Chalk and chalk bags

Chalk is the cheapest, most universal bit of climbing kit, and also one of the most misunderstood. New climbers tend to either ignore it entirely or coat themselves like they have fallen into a flour bin. Used well, chalk keeps your hands dry and your grip secure. Used badly, it covers the holds, the floor and the person next to you. Here is what it does and how to get it right.

What chalk actually does

Climbing chalk is magnesium carbonate, the same stuff gymnasts and weightlifters use. Its job is to absorb sweat and moisture from your skin so that your fingers grip the rock or holds rather than greasing off them. Sweaty hands are slippery hands, and on small crimps or rounded slopers even a little moisture can be the difference between sticking a move and skating off.

It is worth saying that chalk is not magic. It will not give you grip you do not have, and caking your hands in it does nothing useful. A light, even layer is all you want. Over-chalking actually reduces friction, because you end up gripping a layer of powder rather than the texture of the hold.

Loose, block or liquid

Chalk comes in a few forms, and most climbers end up using a mix depending on the situation:

• Loose chalk is the standard powder. Easy to apply, easy to over-apply, and the most prone to creating dust clouds. The default for most people in a chalk bag.
• Block chalk is a solid lump you crush down yourself. It tends to be better value and you can control the consistency, breaking off as much as you want.
• Liquid chalk is chalk suspended in alcohol that you rub on and let dry, leaving a thin base layer. It creates almost no dust, lasts well, and many gyms prefer or require it for that reason. A lot of climbers use liquid chalk as a base and top up with loose chalk during a session.

Some chalk includes a drying agent for very sweaty hands, and coloured chalk exists for crags where white tick marks are unwelcome. For most people, plain chalk in whichever form suits the venue is all you need.

Bags and buckets

For roped climbing and bouldering on the move, a chalk bag clips to your harness or sits on a belt around your waist, so you can dip mid-route. For bouldering at the base of a wall, a larger chalk bucket sits on the ground and you dip between attempts. Many boulderers carry both.

There is not much to choosing one beyond size, a closure that keeps dust in, and a stiff rim that stays open so you can get your hand in easily. A brush loop and a small pocket for tape or a phone are nice to have. It is one of the few pieces of kit where personality is fine, so pick one you like the look of.

Keep it off everyone else

Chalk dust is the quiet etiquette issue of every gym and crag. Clouds of it hang in the air, settle on holds and aggravate people with sensitive lungs. A few simple habits keep you in everyone's good books: dip lightly rather than slapping clouds about, avoid clapping your hands to knock off excess, consider liquid chalk indoors where dust builds up, and brush your tick marks off outdoor rock at the end of a session. Small courtesies, but they are the difference between a tidy crag and a chalked-out mess.