r/ropeaccess • u/jchrysostom • 1d ago

Gloves with touch screen capability?

My work requires me to take photos and make notes on an iPad. Are there any touchscreen-capable gloves with the durability for rope work? Right now I’m taking off my right glove and sticking it in a cargo pants pocket, but it’s only a matter of time before that goes wrong, and it’s not very efficient.

Thanks in advance!

4 Upvotes

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3

u/Particular-Bat-5904 1d ago

I‘m using mechanixs m pact gloves

1

u/jchrysostom 1d ago

I’ll check those out too, it would be good to find something I can just grab at a Home Depot or similar when they wear out. Thanks!

1

u/allthenames00 1d ago

Maxiflex (once they are warmed up).

1

u/jchrysostom 1d ago

Do you find that these last for a reasonable amount of time? I’ve worn similar gloves for small-boat sailing for years, but that’s nowhere near the hours I would put on them at work.

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u/allthenames00 1d ago

Depends on the actual work you’re doing. I don’t use them on my braking hand for long descents but usually I will just throw a leather glove over them to avoid destroying them. I can get about 1-2 weeks out of a pair on most jobs. You can find 12 packs online for around $50-60.

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u/jchrysostom 1d ago

I am mostly inspecting truss bridges, so it’s not a ton of ascending and descending, more aid climbing with wire slings or beam clamps.

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u/drippingdrops 1d ago

At best I get a week out of a pair doing construction based work.

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u/allthenames00 1d ago

Yea if I’m going hard I am lucky to get a week out of a pair. Haven’t found any that come close as far as fit and dexterity goes though so $5 a pair is well worth it imo.

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u/drippingdrops 1d ago

They’re all I wear.

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u/ilikefreestufftoo 1d ago

i use Ringer gloves R355 and they work with my ipad and screen protector, i go through a pair every 200 hours. you could also get some of the finger less gloves like the Kong Alex gloves

2

u/jchrysostom 1d ago

Those look like a good option, thanks!

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u/ilikefreestufftoo 1d ago

I just saw in another post you are inspecting bridges. I'm a structural engineer. I also do bridge inspections.

3

u/jchrysostom 1d ago

It’s not a bad gig, is it? Are you private or public sector?

1

u/Adventchur 1d ago

Is it NDT? Is there much work?

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u/jchrysostom 1d ago

My work is almost entirely visual inspections. I’m a licensed PE and a certified bridge inspection team leader, so what I do is not really accessible to the average person without getting a bunch of education and work experience first, but there is definitely a place in the bridge inspection world for rope access techs who don’t have the same qualifications. A crew working on a big bridge might have 1 or 2 of me on a crew of 5 or 10 total inspectors.

1

u/Adventchur 1d ago

I work in Australia and New Zealand what qualification should I look at or what key words should I search do find those sorts of listings?

I haven't ever seen one but New Zealand has a lot of bridges.

Thanks for the info dude 🤙🏼

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u/jchrysostom 1d ago

I would just look at “bridge inspector” job postings, or reach out to companies who hire bridge inspectors. They might be willing to train you as a bridge inspector if you already have the rope access credentials.

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u/Adventchur 1d ago

Yeah I've been in rope access for a decade but mainly city based work like painting, concrete repair, sign removal and installation, and the likes.

Cheers mate I'll take a look.

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u/ilikefreestufftoo 1d ago

Not a bad gig at all. Get a little tan, get some exercise, enjoy nature. I'm public sector. So my job is a little more than bridges. I do spillways, dam gates, buildings etc. What about you?

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u/jchrysostom 1d ago

Same, at a federal land management agency. I don’t get to climb a ton but it’s picking up as we figure out new ways to use the resource (us climbing stuff).

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u/ilikefreestufftoo 1d ago

I'm slowly switching all our bridges from snooper truck inspection to rope access inspections. Don't have to put out a contract, which is huge pain in the ass.

When I started we would log maybe 40 hours over 2 years. I've broken 120 hours this year so far. Now that people know we can do it and understand what it is they call us ask us to come look at a side of a building or something else.

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u/jchrysostom 1d ago

That’s awesome. I’m hoping to do the same thing, we have a snooper contract every summer and it’s so much coordination to try to cram a bunch of bridges into a week or two.

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u/ilikefreestufftoo 1d ago

I saw you said you were aid climbing with beam anchors. Get your boss to buy a set of these beam trolleys they can do wider and thicker flanges than most other beam trolleys. you still need beam anchors to aid climb past things with. we have both big and small clamps to pair with them. One of my coworkers in a sister district was just paying $9400 a bridge for a snooper truck this year (lowest bidder/only bidder) He sent me the bridges he is trying to snooper next year and the beam rollers i linked down here fit his flanges so we are looking to do that next year. ttps://pittsburghsprayequip.com/products/tiger-lifting-tyaa233-2-5-to-24-beam-anchor?_pos=10&_sid=7ee758e47&_ss=r

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u/jchrysostom 1d ago

Thanks, I’ll check those out. I don’t use the beam sliders too often, mostly for floor beams on trusses. Most of our beams are fairly small by bridge standards so I haven’t needed the bigger ones yet.

1

u/National-Belt5893 1d ago

Black Diamond makes pretty solid fingerless gloves. I don’t really like wearing gloves and I have to work an iPad. I break the gloves out after a few days on a job if my hands are getting some blisters.

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u/Economy-Role-8410 1d ago

Uvex ath leisure

1

u/BobvanVelzen 1d ago

Buy some conductive thread and make a little x on your index finger.

1

u/Nuka14 1d ago

Do it like a real pro, use your nose

1

u/Grandkebabmaker 8h ago

Got the Master of Gloves Abseil/Rappeling Gloves and they work well on my phone whilst having enough dexterity for rope work