JMC: Chalkbags

You know what Jams My Cams?  Chalk bags and all the ways people wear them.
I was in the gym the other day and happened to be paying more attention than usual to how the chalk bags were being worn by different people.  More and more often you see a chalk bag with a carabiner through the loop at the top of the bag and clipped to the harness.  Often times that carabiner is clipped to little loop on the very back of the harness (more on that in a minute) and still more rarely we can see the chalk bag clipped to a gear loop on the side.  Let me preface this by saying that this is by no means an article meant to poke fun at people how they choose to wear their chalk bags.  Seriously, you guys do what you want.  It is an observation and counter-argument piece to this increasing craze that even harness companies have given in to because they can’t fight the rising tide.  If nothing else, at least wonder why we do the things we do.

When you clip your chalk bag to that loop, you lower the chalk bag down the height of your harness’s waist band plus the carabiner length meaning that the chalk bag hangs under your butt and between your legs a good 6-8 inches lower than necessary.

Ha-ha! Dangly parts.

Or, if you use a gear loop, the chalk bag is always off-center meaning one arm is reaching a lot further than the other which can throw you off-balance.  This is especially true if your bag has two loops and you only clip one.

And it can even turn it around an make it unusable.

If you have ever purchased a chalk bag, you will notice that most of them come with a standard nylon strap with a buckle.

Like this catalog.

The exception to this rule being the Black Diamond chalk bag that comes with a thin nylon string to tie around your waist that comes as part of the BD Momentum Harness Package?  When you buy the bag separately it usually comes with a strap included.  Are they really saving that much money while simultaneously confusing first-time customers?   Also, any custom bag company that does not include a strap to save on cost, but they assume that you have a strap anyway from your former proletarian chalk bag.  I really can’t blame these small start-ups.

Damn you, Etsy!

Black Diamond loves you for buying carabiners to clip your chalk bag on because they cost more than a 5 foot piece of nylon.  So, I’ll give you guys a little cost savings hint; the cheapest carabiner I know of is the Black Diamond non-locking Oval for $6.95 (retail) or $5.55 (online outlet) but a strap can be found online as low as $3.95!  Also, for those concerned about saving weight, that nylon strap weighs about half the weight of a carabiner, the difference of about 1 to 1.5 oz.  You can go the cheap route and purchase a non-load bearing carabiner for $0.99 from the hardware store, but keep in mind you can never hang anything of consequence from it, like you or your partner in a desperate situation (more on that later).

The purpose, function, and ease of the adjustable strap would appear to be simple; unbuckle, put it around your waist, buckle, and adjust for waist size.  The strap stays above your harness and places the chalk bag itself somewhere around your tailbone for a relatively flat and non-obstructive position.  Of course that only works when you where it in the intended way.  For certain bags that do not come with a strap, or with an annoying string, you can buy one separately meaning that the chalk bag strap industry (or, Big Nylon) can make more money by having you directly from them rather than providing straps at wholesale to chalk bag manufacturers.

The economic silent hand of the climbing industry.

Still, it means that they recognize exactly how a chalk bag is supposed to be worn.

Happily nestled  on your butt, between gear, and not below either.

Plus, the strap means that you can rotate the bag around yourself for different situations such as off-widths or the over-the-shoulder-side-holster method whereas the carabiner system gives you finite number of locations and can become difficult as your gear loops fill up.  The authors of How to Climb Harder agree in their book and short blog post.  So why doesn’t Black Diamond, the largest manufacturer of climbing soft goods in the United States and maker of the most popular beginner package, come with a strap?  It’s the obvious way to wear the chalk bag!  Why do they force beginners to make a decision about how to wear their chalk bag, something they know little, if anything about, and on top of that force the purchase of additional gear?  Shouldn’t the beginner package come with everything you need along with the best advice?  Petzl does it.  Mad Rock does it.  Get your crap together Black Diamond and top being so cheap and confusing!

One argument that I have often heard is this:  ‘I bought a full-sized, load-bearing, carabiner so that I can have one in case of an emergency.’  But what will you do with the chalk bag?  Probably discard it, but if that one oval or even locking carabiner on your chalk bag is what separates you from a safe descent, then you might have some additional problems that need to be addressed.  Probably something along the lines of just packing a couple bail ‘biners along with every ascent, or getting a better partner that doesn’t drop the rack every time.  Here is a better alternative for outdoor climbers; buy 6-8 feet of 7mm cord, run it through the chalk bag loop, tie a double or triple fisherman’s knot (or grapevine, if you prefer) but do not cinch it tight.  It runs roughly the same cost of a carabiner but is far more versatile.  The belt you now have is fully adjustable for all layers and conditions you might face and is fully rated to bear weight.  It is a half length cordelette that can be used in emergencies to build anchor and it you want, you can keep your chalk bag on a carabiner or in your pack until you reach the bottom.  Either way, for outdoor use, the mini-cordelette is a far better option and can serve far more functions than a simple carabiner.
I can also put a roll of tape on there.

