Originally Posted by cyccommute

The salt is only part of the problem. The humidity and dew point are the other part. Here in dry Colorado it is currently 35°F with a relative humidity of 45% and a dew point of 20°F. Current temperature in Tampa is 70°F with a relative humidity of 89% and a dew point of 69°F. There’s no water to sucked out of the air in Denver while there is lots and lots and lots of water to be sucked out of the air in Tampa. Sodium chloride is hydroscopic which means it can suck water out of the air. Your bar tape in NC wasn’t wet because it failed to dry but because the salt in the bar tape was actively sucking water out of the air.