UKC

Whats the most useful stuff to bring out bouldering? I have all the usuals (Pad, sit/start mat, chalk, shoes, sandpaper, nail clipper, brush, tape, a rag) but what are the little essentials I should carry that I just don't know about?

While I'm on it, whats best to carry in terms of first aid?

In reply to pats87:
I think one of the joys of bouldering is how little stuff you need. You already take more than I do the only extras I would include are Superglue for emergency sticking together of cut fingers and some good handcream for the end of the day so you can do it all again tomorrow...

In reply to pats87: Duck Tape, good for all those little rips and tears, I keep a metre or so wrapped around my water bottle, so I don't carry a full roll around with me.

In terms of 1st aid, other than plasters and pain-killers,the most useful thing I keep with me is a compression bandage (like this one http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Cohesive-Support-Bandage-Large_7824 ) Good for any sprains that you may get whilst out and about and enough to get you back to the car.

In reply to pats87: You have negated the most important piece of bouldering kit which is of course the beanie hat. It is also essential to climb with your top off even in January!

In reply to EeeByGum:

You've got me worried now, I boulder, I don't wear a beanie, and don't have a particular penchant for removing my top whatever the weather....
Should I still be allowed to continue bouldering?

In reply to pats87: Superglue and vitamen E FTW.

In reply to EeeByGum: If I were to go topless I would gain an extra square foot or so of contact with the rock using my gut. At last a use for the muffin top!

In reply to BigJames: You will definately climb 3 grades harder shirt off

In reply to pats87: A chisel is often useful.


-BS

In reply to pats87: in my bouldering mat i usually have:
rag, bit of carpet, guidebook, toothbrush, chalk, tape, shoes x2 dif sets

"" ""climbing sack i usually have:
avon skin so soft for midges, deodorant in case i stink!, windproof/jumper, suntan lotion, drink/food, mobile, spare hair bobble, camera and of course a beanie

done. its like a really big handbag

In reply to chalkyjim:

thats obvious really. its also cuts down on weight for the alpine boulderer

whats the sand paper for?

In reply to naffan:
>

Your hands/fingers.

In reply to pats87: oh right. i thought it was to de polosh rock or something like that. i wouldnt mind someone taking abit of sand paper to the black wall on salisbury crags

In reply to naffan: why dont you? *runs*

In reply to naffan: Joking aside, i don't see a problem with roughing up polished holds a bit, as long as it is subtle and just to restore roughness. Chipping is not on though.


-BS

In reply to Big Sender:

Joking aside, I assume you are joking? The Sheffield Mafia would issue Fatwa for such vandalism.

In reply to BigJames:

Absolutely not!! Have you not noticed the odd looks and scowls of disgust from your beanie wearing bouldering peers?

In reply to EeeByGum:

I did wonder why I routinely get spat on and have poo covered chalk balls thrown at me.....I knew I was doing something wrong.

In reply to jonny2vests: I don't mean creating new holds (ovvious vandalism), just getting rid of polish... surely that is not vandalism, it's more like repair. Nobody I know has had a problem with this.


-BS

In reply to Big Sender:

yes it is vandalism and no it is not acceptable. Your mates are wrong as well.

In reply to plexiglass_nick:

What he said!

In reply to plexiglass_nick: Surely it isn't a black and white issue? If the shape of the holds doesn't change, you just take the worst of the polish off, what harm's been done? It's restoring the route to its more natural state, a bit like removing pegs.


-BS

In reply to Big Sender:


I'm assuming this is a troll. Well, I hope it is....

In reply to bigsender: Ha hahahaha!!! excellent. ...or worrying.

In reply to galpinos: I reckon. he'll be like "sand em down, whack on some pof.." in a minute. funny, though misleading.

In reply to galpinos: Only slightly a troll, just interested why it is seen as such a black and white issue... Obviously on natural grit it would damage the rock but on quarried polished limestone it's not that big a deal, surely?


-BS

In reply to bigsender: interesting now, what is the stand on quarried bolted limestone? I wouldnt do it, but is it that wrong on man made lines? mmmm

In reply to Big Sender:

As Nick suggests - your opinion is not consistent with what most (including governing bodies) regard as acceptable practice. Soft brushing is allowed, that's it. Ever heard of the BMC's bouldering ten commandments?

In fact, you're so far off the mark, its untrue, hence why I thought you were joking. Get a grip.

In reply to bigsender: so, have you done this?

In reply to Big Sender:
I try to avoid posting on here but fecking hell! I'm shocked, you can't be that selfish/ignorant can you?

In reply to Stu Jones:
Big Sender on the France Cookson thread:

UKC News: GOOD EFFORT.
shame he had to make serious ethical compromises

???

In reply to Big Sender:

If you can't get up something, you don't change it to make it easier so you can. If you can't hold/stand on the holds, go away and get stronger/better then come back and crush. Bringing a problem/route down to your level isn't whjat climbing is about. Bring your level up to that of the route.

In reply to Big Sender:

If there was one black and white issue in climbing it is that we don't improve holds just because we feel like it.

Sandpaper is abrasive, yes? hence you are removing a layer of rock, even if you think it is only a very small one. Some rock types, especially sandstone, have a very thin patina of hard outer rock, and when this is gone it erodes extremely quickly. If a hold is polised then it is at least not being eroded, so you are accelerating the process of erosion. It is in no way, shape or form 'restoring the route to its natural state'

There may arguably be a fine line between 'acceptable' and 'over vigourous' cleaning but use of sandpaper to roughen holds is way over the line into hold improvement.

Also, it is cheating and bringing the route down to your level.

Manmade quarries don't make a difference, modern ethics don't allow chipping holds in quarries just because they are man-made either.

In reply to Stu Jones:

Lol. In fairness, I think he was probably having a (perfectly reasonable) dig at FC who has been quick to highlight other people's ethical compromises in the past.

In reply to jonny2vests: 10 points


-BS

In reply to pats87:

Can't be bothered to read the rest of the thread, but has anyone said cake yet?

In reply to plexiglass_nick: I just dont see why so many people get so up tight about it. It's just a shitty bit of quarried limestone... good for training but not the "real thing".


-BS

In reply to Big Sender:
In your opinion you selfish cnut....

In reply to Stu Jones: Well I have yet to meet a climber who likes / prefers polished holds. Seems to be a common complaint. I was just trying to do something about it, rather than sit back and moan.


-BS

In reply to tlm:

Cake.

In reply to Big Sender:


Why is it all of a sudden quarried? Are you trying to roughen up the argument to give yourself a (misguided) chance of winning it.

Quarried or not, you are MASSIVELY out of touch and don't try and pretend you were trolling either, your card is already marked.

In reply to Big Sender:

If your approach DID return the hold to it's original state then I think many fewer would have a problem. The trouble is it doesn't.

Shoes & hands polish off very small scale irregularities but leave larger scale bumps & ripples. It's these larger scale irregularities which sandpaper would remove.
The result of a few cycles of this would be either an unuseably smooth hold
or the removal of the weathered top surface leaving a crumbly hold.

Either way the route/problem is the F%^^ed.

In reply to Big Sender:
im sorry, im dead against just insulting a pearson for the sake of it...

but in this case this is not the first time i've read Big Sender being an arse.

every time i read ur idiotic statements i think, is he this much of a tw*t?!


now...it is firmly semented in my mind.