Liquid chalk vs friction lab vs. chalk cartel

What would you consider the leading chalk out of these three contenders?  I haven’t tried chalk cartel, but friction labs chalk is good as well as liquid chalk.  Do you prefer liquid to regular chalk?

I have super sweaty hands and chalk cartel is the first thing to keep them dry. I've been using black diamond white gold for a while now because of the quality to cost ratio, but I'm making the switch now.

Just make your own liquid chalk with isopropyl alcohol.  Way cheaper.

I make my own liquid chalk using isopropyl alcohol. For me this isn't a replacement for loose chalk, though. 

I have used Friction Labs quite a bit and have used several other chalk brands as well. I have not tried Chalk Cartel. What I can tell you is I see no real difference between Friction Labs and the Black Diamond White Gold chalk that I currently use. Sure, they feel slightly different on my skin, but I've noticed absolutely no performance difference when using Friction Labs vs. Black Diamond. My experience with Friction Labs has really turned me off of the expensive chalk brands. I just don't see a difference. Based on that I will not be trying Chalk Cartel.

oh god do we really have to do this again?

Friction Labs reps have been very honest with me and others when asked. Their product may not create any more (or less friction) but rather is meant to stay on longer, therefore you will use less and hopefully cost to use ratio will even out, and not damage skin as much.

I have personally noticed the first selling point, especially when sport climbing, I don't need to chalk up nearly as much.

MrZ wrote:

Friction Labs reps have been very honest with me and others when asked. Their product may not create any more (or less friction) but rather is meant to stay on longer, therefore you will use less and hopefully cost to use ratio will even out, and not damage skin as much.

I have personally noticed the first selling point, especially when sport climbing, I don't need to chalk up nearly as much.

To each his own. In my experience FL doesn't stay on my skin longer nor does it have any positive impact on skin damage. I'm also friends with a former rep and know many of their sponsored athletes so I've heard about all of the benefits of the chalk. I have simply never experienced them.

Once I started drying my hands, first with iontophoresis and now with Rhino Skins Dry Spray and/or antihydril, fancy chalk became irrelevant. The cheap stuff works just fine when your hands don’t sweat much anyway.

 I have tried FL, they are pretty good but I really like Spider Chalk. It just feels better on my hands, less gritty. It also stays on my hands a lot better. 

I just started using the Mammut product, and am totally sold on it. I rub some on before I go up, and then augment periodically with regular chalk. There seems to be a synergy that happens, because I use much less powdered chalk if I apply the liquid chalk first, and my hands are much drier. I may even switch to the dreaded chalk ball.  Of course it is one more piece of crap you need to remember to bring. And you can't haul it up the climb with you.

As for powdered chalk, I still have 5 pounds of Frank Endo gymnastic chalk...enough for this lifetime.

Friction Labs chalk gives me minimal grip and disappears halfway through boulder problems. I have no idea why as it clearly shouldn't happen. Other people I know swear by it so it's clearly just me but FWIW.

I use BD Gold and it works perfectly. I pre smash it into finer particles, though, as it's ridiculously chunky out of the bag.