Hand Jammies

The brutal sandstone of the Utah desert can wear through your taped hands on a longer route, exposing a knuckle here or there. If you have small hands I recommend these. I believe they will not only save you time, but help you become a better crack climber. The cost, $20-$30 range can be easily offset with tape savings. Superglue the seems when you first get them and they will last longer. The con is that if you already have large hands, and I do, and you are seeking #2 cracks, than these will just add aggravation to your inability to jam far enough in from time to time. Of course they are hot as well.

I learned how to hand jam in the gym wearing these things (my gym has cracks to practice on). They are pretty convenient for that - easy on / easy off. The ones I purchased came with a small tube of McNett Aqua Seal to protect the stitching, which occasionally I have reapplied.

I don't use them outside because they tend to change my hand size quite a bit - I prefer tape gloves for crack climbing if I know ahead of time that the rock is harsh (eg. Joshua Tree NP).