Liquid leakage on slings and ropes
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 7:04 pm
Gear manufacturers warn you not to get oil, acid or bleach on ropes, slings, harnesses, etc. On a recent trip to the high country I discovered that the Aquamira water purifier drops I had included in my first aid kit had leaked and about 3/4 oz of the stuff was on the rear bed of my wagon. I guess I hadn't screwed the top down on Part A (chlorine dioxide solution, basically bleach) and the baggie I'd stuck it in wasn't watertight. I cleaned up the bed of my wagon and luckily it didn't get on my harness, rack, or ropes, but it got me thinking - there are a number of substances that are routinely carried in the backcountry that could be corrosive and damaging to gear slings, harnesses, and rope, including white gas, DEET, Aquamira, sunblock, cooking oil, and battery electrolyte (if a battery cell leaked). And of course there's motor oil or windshield washer fluid in the back of our cars (I had to throw away my original Whillans harness years ago when I lent it to a friend and motor oil leaked on it in his van). Obviously the best solution is to keep this stuff well away from gear, but if something did leak onto nylon/dyneema gear to which you trust your life (harness, rope, slings, etc.) and you were in the backcountry, what would you do? Rinse it as best you can? Not use it? Not worry about it?