Rubbing alcohol for warmth?

L

LeeCQC

Joined
Oct 30, 2007
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I was watching a show about mexican smugglers on National Geographic channel, and one "ex-smuggler" said that they use rubbing alcohol to warm themselves when they get too cold, by rubbing it on their arms and legs. Has anyone ever heard of this? Any thoughts?
 
it could work scientifically for all i know. but it my lay-man experience the area applied is chilled by the evaporation of alcohol on the skin. -CB
 
Chuck is right, alcohol rubs used to be a treatment for fever in bygone days, because as it evaporates, it chills the skin.
 
It basically will suck the heat from your skin. I think the warming part came more from rubbing than from alcohol itself.
 
i agree with the previous posts and say that it would probably cool the skin more than warm it...

i know that whenever i rub it on it evaporates rapidly taking alot of warmth with it. same with the more concentrated acetone, which feels cool in my hand when i have a cloth soaked in it to rub something down with it.
 
If you are cold enough that you'd be minded to wade in with any kind of embrocation you are probably also cold enough that it would be bad practice. The body is designed to sacrifice the extremities in order to maintain temperature of the vital organs. Warming the limbs at cost to the core is the opposite.

Specifically with alcohol, as above. Evaporation of the alcohol is an endothermic process, meaning the body is being robbed of energy turning the alcohol into a gas. Again, poor idea. That said, I know it has been used as a substance for massage as apparently after the above a lingering perception of warmth comes through. I doubt that is anymore valuable than dousing your clutter with aftershave though.
 
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Alcohol does not freeze until far below water freezing point.
It means rubbing alcohol to body in cold condition can cause
serious damage to body, it absorbs body heat much quicker
than cold wind or even ice and may result in frostbite.
So is gasoline in the fuel bottle of cooking stoves.
 
go2ndAmend said:
Smugglers are not a very bright lot to begin with.
Click to expand...

Right on the $$$. I once interviewed two smugglers who, when asked how they stayed alive in the desert before they were found, stated that they drank each other's urine. :cool: Priceless...
 
on_the_edge said:
Right on the $$$. I once interviewed two smugglers who, when asked how they stayed alive in the desert before they were found, stated that they drank each other's urine. :cool: Priceless...
Click to expand...

So, would you say they got into a pissing contest? Badump bump! :barf:
 
fujita yuji said:
Alcohol does not freeze until far below water freezing point.
It means rubbing alcohol to body in cold condition can cause
serious damage to body, it absorbs body heat much quicker
than cold wind or even ice and may result in frostbite.
So is gasoline in the fuel bottle of cooking stoves.
Click to expand...

That was my thought as well.
 
Get some good whiskey it'll do the trick, but you have to drink it, and it'll make you stoopid.
 
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