Study Focuses on Ski Waxing Technicians' Exposure to Chemicals

A study by Swedish researchers suggests that ski waxing technicians have elevated levels of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) from fluorinated wax fumes. The time trend study also suggests that "continued exposure may contribute to elevated levels in ski technicians compared to the general population." The study is published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The abstract is available here.

There are several companies that sell "environmentally friendly ski wax" on the Internet.

Climbing Shoe Reviews Website Launches

A new website aims to help climbing enthusiasts choose footwear that is best suited for their needs. Climbing Shoe Review is a site "by climbers, for climbers." Climbers from around the world are invited to create a login and offer reviews of shoes that they've tried. The site also promises to keep readers informed about sales, discounts and information about new shoes.

Climbing Shoe Review.com rates rock climbing shoes in a variety of areas, including value, comfort, durability and trad climbing. Style categories include velcro, lace-ups and slippers. At the time of our visit, the website had reviews of many different shoes such as La Sportiva Solution, Five Ten Dragon, Evolv Pontas and Scarpa Mago.

Winter Camping Gear Article: Backpacker.com

Backpacker.com has produced an informative article about winter camping for beginners. Writer Steve Howe offers tips for protecting your head, torso, feet and hands, and he gives some great ideas regarding shelter and sleeping bags: "You can save a lot of money on winter sleeping bags by simply inserting a summer bag inside a three-season sleeping bag, but the combination weighs about two pounds more than the equivalent winter-specific mummy." We recommend the article, "Gearing Up for Your First Winter Overnight."