At Midnight Lightning, we believe climbers deserve chalk that performs incredibly well and comes from a source they can trust. That’s why our powder chalk starts with seawater, not traditional mining. But here’s the truth most brands won’t tell you: not all seawater-sourced chalk is created equal. The process, the people, and the transparency behind it matter just as much as the final product.
Many companies now advertise “seawater chalk,” but very few disclose how it’s actually made - and even fewer can trace it back to a specific source. Some suppliers skip environmental steps, rely on unknown subcontractors, or use energy-intensive extraction methods like mechanical filtration. When we asked multiple manufacturers where their seawater chalk comes from, the response was often the same: “We don’t know” or "We can't tell you". That simply isn’t good enough for us, and it shouldn’t be good enough for climbers.
Our chalk begins with solar evaporation, where seawater is turned into a concentrated mineral base (brine). Only after the sun has done the heavy lifting do we use a precipitation process to turn those minerals into magnesium carbonate. This dramatically reduces energy use compared to mining, mechanical extraction, or other industrial seawater-processing methods. Solar evaporation is slow, dependable and resource responsible - and it sets the foundation for chalk that is both high quality and low impact.
We have been perfecting our process for years, working directly with our manufacturing team to educate and continually refine. This gives us the consistency, texture, moisture absorption and a “feel” that climbers love. We know the people who produce our chalk, we know exactly how it’s made, and we can guarantee that every batch lives up to our standards.
And let’s clear up a persistent myth in the chalk industry: no climbing chalk is “100% magnesium carbonate,” (MgCO₃) no matter what a label claims. Chemistry doesn’t allow it. Every chalk contains trace minerals and natural variation. So when you see “100% pure,” it’s not science - it’s marketing. What actually matters is honesty, traceability, and a production method that prioritizes quality over shortcuts. Our chalk is high-purity, but we don’t play the ‘100% pure’ marketing game.
By choosing chalk made from transparent, traceable, solar-evaporated seawater and a refined precipitation process, you’re choosing sustainability, consistency, and integrity. We built this chalk from the ground up so that climbers can trust what’s on their hands — and trust the story behind it.
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