[TowerTalk] Gloves

[Joseph A. Feustle, Jr.]

Using gloves can be a double-edged sword. Decades ago, when I worked for a
plumbing contractor, we tried to avoid them as much as possible, because
the gloves, and whatever you were carrying, could slip off your hands, bad
news while climbing. The other edge is cold weather. It is indeed possible
for one's hands to freeze to cold metal, pipes, towers, for example. If not
a complete attachment of flesh to metal, it is at minimum a painful one.

When I climb, and I do relatively little of it, I try to never wear gloves
ascending or descending the tower, even in winter. Once up there, that's a
different story.

An interesting alternative to golf gloves is the type of gloves worn by
most football players from high school on up to the pros. They usually fit
tight and help you hang on to things.

This discussion on climbing and climbing alone--the use of HTs or cell
phones, conditioning, techniques, etc.-- is one that I feel should be
condensed, edited, and printed in one of the ham-related journals. It has
been an eye-opener for me. Rather that more esoterica of unique calls,
perhaps something like this could grace an upcoming issue. It's practical
and important.

Oh, yea, I was young once too, and immortal. I didn't have much chance to
climb towers back then. Most hams were using windmill towers if they could
afford one at all. My fun was below ground, ten to twelve feet frequently,
in trenches prepared for sewer and water pipes. Since I was young and
immune to any and all problems, we never botherd to secure the walls of the
trenches and make sure the damn things couldn't colapse on me (us). The
thought just never crossed my mind. Wonder how many fellow hams give no
thought, for reason of youth or otherwise, to just running up that ol'
tower.

73,
Joe, N8JF



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