UKC

Hey guys, I was wondering if someone could help me, I'm trying to find out where I can buy either a hemp or a upcycled chalk bag or bucket, preferably hemp though.

I'm trying to be a bit more responsible (environmentally) in my approach to climbing and I know Prana used to do a hemp chalk bag, but it's been discontinued. So any help with this or any gear that can be responsibly sourced would be hugely appreciated.

Jeremy

Rather than manufacture a trendy new one from hemp (or any other material), not to mention transportation and retail considerations, it would be far more environmentally conscious and energy efficient to make one from some old material. Most climbers seem to own some scuzzy old clothes full of holes, why not put some effort in and make one from some of those? Plus, making stuff is fun!

Also, id imagine a chalk bag that lasts 3/4 years isn't your worst footprint, by some way

Or you could just get a second hand one on ebay 

Mine is made from the leg of an old pair of jeans and lined with the arm of an old fleece top.  

Apparently it's called upcycling these days.  It was just making what you need from what you've got.  

<insert Monty Python 3 Yorkshire men sketch here>

be environmentally responsible and don't use chalk.

Using chalk is definitely not environmentally responsible.

Organic chalk bags are made from of cuts of their bouldering pads. However:

• They're shipped from the states (carbon footprint)
• Chalk is very environmentally unfriendly
• My chalk bags are all over 10 years old and are only replaced when they get lost, it's not as if they wear out, so not exactly a large footprint item
• If you want to be responsible, just make one?

3/4 years? What do you do to them? Mine last until they get lost, so generally a minimum of 10 years.

driving to the crag and putting white dust all over the rock maybe somewhere to start your campaign

I view chalk as something like flouro jackets and lanyards - a "badge" of authenticity and a modern juju against harm.

Here you go; these are all made from recycled rope https://dirtbagsclimbing.co.uk/shop and hand made in the Lake District.

On a scale of actual environmental unfriendliness (e.g. actual harm), I very much doubt it!

Magnesite mines are pretty grim places and it's all shipped over from China, processed (probably in the states) then shipped here. So, for a pretty small item it probably has a higher enviromental footprint, more so than a DMM chalkbag that'll last 20 off years, whatever it's made of.

I agree, in the grand scheme of things it's small beer, but it's has a lot more impact than the chalkbag the OP is fretting about.

Everything has impact, as does you using the internet to reply to this post.

https://climatecare.org/infographic-the-carbon-footprint-of-the-internet/

It's all about priorities.

Its a first post from a new poster.  I suspect (and apologies if I'm wrong) that this post is a bit of marketing.

But nice article here:

https://www.climbing.com/gear/the-hidden-environmental-cost-of-climbing-cha...

My comment was mainly focused on end use, not production.

The cynical side of me says this is more to do with "Virtue signalling" than saving the environment but then I feel a pang of guilt and think if everyone did this it would help, then I go back to thinking if every climber in the world did this it would not make an iota of difference so I'm leaving it at that 

Al

Registered Oct 2017, so not that new. 

Fly to India, and go to Hampi, I bet you can get one there.

Exactly.

Worries/frets what chalk bag is made of, then gets in car and drives to climbing venue.

Got zero opinion on the environmental issues here, but I can second this bit.

Given some basic sewing skills, chalkbags are a fairly easy project, and since they're small, it's easy to make them out of bits of fabric (and velcro, webbing, etc.) salvaged from worn out clothes. Or if you're feeling really flush, you could splash out on some remnants from a fabric shop -- one of my better expenditures was a fiver on a discontinued sample book from an upholstery shop, which I'm still working my way through.

One chalkbag started as a moth-eaten sweater -- I boiled it in the washing-machine until it turned into felt, then used that.

Like any other pastime, it's not going to be everyone's idea of fun, but if you like the idea of upcycling things or making your own, it's very do-able.

And to be fair to the OP.

1st paragraph, great, thumbs up.

2nd paragraph, defo a bit of unnecessary virtue signalling.

Bring back hemp ropes and waistlines, I say. 

You can stick you're hemp rope, I wouldn't mind waistlines coming back though.

Except don't use chalk in the first place, then there's no need for a bag

"aid on every move", I believe someone once said.

In reply to abbykingsley26:

Hello bot

Mine already has

There's always colophane; or'pof' as the Bleausards call it........

Ignore the nay sayers on here......

I used to go to the wall at rothwell with a guy who made one out of a Cadbury's Marvel tin, he was known as Mad Nige though.

Firstly, this isn't a marketing post and I am not a bot. I do however want to be a little more environmentally conscious about my approach to climbing. Do I think what I do will singlehandedly save the world? No, of course not but I can make little changes in my approach to climbing that can help lessen the impact, even by a small amount. 

I know use of chalk isn't great for rocks, that's why I try my best to clean off as much chalk as I can. I know chalk bags can last an age, but I have lost mine and I trying to replace it with something a little more eco-friendly than a nylon chalk bag.

So to those who made constructive comments about looking to upcycle old materials into a new chalk bag, thank you, I will look into it. 

For those who made pointless comments, be proud of yourselves. At least you know that in your tiny lives, you can make a half decent attempt at trolling.

Good day to you all,

Jeremy

Bless!

Thanks. 

Why not just surreptitiously dip your fingers into somebody else's chalkbag while they're not looking? 

I know (of) the lady who makes these, and she makes everything from old climbing gear handed in at climbing walls on her sewing machine. They're very expensive for chalkbags, but they're wholly made from old climbing gear.

https://madebyscavenger.com/collections/vert-chalk-bag

I'd probably just buy a second hand one from ebay if it was me, they are stylish though.  

Edit: 10 out of 10 for wanting to do the right thing. 

One person's 'virtue signalling' can be another person's positive action (by intention) it sometimes seems to me.

https://madebyscavenger.com/collections/all-products

You can see all products here.

Thank you, I will have a look.

Jeremy