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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 7:59 pm
by pigsteak
beth does what...rubbing alcohol?
rhunt....frost bite? just exactly how cold does it have to get before y'all call it quits...in SoIL, the more humid the better...slopers with sweat is as good as the training gets...

so no one has actually tried this little trick, eh?

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:03 pm
by rhunt
Tell you what Pigsteak I'll try it this weekend and let you know. I'll 'borrow' some alcohol pads from our first aid case here at work. That should work, right?

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:09 pm
by pigsteak
yeah, but where ya gonna find slopers at the Red to try this on... with crimps it doesn't matter as much....ok,ok, I am getting off topic...

really, the kids here seem to think that the chalk stays on their hands better, without a sheen of body oil on the tips...

let me know your findings...btw, company theft is bad behavior son...

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:45 pm
by Spragwa
Umm. It makes more sense that chalk would stick to oily or damp hands and slide off of cool dry surfaces. That's just my understanding.

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:59 pm
by pigsteak
so true!!!! so maybe rubbing alcohol and no chalk is the ticket...the rubbing alcohol is way cheaper than chalk...but then I lose my psychological thingy of "chalking up", even in 50 degree temps...lol

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 9:00 pm
by rhunt
You got a point there Sprag..humm

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 9:42 pm
by air canada
The alcohol will remove grease and oil from your hands-but should you sweat any after that, you've got greasy tips again. The chalk will help absorb that.

With hands that are greasy, the chalk only sticks to the top layer, so you end up with a layer of grease that will still be slippery underneath the chalk, until you chalk and wipe a few times, hopefully removing the layer of grease.

If I remember that article with Beth Rodden right, she only used the rubbing alcohol after lunch, or before a session, not during. Removing too much oil from your skin can make it more likely to crack, which is no fun at all.

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 9:50 pm
by toddc
Has anyone tried a heavy duty anit-perspirant spray on their hands before climbing?

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 10:11 pm
by pigsteak
thanks air canada....

Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:29 am
by SikMonkey
Hey Piggy,
whomever said the alcohol makes the chalk stick better was right on target. That's actually how you make that liquid chalk stuff that's sold in bottles. It supposedly sticks to your hands for a long time making you not have to chalk up nearly as much. Also, AC was right about the chalk only sticking to the top layer of grease, so it does seem logical to use alcohol to remove it first.

Mj