Some other arguments that I have heard are as follows: 1) I saw other people doing it, so I did it.  2) I lost the strap so I just pulled a spare carabiner off my rack and never replaced it.  3) I have really long arms and this is more comfortable.  Honestly, I like those simple, ‘just ’cause’, style of reasons rather than a complicated ‘I might need that one oval carabiner’ because at least it is honest and people are entitled to wear their chalk bag in a way that is comfortable for them.  As I said before in the preface, you guys do you.

Then, there are those perfect gems that you only find deep in the Cave of Wonders.  A full-size locking carabiner with a strap hanging from the chalk bag!  For the life of me, I will never understand this phenomenon and why one person let alone multiple people have adopted it.  It looks ridiculous and while I understand using a carbiner in the above situations, you now have a strap dangling down even further which to me seems like a hazard on par with back-stepping.
People don’t like you taking pictures of their butt.
Now, that little loop on the back of your harness has a name and a purpose.  It is called a haul loop and serves to be a point to tie a second rope, or tagline, to haul up gear or for longer rappels during multi-pitch climbing rather than carrying a coil on your back.  On some harnesses, it can be a fully rated loop which means that you can have a tail anchor (rarely recommended) or do an Australian rappel (face first).  Disclaimer: check with your harness manufacturer before performing these actions as your haul loop may not be rated to bear body weight or absorb a fall.

Blue = belay line, red = tag line.

Still, its main function is just as its name suggests.  Plus, if you ever need the loop, now there is a chalk bag in the way of the tagline and a tagline for your chalk bag to wrap around.  Awkward on both fronts.  However, thanks to the new trend of people clipping their chalk bag to the haul loop, harnesses are being produced exclusively for the gym and single-pitch sport routes without the haul loop and are instead making them low duty loop specifically to accommodate chalk bags or eliminating the loop all together.  That might be why we are seeing more chalk bags clipped to gear loops as these types of harnesses gain popularity.  The only advantage is that it sets the chalk bag higher on the body than a traditional haul would thus reducing the dangle length, but you end up sacrificing versatility for multi-pitch outdoor use.  The C.A.M.P. Laser went even further and integrated a short nylon strap to pass through the belt loops of a chalk bag giving it perfect placement.  This eliminates the need to buy a strap or carabiner for a light red-point or gym harness since the system is fully self contained with no dangle.  Genius!

I see your carabiner and raise you a built in strap.  Your move, knuckle heads.
For those of you that sway towards the side of pebble wrestling, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you or your chalk pots.  These things are great!  There is a large amount of chalk in an easily accessible container…that sits on the ground.  Honestly, that is my only complaint.  Get the chalk pots out of the way of the landing and spotting zone so that the area is safe and there are no trip hazards and so precious chalk is not being spilled on the ground.  And if you don’t have a chalk pot but have a chalk bag instead, use that handy strap or cord to keep it around your waist and out of the way.  If you are worried about spilling chalk in a fall, use a chalk ball or cinch up the top before you leave the ground.  That is really it for the bouldering crowd. 
Text book clear landing zone

In Summation:

Good: If you must, clip your chalk bag with a carbiner where ever you please so at least you have one instead of greasing off the crux moves of your current project.  Plus, it keeps the holds dry for anyone following you.

Better: Get a strap and keep the dangle to a minimum while simultaneously making room for more critical gear.  If you like the chalk bag lower for long arms, adjust the strap length.  At least with a strap you can place the bag on your body wherever you prefer.

Best: Mini-cordelette belt.  It’s adjustable and it’s fully rated to be used in an emergency.  While I still use a simple nylon clip belt in the gym, I won’t leave the ground outside without my mini-cordelette set-up.  Even for a single pitch, you just never know what might happen and saves on weight and gear on the harness.

Don’ts:
1) …wear a chalk pot as a chalk bag.  You will lose all of your chalk in the event of a fall or even pulling onto a roof.

Black Diamond.  Leading the charge in the nearly useless chalk pot-bag hybrid.
Just pick a size, BD!

2) …get a ridiculous custom animal bag.  They are neat, but if you feel the desire to buy one, keep it to a similar size as a regular bag otherwise it just gets in the way, even when worn properly.  Better to get a custom animal chalk pot instead if you need express yourself.

???

3) …buy these shorts and chalk bag combo.  This is nothing more than a fashion statement and the bag even comes with a strap, but you have to buy the carabiner separately.

God dammit, Arc’teryx.

Things like this can be a touchy subject for some because it feels like you are criticizing them when you ask the simple question of ‘why?’ or offer an alternative to their current method(s).  Again, that is not the point here.  The point is that there was an intended and purely anecdotal study of how a chalk bag should be worn and used, but new thoughts are changing what was once common place.  Is either party wrong?  No, we should be able to do what is comfortable for us, or at least practice what we are used to.  I will say that I never thought about how I wear my chalk bag until an older mentor shared with his reason for the mini-cordelette belt and I was persuaded to adopt what I thought was a better, more versatile method.  I guess what I am saying is, don’t let pride get in the way of thinking about a new way to do things if that new way makes sense.  Simultaneously, stand up for what works for you, but be prepared to explain why.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

-Tylor Street, hopes that you will think about why you do what you do.  Were you taught that way or did you test other ways?  Is it out of laziness or thoughtful efficiency?  So many more ideas about the little that make up climbing are on the way, so stay tuned!