What’s your favorite chalk?

Jaren Watson wrote:

Whey protein or chalk?

Probably both.. But the chalk specifically 

Floyd Eggers wrote: LMAO this is the exact same thing as people arguing over which whey protein works the best. Its all the same and its all based on "proprietary" (aka inconsistent) mixtures. Plus, some probably comes from North Korean prison mines...

this isn't true about protein nor about chalk. All of them are magnesium carbonate with some filler. But the filler varies and some folks (Metolius) are like the dude who puts PCP in the coke

As someone who has an association with and produces media for several of these companies, I am fortunate to get chalk for free a lot of the time. So, without considerations of cost, I would put Chalk Cartel first and Friction Labs not too far behind. I personally find Chalk Cartel to have the best feel and I have definitely noticed a difference in its ability to keep my hands consistently drier. Friction Labs does a good job of that too. That being said, if cost is inhibitory, Frank Endo and Black Diamond block chalks are pretty well priced and still very good quality. In fact, I often mix in a block of these with my Chalk Cartel because I like having larger chunks. (Chalk Cartel is similar in chunkiness to Gorilla Grip from FL.) Chalk Cartel is about $1.70/oz and Black Diamond is about $1.00/oz. Frank Endo is usually a bit cheaper. Friction Labs is definitely a bit pricier at about $2.50/oz. So, Chalk Cartel is a nice happy medium of premium chalk meeting a decent price point.

Personally, I think Metolius chalk isn't very good, particularly the 'Super Chalk'.

However, proper skin care and use of products like Rhino Skin or Antihydral is also an important part of managing skin wetness/dryness and splits.

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote:

Absolutely goddamned right.

And it is awesome too. :P

Time for me to refill my bag, actually. Ibex session tonight, boi. 

Endo

Bison comp chalk.

I have never even heard of most of this stuff..... I buy whatever they have at EMS which lately has only been the Petzl stuff. used to get the bison blocks and liked that. tasted pretty good.

Aaron Nash wrote: Just buy whatever is cheapest. Blocks, bags, whatever. It's chalk ffs.

Agreed. Is there any actual test data out there that shows that this "unicorn dust" or whatever actually yields more friction? I'm curious

yes there was. no there isn't. kind of, the results are summarized but no methods or results.

https://web.archive.org/web/20141024084045/ frictionlabs.com:80/chalk-m…
not only was the 'science part' removed, the link to the paper is dead too.

the drying agent is 'magnesium carbonate', which we all call chalk. if you buy it from a chemistry store like fisher scientific, it'll be 99% MgCO3. this is not a viable market, unfortunately. it is far easier to mine what is mostly MgCO3 and simply package it without purification. this is because the purification will add cost and facilities, etc. as a result, most of the brands you buy will have a contract with a specific mining operation. that specific mine will have different compositions and it will rarely, if ever, have pure MgCO3. this is why unicorn dust purportedly had 85% where other brands had 68% or some such. however, this may change literally day to day depending on the consistency of that specific mine.

https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/magnesium-carbonate-basic-100g/5090113933#?keyword=MAGNESIUM+CARBONATE+BASIC-100G
500 g of MgCO3 costs 100$.
i recommend against using this even if money was no object. many of the purification techniques in chemistry include heavy metals and may contain residual. trace exposures to humans can have devastating consequences.

here's a (maybe) double blind:
https://www.99boulders.com/best-climbing-chalk
not a prj obviously. methodology is gravely missing. for example, if they were done same day, wouldn't fatigue and time of day be a factor? if they were done on separate days, humidity would. same holds, cleanliness of holds, etc. was the hold tied to a weight+chalk and the duration measured? angle of hold?

if i had to guess, FL might use some basic purification that is certified as safe for human consumption. as a result, you'll see that reflected in the price. but it's kind of a moot point since most climbers find chalk to be tedious. many pro climbers have switched to antihydral to stop sweating in the first place. there is a medical procedure that permanently microwaves the pores in your hands shut. both of which are treatments for hyperhidrosis.

Block chalk. Whatever is cheapest and in bulk. 

I like to chalk it up to experience.

Hobo Greg wrote: For those who use liquid chalk I am genuinely wondering why? Frank Endo for me btw.

HB:  I use Mammut liquid chalk as a base at the start of a climb. It removes the sunscreen and other slippery greasy stuff on my hands. It also helps the powdered chalk stick better. YMMV

Aweffwef Fewfae wrote:

yes there was. no there isn't. kind of, the results are summarized but no methods or results.

Thanks for all the info; interesting stuff. Kind of confirms my suspicions that there is no actual science behind any of this other than empirical evidence (as seen in the thread). Seems to me that the "premium" stuff doesn't necessarily provide more friction, just stays on hands longer. Could be due to a finer powder. I don't know...I don't climb hard enough for chalk to be the difference between sending and and bailing, so I really don't care that much.

PS: The guy who said he gets his chalk from the lost and found chalk bags at the gym is the smartest fucker in this thread. Off to the gym with a ziploc bag...

Climbing Addicts makes a colored chalk that blends in with the wall.  They have a couple different blends.  I haven't tried it yet, but they seem to be a really cool company based out of Colorado.  Kind of expensive, but if you are concerned about holds being over-chalked, this could be a cool option.

Aaron Nash wrote:

Thanks for all the info; interesting stuff. Kind of confirms my suspicions that there is no actual science behind any of this other than empirical evidence (as seen in the thread). 

I think you meant anecdotal evidence....empirical evidence would be scientific proof of the shit being better than the other.

To add to the anectodal evidence, I have hyperhidrosis, and so even with the use of antihydral my hands sweat through whatever chalk I use. My hands will have pools of sweat in them even in the winter in the desert where temps are under 50 and humidity below 19%.

That said, the cheap stuff like metolius gets greasy and leaves a visible layer of “slime” on my hands. Adding more chalk to this just creates a thicker layer of slime. Expensive stuff just absorbs what moisture it can and then comes off, like I never put chalk on but chalks back up like normal, no slime. This I can say with a decent amount of certainty and confidence because the difference on my hands, where hyperhidrosis is involved, is readily observable to the naked eye. More subjectively, I can say that I prefer to just sweat through the chalk between chalking up than getting stuck with that greasy layer of soaked through slime that won’t go away, that’s why I use the expensive crap.

Found this at mountain chalet in Colorado Springs (before being listed officially on BD's site?)

Someone please explain to me why you care what kind of chalk you use.  Seriously.  What difference does it make?

The metolius or black diamond chalk is my favorite... it is cheap and is what I use to get me just to free shipping on internet orders! Now I have too much

Caleb Schwarz wrote:

Found this at mountain chalet in Colorado Springs (before being listed officially on BD's site?)

more Mylar for the landfills, if only a company used recyclable packaging...

​https://www.chalkcartel.com/​​​