luwayo Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Does this happen to you at elevation? Are some brands more prone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griz Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Exploding Gu  No.  i'll leave the spray response version for someone else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawgoddess Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 took several gu (and a powershot gel) up rainier recently and none of them exploded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinfox Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Exploding Gu  i'll leave the spray response version for someone else...  Uh OH! Did you get exploding GU on your crazy carpet!??! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luwayo Posted August 10, 2005 Author Share Posted August 10, 2005 these unhappy circumstances are very occasional. i don't even have to ascend high for this problem to happen. Â perhaps i've just had a badly sealed batch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 I've never had one explode from pressure differences experienced at altitude... are you sure you didn't just smash/step on it? I have had this happen plenty of times... almost always with the power bar brand containers. Â A great fix is ordering GU from e-caps.com... its called hammer gel and the shit rocks! You can buy it by the bottle... 27 shots per bottle or something like that. Most websites that distribute it throw in a free flask that holds 6 shots. Just refill it before a trip and viola! no sticky gu packets in your pocket, no trash to worry about, no explosions, etc etc. And the more you buy (i.e. 4 bottles) the cheaper it is... if you do the math it comes out to like 70 cents a shot or something. Its the way to go! Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 yum yum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luwayo Posted August 10, 2005 Author Share Posted August 10, 2005 i've never seen hammer gels before. Â you're right about tubes being more economical. alas, my desire for variety overules, mostly. will order a few tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc14410 Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 I don't think elevation is a factor. I've used it every time I've climbed Rainier, and had it up to 20,000 in Ecuador. The only time it's ever exploded was during a bike ride. It blow up in the back pocket of my jersey and ran down the back of my leg. My friends laughed their asses off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Shop around (look at ultra marathon or endurance fuel websites) and you will find the stuff super cheap. I would recommend getting all the flavors (maybe doubles) in the single packets and seeing which ones you like before you commit to 27 shots of something you might not like. Â Also do browse e-caps site... they have a ton of free info for endurance athletes and some sick sick sick products (including supplements that promote red blood cell growth)! Their drink mix is good too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 just watch what you take. you don't want all your FAs thrown into question because you test postive for 'roids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomtom Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Ohhh, Ohhhhhh, OHHHHHHHHH! Â ... Gu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billygoat Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 That stuff can be quite funny: Â My wife and I and another couple were on a ski lift and I opened a package of GU and it shot out onto the hands of my friend's wife. She looked at it, giggled, then lapped it up. We both broke out laughing in a way that said we were on the same page. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADman Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 My wife and I and another couple were on a ski lift and I opened a package of GU and it shot out onto the hands of my friend's wife. She looked at it, giggled, then lapped it up. We both broke out laughing in a way that said we were on the same page.  There are friends; and then there are friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squid Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 H.I.: What are you talkin' about, Glen? Glen: What am I talkin' about? I'm talkin' about sex boy, what the hell you talkin' about? I'm talkin' about l'amour! I'm talkin' that me and Dot are swingers, as in "to swing." I'm talkin' about wife swappin'. I'm talkin' about what they call nowadays open marriage. I'm talk... H.I.: [Knocks Glen to the ground with a punch] Keep your goddamn hands off my wife! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunger Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 great flick. Â i had a powergel burst too. messy. Â does that hammer stuff have electrolytes? it seems i need more of those on long days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Yes and no. They don't market it as "contains electrolytes" like Gatorade does... however if you do your homework electrolytes (at least ones required for basic body functions) include sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate... extremely common elements/compounds. If you check the ingredients you'll find sodium, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride... all "electrolytes". Â If you are looking for electrolytes e-caps/hammer gel sells a number of supplements in pill form (race caps, cardio caps, etc etc) that are likely overkill for most alpine kids but if you are trying to repeat one of Croft's traverses or do the central pillar of swiss in a day car to car they might be a good idea. Â For me what I have found works best as keeping me moving is the perpetuem and sustained energy drink mixes... perpetuem is straight up carbs in a drink mix... it tastes and looks like paste dissolved in water (no sugar as sugar hinders preformance for endurance activities)... that shit will keep you cooking for hours on end. Â Related to that the hammer gel is one of the most viscous gels I have used... enough that you can easily dissolve it in water (recommended for people who hate gu taste or texture). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunger Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 thanks for the crib notes re: electrolytes. Â for me, long vertical day + heat + limited water = eventual hand cramps. i conclude that prob. need more salts like those you list. will check that hammer gel. drink mixes (e.g. perpetuem) require carrying a container, while i prefer a bladder--not conducive to mixing. Â sugar hinders endurance performance? don't you need both simple and complex carbs for enduro? i should take the time to research this stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 require carrying a container, while i prefer a bladder--not conducive to mixing.  Many of the newer bladders have large enough openings... time for an upgrade!  sugar hinders endurance performance? don't you need both simple and complex carbs for enduro? i should take the time to research this stuff...  All the answers you seek (and many you didn't even think to ask) are answered here: Journal of Endurance CD Worth the 50 bucks!  A few free websites I like that have a ton of free info:  www.run100s.com www.ultrunr.com  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-rock Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 This has gotta be the gayest thread ever! How many different unsolicited products can one person market? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squid Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Lunger- I was comparing gu-type products, and the one that really stood out as being a good source of electrolytes as well as complex carbohydrates is some stuff called Crank.  Link Here  I picked up some stuff locally at Speedy Reedy's in Fremont- will report back with super-gay product evaluation on monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I've heard that the military has used crank in order to keep the troops going for weeks straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunger Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 thanks Squid! Just the kind of stuff I'm looking for, even if it turns out gay. Muscle cramps are an unhappy condition. I'll look forward to your findings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitergal Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Ok..I ignored this tread...now I wish I didn't. I did Rainier this past weekend, on the way to Muir, my tangerine flavored powergel, exploded in my shorts pocket. YUK. Sticky, icky, and yuk. Â The next day (middle of the night, what-ever you call it) on the way up from muir....my raspberry flavored hammerhead gel exploded in the top compartment of my back pack. YUK! Â WTF! Why are they exploding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Every time you kill a kitten, God explodes a gel pack somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.