Technical rope rescue, if you’re going to do it you need gloves.

This review is based on my experience using Ringers Technical Rope Rescue Gloves during a rope rescue certification course.

These gloves were purchased from Rescue Tech 1. Directly from the company’s website “Omni-directional stretch fabric offers flexibility and excellent airflow. Palm manufactured of Pitard’s premium Armortan synthetic leather on the palm and fingers. Double thickness in the palm with DuPont Kevlar thread for long wear. Reinforced fingertip and thumb extends glove life. Pre-curved ergonomic shape and anti vibration gel padding for extra comfort…”

Let’s go with the con’s first. When first worn the seam running over my right index finger would cause pressure discomfort on the knuckle when the finger was flexed toward the palm. However I felt this would stop after the glove was used for a short period. After about an hour of use the pressure was starting to go away. By the second day of class it was gone completely.

My other issue with any glove is the Velcro closure system and opening in the glove back to allow for adjustment. I’ve never needed a closure system on a glove to keep it on my hand. I find the hook and loop tab annoying to operate. Often times the hook and loop are attached so well that it’s hard to get a grip on the edge of the tab. Requiring me to use my teeth or remove the glove from the other hand to get the grip required to open the closure.

With these gloves I was able to align the hook and loop which created the perfect opening for me to get the glove on quickly but also be able to remove it without opening the tab. The other issue is the opening on the glove back that allows for adjustment of the closure system. I found that opening, on not just this glove but others with the same design create a perfect place for unwanted objects to enter the glove.

When trying to feed webbing or other rescue necessities under or around a patient or object the opening would scoop up sand, gravel, leaves and twigs commonly found here in South Florida. I really don’t like debris in my gloves during dynamic operations when I may not have time to empty them out. I don’t want to turn you off to these gloves. I have this problem with any glove that uses that type of design. But, I still use them.

Let’s move to the pros. I ordered extra large and the fit was almost perfect. My fingers are usually just short of the fingertips on many gloves these were no different. It’s not much, maybe 1/4″ – 3/8″ among the various fingers. This did not affect the dexterity. I was able to manipulate carabiners, pulleys, knots, and other rope accouterment.

The quality of the materials and craftsmanship should meet anyone’s standards. There is synthetic leather on the palms and fingers that wraps around onto the thumb and index finger. This along with the added padding in the palm provides good protection during rappelling, haul or belay ops.

These gloves were worn for 40 hours during the training and about 5-6 hours for knot tying practice. They were comfortable the whole time. Did not get hot while training in Miami Florida. The material released moisture well enough the gloves didn’t get wet from sweat. Although I will look for a glove without the tab closure in the future I would purchase these again if I couldn’t find another design.

Hope I haven’t left anything important out. If you have a question, like this content or have a suggestion leave a comment. Look below for the companion YouTube video.

-Big Boss, Rescue Chief-Founder

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