clean new routes. My father was rather horrified a fine tool would be used for such work, but apparently it was the shit for cleaning new routes.

Edited May 13, 2012 by DPS

[Buckaroo]

I know a route setter that swears by a straight shaft Black Prophet hammer as the best route cleaning tool. Needless to say the pick is blunted. I also cringe just to think about it.

[Buckaroo]

Coach from the UW outdoor wall? Is that guy still around? He might be the reason earphones were invented.

 

He's still around but no longer climbs. He broke his back on the job as a high rise window cleaner. Coach is okay once you get to know him.

[genepires]

Coach is okay once you get to know him.

 

isn't this true of every climber?

[DPS]

Coach from the UW outdoor wall? Is that guy still around? He might be the reason earphones were invented.

 

He's still around but no longer climbs. He broke his back on the job as a high rise window cleaner. Coach is okay once you get to know him.

 

That would be the guy. He was friendly and engaging towards me because my daughter would tape up and run laps on all the cracks at the UW wall when she was quite young. "She's so macho!" He would slink up to me, look around to make sure no one was eavesdropping and say "I'm telling you this because I trust you" and then divuge his highly secret climbing objectives.

[Sol]

Coach

[G-spotter]

I know a route setter that swears by a straight shaft Black Prophet hammer as the best route cleaning tool. Needless to say the pick is blunted. I also cringe just to think about it.

 

I use my old Pulsar. Of course i have like 6 old picks for it so blunting one is no big deal. I just keep wearing it down to see how short it will get.

[shaoleung]

These guys don't tape up... and it brings up another great question: how do you belay your middle climber in a party of three?

 

 

[Drederek]

From the bottom but only once they've stuck the crux dyno!