Thread: White gas + climbing harness = bad?

On my hut trip last week, the spare fuel bottle I was carrying leaked slightly and my climbing harness just so happened to be packed right next to it (I'm a dumbass for packing it like that ) The label on the bottle was definitely wet and you could smell white gas, but it wasn't like everything was drenched in fuel.

I'm inclined to replace it if I have any doubts about the integrity of the harness and the slings attached to it, but so far in my research I've gotten conflicting reports on whether or not white gas will damage nylon (especially in very small quantities). Unless I get a definite answer that white gas is not harmful to nylon from a credible source, I'll be replacing it.

Speculate away.

Wash the shit out of it, then test it by taking some fall factor 1+ leader falls and then report back.

For the slings, if they are Spectra or Dyneema, trash them. They are absolutely effected by cyclical hydrocarbons, which are in white gas in at least small amounts.

A naphtha product like white gas shouldn't effect nylon proper. But, how certain are you that other polymers aren't used somewhere critical, like stitching. At the very least inspect the shit out of it. If you see anything resembling melted fibers, you have problems.

for how much slings cost vs your life, i would just replace them.

Maybe use the rest of the white gas on the slings and harness with a match included in the equation, i agree replacing a few pieces is the way to go even if you might be aright not doing so.

Replace them.

This question came up at cascadeclimbers.com the other day, only with rope and motor oil. Someone posted this "debunking" of the idea that motor oil is harmful:

http://www.rockandice.com/articles/h...-Climbing-Rope

However, I know I would just replace the gear. I'm not an alarmist, but I've used gasoline to dissolve enough stuff that it just doesn't seem worth the risk to me. Maybe it's a question of how broke you are. But ask yourself who else will want to rope up with you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hepk...feature=topics

Originally Posted by camlax

for how much slings cost vs your life, i would just replace them.

This. Why are you even asking?

The German alpine association ran several test with climbing ropes and gasoline, diesel, alcohol and urine (AFAIK they submerged and soaked the ropes in the liquids) and they didn't notice any significant strength loss. The chemical resistance they tested applies to polyamid.
Probably your harness isn't made from dyneema...

You really need to worry about acids, though (e.g. from you car battery!).

link (in German)
http://www.bergundsteigen.at/file.ph...bergseile).pdf

Originally Posted by Big Steve

Wash the shit out of it....

Originally Posted by Chowda

... inspect the shit out of it...

he's got gas, not the runs...

Originally Posted by herr_stoiber

You really need to worry about acids, though (e.g. from you car battery!).

link (in German)
http://www.bergundsteigen.at/file.ph...bergseile).pdf

Or the electricity FROM that battery in the case of carbon, my buddies CF white water paddle shorted out on a car battery and the blade disintegrated completely which was obvious on a WW kayak paddle but in a piece of gear where the CF was hidden you may not notice ?

Cut the slings and threw them away, but I decided to shoot an email off to Petzl to see what they have to say about this before I trash my harness.

Originally Posted by grubbers

Cut the slings and threw them away, but I decided to shoot an email off to Petzl to see what they have to say about this before I trash my harness.

Let's hope they don't reply in German.

I would toss the harness as well, but that is just me. Any "chemicals" (define however broadly you want) around my climbing gear is no bueno IMHO.

Originally Posted by old goat

Let's hope they don't reply in German.

Petzl is a French company, so if they reply in German I think it's a sign to dispose of the harness no matter whether you can read it or not.

If you want to know the answer after the fact, there are enginerds on climbing websites (and the BD qc lab) who have pull testers and might be willing to test the harness (and the slings if you hadn't cut them up) to see if it really did weaken them. I'm in the camp of it probably has no effect but you should replace anyway.

Originally Posted by Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer

I would toss the harness as well, but that is just me. Any "chemicals" (define however broadly you want) around my climbing gear is no bueno IMHO.

nonoxynol-9 ???

As I eluded to above, I bet it's fine (although I am playing with your money). But personally, I would replace it. If for no other reason than it is one less thought to quiet in my head the next time I'm run-out and not feeling the next move.

This is an interesting topic.

First off, Dyneema and Spectra are UHMWPE, one of the most stable polymers in existence: http://k-mac-plastics.net/data%20she...resistance.htm

Second, in terms of strength, Aramid or Nylon have far more detrimental results when exposed to plain old dihydrogen monoxide than say a solvent, like acetone. http://www.carlislefsp.com/files/solventguide.pdf & http://stroft.net/proandcontra.html