No, Climbing chalk is an inert chemical compound that has the propensity to outlive its expiration date.
Climbing chalk has become a necessity (in other cases, a must-have) for athletes and climbers. Most people make use of it at the gym or at the rocks to improve their grip and ensure that the hand stays dry. The interesting thing about this inert product is its ability to maintain its chemical property.
When properly taken care of, climbing chalk (as well as most chalk powders) will stay good beyond the period on its container.
Unlike other chemicals that lose their potency over a long storage period, the climbing chalk doesn’t follow that trend and as a result of the chemical composition of this chalk, it doesn’t expire.
Most climbers believe that the expiration date on the climbing chalk is only a measure taken to ensure that regulations are kept as the chalks are still in good condition (when not tampered with) for climbing, even after it has exceeded its prescribed usage period.
This however does not rule out the fact that you need to store your chalk in a cool and dry place, not exposed to moisture from the surrounding. It is always advisable that you store your climbing chalk in an airtight container. Examples are the Tupperware box and the Nalgene bottle. This will prevent your chalk from getting wet.
In this post, you will learn more about climbing chalk, what to do when it gets wet and how to prevent it from going bad.
How To Prevent Your Climbing Chalk From Going Bad
As you’ve learned that moisture is the greatest enemy of climbing chalk, you must ensure you’re doing the right thing to keep your chalk from exposure to atmospheric humidity. Climbing chalk that is not properly stored over some time will trap moisture from the air and will start to lose its effectiveness. Let’s look into few effective ways to store your climbing chalk to prevent it from going bad;
Store In a Plastic Container
What do you do when you don’t need your loose climbing chalk immediately? A good way to prolong the shelf life of your chalk is to store them in a plastic bag. Some stores sell climbing chalks in sealed plastic bags, which is a good practice as it locks out air from getting inside, thereby keeping the chalk in good condition to be used in the gym for activities like weight lifting, rope pulling, and climbing.
Do The “Rinse and Repeat”
Depending on the quantity of chalk you have (you might not want to store it all in one place so It’s always a brilliant idea for you to refill your gym or cliff climbing chalk bag each time you need them. This is known as the “rinse and repeat” method of usage as you don’t have to go out with your entire chalk container. All you need do is to get a smaller container to convey the quantity of chalk you’ll be needing to the desired locale.
Go an Extra Mile
For climbers having chalk on the road, going an extra mile to purchase a chalk bag that can easily be snapped to their harness will do a great deal of the job. Depending on the activity you’ll engage in, you may want to purchase a storage bag with different compartments to allow you to keep your chalk as well as essentials needed for the climb. You should however keep in mind to purchase a waterproof climbing chalk storage bag.
Does Your Chalk Expire When It Gets Wet?
What happens when you keep your climbing chalk out of its storage bag for too long and it gets wet? Or you’re outside bouldering and you got caught up in the rain? Well, chalks are natural enemies to moisture because it neutralizes their effectiveness, which is why proper storage needs to be done to preserve their shelf life.
Whenever you notice your chalk is wet either due to negligence or improper storage, don’t fret! There are ways to redeem the situation. Let’s check them out one by one.
Bake It!
The easiest thing you could do if you get your chalk wet is to bake it. Place the chalk in an oven set at 120°c for a few hours. In this process, moisture will be eliminated without deteriorating your chalk. When doing this, make sure you put the chalk on a tray and turn off the convection.
Sun-dry It!
Climbing chalks can also be sun-dried to take out the moisture. This process is as easy as placing your storage bag under a relatively hot sun for a few hours until the chalk returns to its initial state. You can refer to a guide to learn everything you need to know about climbing chalks for better understanding.
Conclusion
Spills could be painstaking, but climbing chalk exposed to atmospheric humidity is even worse. And worst of all is the chalk that gets wet. Although climbing chalks do not expire, proper storage still has to be handled with top priority. Now you know everything about climbing chalks and ways to prevent them from getting exposed to moisture.
Climbing chalks should be well taken care of at the point of use to remain good for your climbs, especially when you have a block of climbing chalk you want to keep airtight sealed so that it is not exposed to humidity from the surrounding area.
If your climbing chalk essentially goes bad, it’s possibly because of the way you’re taking care of it. Sit back, take out time to improve how you store your chalk to ensure it lasts a long period of use. Even if you have liquid chalk, be rest assured that you can also store it properly for long use to prevent it from drying out. The bottom line is that you’re in a position to decide how best you keep your climbing chalk from trapping moisture and have the confidence for a better climb
