How to make tape gloves for crack climbing: A Step-By-Step tutorial
If you’ve ever spent a day rock climbing at Indian Creek, jamming your hands into the sandstone splitters, or other classic crack climbing venues such Escalante Canyon, Index, or even Yosemite, you know the feeling: the sting of abrasions, bruises, and raw skin. Crack climbing is as rewarding as it is physical and one of the simplest tools to keep you in the fight longer is a good pair of tape gloves that provide protection, cushioning, and added friction.
At Skyward Mountaineering, we guide climbers in multiple, epic crack climbing destinations such as the Moab desert, Unaweep Canyon, the Black Canyon, Rocky Mountain National Park, and more! Our guides know first-hand the importance of skin maintenance for multi-day climbing trips where you’ll be repeatedly jamming your hands, or even for the enhanced enjoyment during a single day climb that doesn’t leave you haggard back at the trailhead. I’ve seen every kind of crack glove—DIY tape jobs and manufactured crack gloves. The truth is, whether you build them yourself or invest in a manufactured pair, gloves can make or break your crack climbing experience.
If you want to make your own crack climbing tape gloves it’s important to make sure they’re going to last for a whole day of abuse. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making durable and functional tape gloves:
Why Tape Gloves Matter in Crack Climbing
Crack climbing demands as much from your skin as from your muscles and unlike face climbing where you use the calloused skin on your fingertips that’s been worn down through repetitive use, crack climbing puts pressure and friction on the soft back of your hands and knucles. Additionally, hand jamming involves adding rotational torque, meaning that you twist your wrist and elbow to create a higher level of outward force between your hand and the rock. This increase in friction and holding power is what makes the jam secure but also can lead to mild bruising or scrapes and “burns” if your hand slips - climbers refer to these scrapes as gobies, like a miniature carpet burn on the back of your hands. Tape gloves act as a thin layer of armor—protecting your skin without taking away the sensitivity (and grip on your finger tips when transitioning to face climbing) that you need.
So why even try crack climbing if there’s all this unpleasantness? Crack climbing is actually loads of fun, I promise! And with the proper technique (and crack climbing gloves) you’ll find yourself swimming up cracks of all sizes and enjoying long and flow-y routes that look otherwise totally improbable.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Tape Gloves
All you need is a roll of 1.5-inch climbing tape and a few minutes before you rack up. I highly recommend climbing specific tape rather than generic athletic tape from a pharmacy. Climbing brand tape is stickier and slightly more robust, helping it stay in place on your hand better. The last thing you want is tape slippage mid-route.
Depending on your hand size and your efficacy with measuring the tape correctly, you should be able to make 2 pairs of tape gloves with one roll of tape. Bring an extra roll though just in case.
Mueller Eurotape is a popular option, time tested by climbers in Indian Creek, it is also one of the most commonly available options. Metolius also produces a popular tape that works well, readily available at most local climbing shops. Not to be exclusive, there are several other climbing brands that probably make fine tape too, perhaps just harder to consistently find in stores.
Step 1: Anchor at the Wrist
Wrap a single loop around your wrist, just below the point where your wrist articulates so the tape doesn’t interfere with your movement. Keep it snug but not tight (don’t cut off circulation) - this is your foundation.
Step 2: Finger Strips
Tear one strip of half width tape (~8 inches long):
Attach one end to the middle of the wrist anchor.
Run the tape up the back of your hand towards your index finger.
Cross over the side of knuckle, wrapping around the front of the finger at its base and between the fingers.
Bring it back down to the mid point of the wrist anchor making a teardrop shape with the tape as it runs from your wrist, around your finger, and back down.
Ensure the tape runs smoothly on the back of your hand without wrinkles and is well adhered to your skin. It’s ok if the tape is wrinkled on the front of the finger.
*If your tape runs out before successfully attaching to the mid point of the wrist anchor, pull off the finger strip and start over with a new half width strip. If the tape is too long and runs past the wrist anchor onto your arm just tear off the excess.
Repeat for your middle, ring, and pinky finger.
Step 3: Thumb Coverage
Tear three full width strips ( two ~3 inches long and the other one ~6 inches long):
Wrap one short strip of tape around the base of your thumb, fully covering the middle knuckle.
Wrap the other short strip of tape around the base of your thumb, overlapping with the first thumb wrap, angling down towards your wrist on the back of your hand, making a loop. This tape should fully cover the lower knuckle of your thumb.
Make the same teardrop shape strip as in Step 2 with a full width strip, wrapping from the wrist anchor and around the base of the thumb.
Ensure the tape runs smoothly, fully covering both thumb knuckles.
Step 4: Cover the Back of the Hand
Tear four short strips of full width tape (the full width of the back of your hand - you can measure this length by using the non sticky side as a template before tearing):
Starting at the base of your fingers, lay the strip across your knuckles on the back of your hand. Smooth out any wrinkles and ensure it is well adhered.
Lay the next strip below the first, overlapping about half of the strip. Repeat until you cover half of the wrist anchor, tear additional strips as necessary based on the size of your hand.
Step 5: Lock It Down
Finish with a final loop of tape around your wrist to hold everything together. Be mindful, as with the first loop, to avoid cutting off circulation or reducing movement. Make a fist and flex your hand, the tape glove should feel sleek and allow full range of motion. Trim or fold back any bulky spots, press down all the sides of glove for good adherence.
