sk
Hmmm. You know I might have had some tape on my fingers, it was very coarse grained granite and there were cracks, so finger taping would seem reasonable - does that lessen my naked climbing claim?
...
One of the "things" you have to learn about climbing is to stay on your fingers and toes and NEVER HUG THE ROCK.
and no - climbers do not tend to be either conservative nor overly cautious in nature. I bet he wasn't the first...
Anway here's my philosophy. I've never taken a real fall. So all of the safety gear that I've carried has been not only a waste, but a burden.
As any ultra lite person will tell you, lighter is safer because you will not be physically hampered by the weight of the gear. Thus I free solo climb with no gear mostly now, with nothing but the shoes, maybe some tape and occasionally some clothing and a power bar.
In my avatar on the left, I have a group of slings over my shoulder with a bunch of pieces of aluminum "protection gear" hanging from it and a rope tied to me. I don't carry that stuff now.
Jim