u/notjustpictures

I was looking for a simple comparison between chalk formats and couldn't find one that covered different styles, so I put this together based on personal experience and talking to people at the gym and crag.

Style	Recommended format	Why
Indoor crimping	Powder (fine)	Maximum friction, easy reapplication between attempts
Outdoor friction slab	Powder (fine or chunky)	Coverage, natural feel on rock
Slopers / compression	Liquid base + powder top	Precision, no excess buildup on holds
Competition boulder	Liquid + powder	Longevity under pressure, less re-chalking
CrossFit / barbell	Liquid or chunky	Less mess, fast one-time application
Pole dance	Liquid only (thin layer)	Control, no powder residue on pole
Sweaty hands (any style)	Liquid as base coat	Creates sealed layer before adding powder
Long multi-pitch	Chunky in chalk bag	Dissolves slower, lasts through the pitch

A couple of things I noticed:

Fine powder gives the most friction per application but you use more of it. Chunky chalk lasts longer in the bag but some people feel it doesn't coat as evenly. Liquid is the most efficient in terms of consumption but needs a few seconds to dry.

The liquid + powder combo is genuinely the best for most indoor climbing in my experience - liquid as foundation, powder as top-up.

If anyone disagrees on specific styles I'm curious to hear why. This is based on my experience and might not apply to everyone.

During longer WODs with mixed grip work (pull-ups, cleans, KB swings), I never know if I should re-chalk between movements or just send it.

Re-chalking kills transition time but my grip dies on round 3 without it.

What's your approach? Do you chalk up once and go, or do you have a system for when to re-apply during a workout?