Definitely use a mixed grip when you have to. I find that whenever I lose the deadlift for grip issues, it's because the bar "rolls" backward out of my hand. With the mixed grip, this is no longer possible.
You can get chalk at a variety of places. I got mine from an EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) near my office. I'm sure REI stocks them as well. Someone here also suggested using plain old blackboard or sidewalk chalk. You don't need a lot of chalk for it to make a big difference.
I also disagree (strongly!) with those who think that you should avoid chalk to train your grip. In my experience, my grip strength has increased substantially since I started using chalk. Before chalk (and the mixed grip), I had trouble holding on to 315 mixed grip because of sweaty palms; now, I can hold on to 365 with a double overhand. Without chalk, I wouldn't even have been able to move to the heavier weights necessary to increase my grip strength.
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