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iesith
Jan 11, 2004, 3:47 AM
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You use your helmet in sport climbing????
When do you use your helmet????
Etc....
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climber_osu
Jan 11, 2004, 3:53 AM
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ahhh, the helmet question again. I wear a helmet for sport and trad but not top rope unless, I am feeling like banging my head. It takes nothing to put it on and it might keep me from dying.
--Drew
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holdplease2
Jan 11, 2004, 3:57 AM
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I am decidedly a dork and do wear my helmet sport climbing. This is generally because, as I am one for drama, I tend to have crazy falls.
Once I got the front loop of my shoe (mocasym's) actually clipped into a draw in a bolt at my feet. Luckilly I was able to wriggle out of my shoe and it was an easy climb.
I hit my head comming off of a lieback above a roof (helmet was on) once and 2 weeks ago I scraped happily along a slab sideways as I fell clipping a bolt ...you guessed it, helmet scrapage.
Sure, a helmet is only really designed to keep small things from killing you from above, but mine has also made minor sideways bumps a little less painful and saved me roadrash.
I always wear it on trad and aid climbs, where people could drop stuff on me or where hooks tend to pop and hit me on my head as I fall. Brilliant.
My helmet is a blazing yellow ecrin roc...especailly attractive.
Yes, I have climbing style issues, and sport climbing head impacts should be easily avoidable in most cases.
-Kate.
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djnibs
Jan 11, 2004, 3:58 AM
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I have a helmet. I wear my helmet, for the most part. I mostly use it when I go rappelling, because I should be wearing it. When I go climbing, I will normally wear it, and then take it off because no one else has a helmet. But now my girlfriend has a helmet and she will wear it, and a friend I go climbing with is going to buy one, so I will wear it all the time. I don't like climbing in a helmet, I normally hit my head a lot with the helmet on. I wear it when I belay, incase somthing falls, rocks, sticks, climber, whatever.
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hops_scout
Jan 11, 2004, 4:03 AM
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Registered: Aug 10, 2003
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I ALWAYS wear a helmet when I climb. I usually would use a borrowed one, but not anymore because I got a Black Diamond Half Dome for Christmas.
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oudinardin
Jan 11, 2004, 4:04 AM
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Think about it this way. Do you ski in a helmet? I did'nt until this season and I'm now going faster, going down double blacks, plus it's warm and after a while you don't even know it's there. I have worn helmets climbing now for several years. I have been hit from above with differing objects, and on one overhang we worked on for a few weeks I did slam into the wall hitting my head. It was a sporter and I generally climb balls out on sport. Think about it. Maybe you'll climb harder or at least not end up as a veggie. Peace.
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pehperboy
Jan 11, 2004, 4:13 AM
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Much has been said on helmets here - from their being useless, stupid and ugly to the horror of helmet hair. A search will reveal all, including several accounts where a helmet on a head instead of left in a pack at the foot of a climb would have prevented injuries.
Everyone has their personal views, but IMHO the following is what makes sense to many (though definitely not all):
• Helmets are important but need not be worn at all times. In areas where it is known rock is loose and chossy, a helmet is perhaps more important for a belayer or second/third.
• For top roping a helmet can usually be dispensed with. Don't look upon this as a rule though. Aside from the risk of choss, some top rope climbs may have moves in which a fall could result in banging yer noggin. Use your judgment.
• Many people prefer a helmet whenever leading. I do only because I worry that if I take a whipper it may be my head instead of my feet which hit the wall first. Perhaps unlikely, but it's not a risk I want to take.
Some people say helmets limit your vision and make them too hot. Both true to some extent. Others argue that if you are in an accident where you need a helmet, it probably isn't going to save you. I'd buy that from a person with proven psychic abilities, but until then I'm wearing mine whenever I think I need it.
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dirtineye
Jan 11, 2004, 4:34 AM
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That's as good an answer as you are going to get-- someone please lock the thread now hahahah.
