I threw out my hatchrite, didn't like it one bit.
Vermiculite or perlite will work great, and it's not as hard to find as you might think. Stop thinking lowes/home depot/menards, and think smaller gardening-specific stores. Spring is on its way and I guarantee that small gardening stores will have perlite if not both perlite and vermiculite in stock.
I got my perlite at a store called Bachman's, but I think they may be a MN only chain.
You can easily order perlite or vermiculite online as well, just as easy as buying hatchrite. Google is your friend at finding nearby gardening supply stores or online retailers that carry the products you are looking for.
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