IB Relief & Atwater Carey Hand Sanitizer
The old adage about a rope, a rack and the shirt on your back no longer applies in this era of bumper belays.
Unlock this article and more benefits with 50% off.
Already have an Outside Account? Sign in
40% Off Outside+.
$4.99/month $2.99/month*
Get the one subscription to fuel all your adventures.
- Map your next adventure with our premium GPS apps: Gaia GPS Premium and Trailforks Pro.
- Read unlimited digital content from 15+ brands, including Outside Magazine, Triathlete, Ski, Trail Runner, and VeloNews.
- Watch 600+ hours of endurance challenges, cycling and skiing action, and travel documentaries.
- Learn from the pros with expert-led online courses.
*Outside memberships are billed annually. Print subscriptions available to U.S. residents only. You may cancel your membership at anytime, but no refunds will be issued for payments already made. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year. More Details
IB RELIEF $19.95 AND ATWATER-CAREY HAND SANITIZER $1.99
IBRELIEF.COM
ATWATER-CAREY.COM
4 STARS
The old adage about a rope, a rack and the shirt on your back no longer applies in this era of bumper belays. We are now creatures of comfort, and stock up on all sorts of crazy commodities to make the daily dirtbag grind easier. We stay as healthy as possible and avoid any pain that isn’t a micro-crimp.
Enter two new products that I’ve thrown into my climbing pack without looking back. IB Relief is a new topical ibuprofen cream, the first of its kind. Rub on this lotion and you get nearly instantaneous relief for any afflicted area, unlike the pill, which takes at least 15 minutes to enter the system. Ingesting ibuprofen is notoriously harsh on the stomach, too. In fact, I all but 
gave up the smack a few years ago, after it made my guts feel as if I’d been eating broken glass. It was hard to tell if IB Relief lasts as long as the pill. The stuff works instantly, but then the relief seems to fade; however, the bottle explains that it will take 24 to 48 hours to really work on the afflicted area. I can’t attest to that, but I will recommend IB Relief for the last-ditch send of the day, when your fingers are stiff and so sore you would rather cry than shoe up.
Also, Atwater-Carey has a new hand sanitizer, a tube that looks like a pen with a cap. Spray the lemon-smelling liquid on your hands, and, according to Atwater-Carey, 99.9 percent of bacteria will be annihilated. This packable, pen claims to house over 70 sprays worth, and it fits in my pack right next to a roll of TP. It would also be a good addition to a med kit or your bouldering gear. With concern growing over the risk of a CA-MRSA infection [see Medicine, No. 159], now might be a good time to keep bacteria at bay. No excuses!