A few things I would add which I have noticed, if anybody’s interested: -Liquid chalk is quite good as a base layer bc it tends to last fairly well, and then you can add the powder stuff on top when you need it. That way your hand is truly dried through and through -I’ve seen a few walls only accepting or at least really encouraging liquid chalk recently, mostly bc loose chalk generates a lot of dust in the closed environment of climbing walls (and causes nose bleeds and so on to workers exposed to it non-stop), but also bc the alcohol in those chalks is meant to act exactly like hand sanitiser - pretty useful in Covid times. So you never know, might as well keep a bottle of it in your bag if you can

it's been a month since i started using plain magnesium carbonate from the chemist store for 5€/kg. it performs just as good as most climbing chalk. the only downside is, it is very fine, some people like it this way, myself i like my chalk coarse, so i mix in some chalk blocks.

i used to use some cheapo chalk then i bought some unicorn dust and now that is all I use. I just like the feel of it and how it coats my hands seems to stay on a bit longer, realistically though any actual difference at my level is probably negligible. But the stuff does feel good so i continue to use it.

Ive been climbing sandstone in the saxon swiss for my entier life and chalk is forbidden here, now im gettimg started in the climbing gym and after 2 sessions of taking a towel up with me ive bought my first chalk today thanks for the info, gave me a good insight

I just got a chalk sock and friction lab’s unicorn dust chalk. Do you suggest putting both in the same chalk bag, or leaving them separate?

Thanks Matt, nice guide to climbing chalk:)

Thanks that was helpful. I recently purchased friction labs prefilled chalk ball. I also got some black diamond white gold chalk. To fill said chalk ball when it is time. When I got my first pair of La sportiva climbing shoes.

I like to use one layer of liquid chalk when I come to the gym/crag just to dry my hands completely and then keep with the normal chalk.

Rosin damages the rock surfaces, they are not water-soluble and build-up on the rock surfaces making the rock glossy and slippery! DON'T USE IT ON REAL ROCKS !!!

I've just started climbing and the thing is my hands get wet very quickly, I've realized that when I've used a ball it doesn't give enough amount to it (or I need to spend time to get enough amount) So do you have any recommendations for wet hands?

I have really sweaty hands so I use liquid chalk first specifically with alcohol so it dries my hands better then regular fine chalk

My choice of chalk: Black diamond liquid chalk as baselayer Friction labs unicorn dust in the chalkbag

Liquid chalk was my favorite, unfortunately u cant use it mid climb, and it takes sometime to dry and with time it kinda gets annoying, its goes away slower than normal chalk but its like 1.25 times slower so not that much. But the worst thing about it…. Is washing it off, oh my god its kinda like paint sometimes where i wash my hands 3-4 times to get it off and it would still leave tiny traces. Its really good in my opinion, but if it was more convenient

Man, I once got the best chalk I ever had but can't find it anymore. I was in Fontainebleau once and needed chalk, so I found a store, bought some, put it in my chalk bag and threw the packaging away. I only remember it had an aggressive looking wasp on the packaging. I've been trying forever to find the same stuff again.

i think i use my shoes just a bit more often than chalk, so shoes would be the most used type of climbing gear.

is there any difference between one brand or another, or is it just the same powder?

"finger sweatingly expensive" haha

CaCO3 and MgCO3 don't dissolve in water. The main claimed difference by brands is that MgCO3 absorbs water in its chemical structure, where CaCO3 doesn't. That part of the chemistry I'm not to sure of, so maybe I'll try using black board chalk one of these days to prove that.

Why would you get rid of alcohol in liquid chalk?? The alcohol dries your skin when it dries, which is part of the point.

I just returning to climbing after covid. Chalks are now banned in our gym because of covid. We can only use liquid which we can't just dip into half way up the wall. No chalk bags. I feel like I'm trying to kick a serious addiction and can't cope :(

My dad is a Potter and has a lot of glaze chemicals and one of them is magnesium carbonate and I have been using that for years. It is quite fine and not chunky but it dries out your hands quite well and it is a fraction of the cost of normal climbing chalk (about 25$ USA for 5 pound)

There is another problem I have encountered with liquid. It’s the alcohol, it’s very painful if you get any cuts..and god help you if you gets a dreaded flapper

Great video, but you never told us what the best way to snort it was...$100 Bill? Plastic straw cut to size?

Matts cozy corner :) Get a fireplace next to you Matt and uncover the mysteries of the climbing world.

Do not encourage the use of liquid chalks which contain colophonium (rosin/pof or the ambiguous “thickener” may or may not be depending on product). This makes these chalks have great staying power on the hands but need to be heavily brushed else quickly become glassen layers. After, about the only way to remove is with a wire brush, and this is more pronounced on conditional holds where people are already brushing vigorously between burns with a lighter boars hair brush. If there are ingredients other than magnesium carbonate, alcohol (or alcohol replacement as with the FL version) and water, do not purchase this. Examples include the Camp mentioned, Black Diamond, Mammut, and many others. Versions to buy include Friction Labs Secret Stuff, 8b+ Liquid Chalk, and Metolius Liquid Chalk.

Hey, Matt, you've lost some hair since episode 850 which brought me here 😅

I personally think chalk is a curse, leaves the holds much worse for the people that come next, not so nice for the air quality, etc, etc