Chalk it up to economics

i love giving you guys a heads up on the good stuff! i dont know why i do it? ...but since im gonna you might as well keep checkin in with me. .....OH! and if you find something you wanna spread, let me know and ill help ya out!

so what are we talking about today? really? umm, chalk? duh! yeah this is that stuff that climbers consume like crack! and at the gym its expensive as shit! one day many years ago i was gym ratting and a buddy came in with a five gallon paint bucket full of chalk. what?! yup and he explained how he bulk buys his chalk and keeps it in his truck in this way. very quickly this made sense to me....im a cosco shopper!



so lets talk average prices... generally i have seen a 2oz brick for $2, a 3oz chalk ball is $3 a 5oz bag of loose chalk can be $5 or more. if you hunt for a little bit you can find that metolius 5lb bag for about $50 plus shipping cost (which is usually where they hide a little extra profit). i found a better deal.

how about 10lbs for $67 with shipping! heres where:
http://gymmall.com/search.php?search_query=chalk

now im gonna try and sell you on it! assuming i dont get the stuff in 4 days and decide its crap(which will make me delete this post). so five pounds, last time i bought bulk lasted me about 2 years. now if you dont want to buy that big....invest with a couple buddies! now if you buy that same amount over time ...which you will if your a climber its gonna cost a lot! lets consider the 2oz brick for $2. 10lbs x 16oz(per pound) = 160oz x $2 (per brick) = $320.

$320 or $67? ....are you one of the special kids or have i gone far enough?



following that i thought i might just make a suggestion. now im not one of those guys who cares about loose chalk. i think its kinda dumb to spill massive amounts all over the area, but thats no reason not to use loose chalk. so i suggest using a mix of loose chalk and a ball. i put loose chalk in the bottom of my bag and then put a half full chalk ball on top. the ball helps keeps spills from happening and the loose chalk make it easier to chalk up.... for me, it works.

given that if you do use a ball... get a refillable one! get yourself a detergent or simple green bottle (gatorade also works great but it has no handle), then cut it off like in the photo and it makes reloading you chalk ball a snap!



oh replace that metal handle on your bucket for a stylish piece of tube web! take the drill bit you use for the T-nut holes and bore through the bucket where the handle was. this spot is reinforced and wont crack out. thread the web in and tie an overhand knot ....and its stylish!

thanks for all the new readers lately, i should get my treadwall kore tomorrow morning, but i wont start putting it together just yet....stupid work, stupid making a living! but ill post all that stuff as it happens... thanks!

Update!!!!
the chalk i got is awesome, no negatives what so ever. i know in the comments mr "Horsey Checks" (ask him... hell know the reference) thought it would be better to get the "drying agent" but i cant tell a difference. i may try to find out what this "agent" is ....i may not? well see!
but... the chalk is good... BUY IT!