When I met with Mammut during Summer OR 2015, little did they know that they were going to blow my mind. Why deal with a pack to carry your things when you could have a chalk bag to eliminate most of your carry needs?
Internally, Mammut has debuted prototypes of this carry all chalk bag, but this past season was when they put the idea to fruition. The Mammut Multi Pitch Chalk Bag is a brilliant piece of gear for when you’re way off the deck.
Made of nylon, the Mammut Multi Pitch Chalk Bag has not one, not two, but three pockets! One zippered outer pocket with a mesh slip pocket—large enough for a phone, GoPro or compact camera, an outer mesh pocket—excellent for keeping multiple sticks of ShotBloks handy, and a side zip pocket—perfect for one or two Chewy or Kind bars, or your keys because it also has a key clip.
The belt is made of adjustable webbing with a buckle. A bungee with cinch is on the bottom of the bag for things like an extra layer.
The Mammut Multi Pitch Chalk Bag, though a little bulky, is awesome. I love being able to carry no pack and just the bare essentials on shorter multi pitch routes. Or a pack for a really long day with things like approach shoes and first aid kit, while keeping snacks and phone handy in the chalk bag. Not having to take my pack off when I’m pitches off the deck is awesome. Let’s face it; I am clumsy as all heck. The lower my chances of dropping valuable stuff, the better.
The pockets expand to hold a surprising amount of snacks and knick knacks. The front zipper pouch fits a beer. I haven’t tested this theory because wuss, but maybe one day! That being said, this thing holds a lot! Pictured above is the amount of snacks I’ve been able to cram in.
The iPhone 6S with a Lifeproof case barely fits in with a snack slipped in the inner mesh, but luckily the pockets are fairly stretchy. The zipper pocket can also fit two Munk Pack pouches if you’re looking to optimize on snacks.
I’ve yet to use the bungee straps at the bottom of the bag. I don’t quite trust myself with not losing a jacket just aimlessly hanging out there. I’ve found that the weight of the bag comes in very useful when the wind blows at a million miles an hour and everyone else’s chalk is blowing away… except yours.
The downside of having a lot of stuff in the pockets is the inside of the bag collapses in. When you’re reaching to chalk up, that’s a little more resistance before reaching that fluffy white stuff. Not exactly ideal when you’re hundreds of feet off the deck. And it’s definitely not ideal when you’re soloing something cool and your hands are getting really sweaty. It’s not a deal breaker, but something to keep in mind when loading up the chalk bag.
Buy the Mammut Multi Pitch Chalk Bag through REI, Moosejaw or Amazon for $39.95.
Looking for other climbing items? The Arc’teryx Aperture Chalk Bag is great for single pitches and commuting. This list of bouldering essentials may also come in handy.
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