Step 6: Re-Use It!
A well made tape glove can even be used throughout the whole day of crack climbing, removed carefully and then even re-used a few times on the next days, thereby reducing waste (and time).
With a pair of medical trauma shears (these have a blunt end to avoid cutting yourself, don’t use a knife or regular scissors), carefully cut the wrist anchor loop in the front of the wrist. You’ll have to gently peel the tape away to slide the blunt end of the trauma shears underneath.
Gently and carefully peel away the tape glove, working your way from the wrist to the fingers. This step is uncomfortable, like pulling off a large band-aid.
Keep the glove away from the dirt/sand to keep it clean and sticky.
To reuse the glove, put it back on and reapply a wrist anchor over top of it. You should be good to go for another day of crack climbing!
Tape Gloves vs. Manufactured Crack Gloves
These days, you’ll see lots of climbers using purpose-built crack gloves such as the Ocún Crack Gloves, Black Diamond Crack Gloves, Outdoor Research Splitter Gloves, or others. They’re designed to mimic tape gloves but offer a more easily reusable alternative.
Manufactured Crack Gloves
Pros: Quick to slip on/off, reusable, and more padding.
Cons: Bulkier in thin cracks, pricier, less breathable.
DIY Tape Gloves
Pros: Customized fit (can also be easily modified to add protection for finger cracks), more sensitive and thin for tight hand cracks, more flexible, and cheap.
Cons: Time-consuming, wasteful, can peel with sweat.
If you’re just trying out crack climbing for the first time, a pair of tape gloves is totally sufficient. In fact, I used tape gloves for many years (and even climbed lots of years without any gloves too) before adopting the manufactured gloves. The convenience of manufactured gloves often offers a significant enough benefit to make the cost worth it if you plan on more crack climbing. I still always carry a roll of tape as a backup or in case I need customized protection that the manufactured glove doesn’t offer.
Here is an abbreviated comparison of some of the common and current crack climbing gloves available on the market:
Ocún Crack Gloves: Both the original model and the newer Pro version are thicker than most competitors. These were one of the original popular crack climbing gloves and are tried and true. The original model is slightly thinner, while the Pro version has better thumb coverage (a good thing) and has an improved wrist loop. Personally, these gloves don’t fit my hand well as the wrist loop wraps around the palm of my hand, interfering with freedom of movement. Overall, they are well made and very durable gloves with good padding and sticky rubber.
Black Diamond Crack Glove: The white color makes these gloves blend in a bit more with traditional tape gloves. The thumb loop protection is a really nice addition for those wider cracks and in general the glove provides more comprehensive protection than others. It is a synthetic material so doesn’t have much stretch and the wrist loop isn’t overly durable - it’s often the piece that fails eventually. The glove is thinner than many other competitors which is great for tight hand cracks but doesn’t have lots of padding.
Outdoor Research Splitter Glove: These gloves aren’t very durable and don’t have the most amount of padding or coverage, but they are light and comfortable. In my experience, these are the best for keeping on while face climbing and not interfering.
G7 Hand Jam: These gloves are the most comfortable and durable in my experience, but they are also the most expensive. Though it can be a bit stiff initially the one piece suede molds extremely well to your hand and the glove lasts way longer than any others, it’s a very well made piece of equipment. There is no thumb protection like other models though and the gloves don’t breathe very well so can get real sweaty on hot days.
Wideboyz Crack Gloves: These are a newer glove that has gained more traction in Europe, they are harder to find in the USA. They offer great protection of the thumb and are very durable. Most comparable to the Ocún Pro with potentially a better fit for some people.
There are a few other, less common crack gloves on the market as well. Realistically, the most important factor of a crack climbing glove is good fit which is a very personalized component and requires actually trying on the glove. I highly recommend shopping in a brick-and-mortar store for these gloves, you’ll be more pleased with the outcome and it’s good to shop local and support small, independent businesses.
The Ritual of Tape Gloves
There’s something almost meditative about sitting at the base of a route, tearing tape strips and carefully wrapping your hands. It’s a ritual - part of the dirtbag culture of crack climbing in Moab and Indian Creek. By the end of a long day, your tape gloves may be shredded, dirt-stained, and proof that you went to battle with the rock. Manufactured gloves are far more efficient, but tape gloves carry that timeless crack-climber soul…
LEarn How To Crack Climb With Skyward Mountaineering
Whether you’re racking up for your first Moab desert crack climb, jamming splitters in Indian Creek or Grand Junction, or climbing a big wall in the Black Canyon or Yosemite, protecting your hands is key when climbing longer, harder, and with more confidence. Tape glove or manufactured crack gloves are an important component to keeping you comfortable on those longer days. Your hands will thank you!
Our guides and admin team are happy to chat with you more specifically about the different models of gloves and other rock climbing equipment. We can also walk you through, step-by-step in person, how to make tape gloves during a day of crack climbing. Our guides are expert crack climbers with decades of experience, we can provide customized coaching to help you hone your movement skills so you can be comfortable, confident, and efficient. Check out our 2-day Crack Climbing Course based in Grand Junction or book a private guided climb for a Moab desert tower.