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Does chalk damage climbing gear?

stickyninja

2-Nov-2007
12:05:50 AM

my chalk bag seems to have spilled in my gear bag everything was dusted
how damaging is chalk to my gear?(if at all)


muki

2-Nov-2007
1:07:03 AM

Don't Sticky Ninja's have those claw things on the palms of their hands?
Hey just don't use chalk and problem solved.
But seriously.....I know it kills the lichen on the rocks, you can see the climbing holds are the clean
spots, and the rock under the hold is clean too, rain has disolved the chalk and then it transfers, just like
a big tear dripping down, all the lichen below the hold dead.


Capt_mulch

2-Nov-2007
8:39:47 AM

It wouldn't be the chalk "killing" the lichen, it would just be that the change in the pH has made the conditions unfavourable for them to live (if that makes sense) - lucky that there is no high pH loving lichen out there.

The lucky thing is, Sticky, you won't have any lichen growing in your climbing gear any more.

stickyninja

2-Nov-2007
10:32:50 AM

but the question still remains will the chalk, in any way, damage my gear/rope?

dalai

2-Nov-2007
10:36:38 AM

No.

Next question? ;-)


nmonteith

2-Nov-2007
10:37:10 AM

No, apart from maybe gunking up the action of your cams and biners. A quick fresh water rinse and re-
lube may be required.

dalai

2-Nov-2007
10:42:37 AM

On 2/11/2007 nmonteith wrote:
>No, apart from maybe gunking up the action of your cams and biners. A quick
>fresh water rinse and re->lube may be required.

Relube using a non oil based product like Mr Sheen.


Capt_mulch

2-Nov-2007
1:04:43 PM

> will the chalk, in any way, damage my gear/rope?

If it did, we'd all be stuffed.

Elegant Offwidth

2-Nov-2007
1:47:48 PM

I recall a mate of mine , telling me that chalk is carcenogenic, so if thats true then it will cause more damage to your body than to climbing gear . But yeah , my quick draw slings are a lot stiffer after years of chalk impregnation . Maybe time to buy some new ones .


Capt_mulch

2-Nov-2007
1:54:55 PM

Chalk is only carcenogenic if you stick it in your mouth with betle nut and pepper leaf and chew it every day for thirty years.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

2-Nov-2007
2:05:32 PM

Everything in moderation Cap'n.
:)
Daga (lime) used with betelnut makes a mess of your teeth and gums in way less than 30 yrs! Though I don't doubt that ingesting calcium carbonate (chalk) would not be good for you when taken in sufficient quantity either.


Macciza

2-Nov-2007
9:22:19 PM

On 2/11/2007 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:

> Though I don't doubt that ingesting calcium carbonate
>(chalk) would not be good for you when taken in sufficient quantity either.

Although it may act as a lactic acid buffer if you eat enough - for you sport-climbers . . .;-}


Chuck Norris

2-Nov-2007
9:34:15 PM

On 2/11/2007 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>Everything in moderation Cap'n.
>:)
>Daga (lime) used with betelnut makes a mess of your teeth and gums in
>way less than 30 yrs! Though I don't doubt that ingesting calcium carbonate
>(chalk) would not be good for you when taken in sufficient quantity either.

i thought climbing chalk was magnesium carbonate? and that it is also sold to assist with indigestion.
back in the dark ages I recall going to a chemist to get chalk when there were no climbing shops in the
area i was climbing....

as for damaging your gear...I think chalk makes all gear completely unusable - especially large
camalots. I happen to have access to a completely safe way of disposing of a #3, #4, and #5 camalot
and would offer that service to you if you would just mail me the corrupted devices.

Its not just your life its all the people that love you too.

TLockwood

2-Nov-2007
11:09:43 PM

I know if I was a piece of climbing gear, I'd feel violated if people constantly dusted me with chalk. All you people for the fair treatment of climbing gear (and anti-chalk zealots) stand up for your gear's rights! ;)


Macciza

3-Nov-2007
9:40:32 AM

On 2/11/2007 TLockwood wrote:
>I know if I was a piece of climbing gear, I'd feel violated if people constantly
>dusted me with chalk. All you people for the fair treatment of climbing
>gear (and anti-chalk zealots) stand up for your gear's rights! ;)

This was actually recently discussed at a CUA (http://members.optusnet.com.au/m_8/CUA.html)
meeting with reps from the RSPCCA and action is definitely needed. More info soon.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

3-Nov-2007
12:00:29 PM

On 2/11/2007 stugang wrote:
>i thought climbing chalk was magnesium carbonate?

You are prolly right!
On second thoughts I am sure you are, as I am no chemist, and am probably confusing chalk with limestone; ~>obviously two very different things.

... I am not into eating either of the above ... heh, heh, heh.


cruze

3-Nov-2007
4:38:16 PM

Chalk is magnesium carbonate with magnesium hydroxide. Dissolved with water the solution would be basic which could potentially hydrolise the amide bonds in nylon. Given the relatively low solubility of the two salts in water, the relatively low temperatures at which climbing gear is kept and the relatively large quantity of material which would need to be degraded I would say, as a chemist, that the rate of hydrolysis would be so slow that the rate of degradation (and gear failure) of the webbing, etc due to exposure to chalk would be negligible if not zero.

Personnally I would be rinsing off the gear with cold water, thoroughly drying it and relubing on a regular basis anyway so I wouldn't be worried. But you didn't need a chemist to tell you what is common sense.


Capt_mulch

3-Nov-2007
7:30:19 PM

Cruze, you obviously paid way too much attention in Chemistry class - it's always nice to have a subject matter expert on hand though :-). My chemistry is strictly soil science, but then what's rock but soil waiting to happen?

Climbers chalk is Magnesium carbonate - betelnut lime is Calcium carbonate (but they burn it - coral - first then pound it to dust - what does that do to it Cruze - hydro something ize it?). I think it is the extreme pH of it that is the carcinogenic. You've got to really abuse it tho - I've seen extreme betel nut addicts (lived in the Solomons for 3 years M9 and married to a Solomon Islander) and sticking lime in your mouth for extended periods does really nasty things. I've never heard of climbers getting hand cancer - anyone??


IdratherbeclimbingM9

5-Nov-2007
10:16:24 AM

Emnau wontok. Yumi tok savvy na olgeta harim na wokim olsem, bai kirap gutpela!


Capt_mulch

5-Nov-2007
11:17:04 AM

Wantok, tok blo iu hemi olsaim village man - olo kine tok - blo PNG too - tok blo me hemi modern MTV generation Honiara pidgin (same same but difren lilebit (or should I say lik lik) - flow na burra!

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