SummitPost.org

Posted: **Sat May 05, 2012 2:44 pm**

JonW wrote:Keep in mind that not all idiot-cords are created equal. I lost a glove on a windy day in Huntington's Ravine on Mt. Washington despite using an idiot-cord. The idiot-cord on some older OR gloves was very poorly designed and relied on a plastic disk to slide up and down the cord. Unknowingly, the disk had loosened on my wrist while wearing the glove. I took the glove off expecting the idiot-cord to be snug around my wrist and a few seconds later I was asking my buddy "Where's my glove?" Luckily, I had an extra pair or typing this post might have been much more difficult.

Good point. My home made versions made with boot laces and cord locks are pretty secure. I bet by looking around at your local REI you could find some 3mm cord and tiny cord locks to save weight.

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2012 4:29 am**

I use them too. Hypoxia turns me into an idiot sometimes.

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2012 6:24 am**

Photo by Jon Griffiths

I'm a big fan as well, I can be quite idiotic with our without hypoxia

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2012 2:47 pm**

DukeJH wrote:I use them too. Hypoxia turns me into an idiot sometimes.

I'm simply just an idiot.

Posted: **Mon May 07, 2012 4:54 pm**

I don't use them on my thin climbing gloves but I do have them on my thick belay gloves. Really helpful when you have to take them of to sort something out like taking your partner of belay, grabbing a snack etc. But I never use the stock ones, just some 4 mm bungy-cord with a tight slipknot and a stopperknot to avoid overtightening them. Less parts to break, way more secure and much faster to get on and of. What's not to like

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2012 3:15 pm**

I use them whenever its windy out. I don't want my $50.00 gloves flying away from me. They have actually saved my gloves twice. Well worth the hassle and inconvenience of getting caught on gear sometimes.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2012 4:06 pm**

borutbk wrote:I admit having mostly stuffed "one glove in the jacket", as long as wearing a harness.
The idiot cord came in account on more serious gigs. It would be a cord running from one glove to the other, inside the jacket, along the arms and in the back. It can be efficient then also without the jacket, or when using an other one.
And I'd always stick to the Gaston rule of having one extra glove (as well as one piton) as a golden reserve.

I have used this exact system many times and found it very comfortable and secure. But, I once lost my foam pad to the wind on a winter ascent in The Sierras. The next three nights were COLD to say the least.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2012 6:00 pm**

borutbk wrote:
Hotoven wrote: Well worth the hassle and inconvenience of getting caught on gear sometimes.

If you have one cord for both gloves (inside the jacket), it might get less caught on gear - maybe worth trying out.

Bill Cosby has a comedy routine about idiot cords that run through the jacket sleeve and connect to both mittens. Something about talking into one mitten and hearing out the other and yanking somebody's hand to make them slap themselves with the other hand.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2012 11:40 pm**

Idiot is not using them

SummitPost.org

Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?

Re: Do you use the "idiot cords" on your gloves?