I especially like the part about , " Ah the helmet question again..."
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deleted
Deleted
Jan 11, 2004, 5:01 AM
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don't like drooling and sucking creamed spinach through a straw?
put a lid on yer melon.
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crushingfinger
Jan 11, 2004, 5:12 AM
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Mines purple. :oops:
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climbhigh2005
Jan 11, 2004, 5:17 AM
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I use my helmut when I dont forget to bring it or dont forget to put it on.. :lol:
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curt
Jan 11, 2004, 5:24 AM
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You use your brain in sport climbing????
When do you use your brain????
Etc....
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scubasnyder
Jan 11, 2004, 5:33 AM
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i dont really wear one
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diesel___smoke
Jan 11, 2004, 5:59 AM
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In reply to: You use your helmet in sport climbing???? When do you use your helmet???? Etc....
I always wear my helmet, but I don't sport climb (for multiple reasons). Wear your helmet all the time, if not for yourself, so I don't look 'odd' being the only one with a helmet on. Be sure to wear your helmet on 3rd and 4th class slabs, I can't count the times I've seen rock knocked loose on slabs and it bounce over 15-20' high. Slabs are dangerous, there's nothing to duck behind!
Jp
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coldclimb
Jan 11, 2004, 6:48 AM
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Sometimes I'll wear it, and sometimes I'll give it to my belayer. Depends where I'm climbing.
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daryl314
Jan 11, 2004, 6:51 AM
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mmm. helmet. that thing that protects a little circle of space in my trunk.
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scubasnyder
Jan 11, 2004, 6:55 AM
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Registered: Oct 3, 2003
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definatly where ur climbing has a big factor on wearin it or not
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hosh
Jan 11, 2004, 7:26 AM
Post #19 of 25
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Helmets for life! (pun intended). I think it's pretty important to wear a helmet all the time, even though you feel like a weenie with one on. Here's a little (true) story. first time I ever cleaned a trad pitch, I was climbing with a buddie of mine in Oklahoma. We did the first route no problems, but on the second, he took a pretty mellow fall, but it was right after he set his first hex. He took the rope between the legs and almost decked. Took a while to walk that one off :roll: Next route, he's still a little "unnerved" from his fall, so he gives the climb to me (someone else had already top-roped it). We walk over to the rope and as I'm tying in, he finishes a conversation with another climber. As he turned to put me on Belay, he walked into a low hanging tree branch and earned I think 2 staples in the head later. Blood every where, no more climbing for the rest of the day, and all because of no helmet. The guy I was with is a safty freak, and it's a pure fluke he wasn't wearing his helmet at that moment. And no, he's not a bone head climber. It was just a fluke accident. Could happen to anyone. Another time, I was leading a pretty established and well trafficed climb and I grabbed onto a hold that was usually to be trusted, but in this case, the whole thing pulled off and I got a brick sized peice of choss in the head. Luckily, I had my helmet on, and it just bounced. Would have sucked to get that thing in the skull. I know it's not "cool" looking to climb in a helmet, and it's not "fashionable", but when I climb out doors, even for sport, I try to insist that my partner's got a helmet (because I always wear mine). I've only climbed without it a few times, and no injuries to me yet, but I don't risk it. I think both the climber and the Belay should have something hard on top to protect the ol' thinking cap. I guess the view I've always taken is (and no intention to step on toes or hurt feelings), if you're not smart enough to wear a helmet, you must not have that much to protect in the first place so I guess it's not that big of a deal.
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skiclimb
Jan 11, 2004, 8:33 AM
Post #20 of 25
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Registered: Jan 11, 2004
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I wear a helmet when I think there is a reasonable possibility of something falling on my head....each pitch or route is different....I don't worry about falling on my head..but maybe I should.
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climbhigh2005
Jan 11, 2004, 3:39 PM
Post #21 of 25
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Registered: Jun 14, 2003
Posts: 1500
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question: Why does he have a headlamp on when the sun is shining? :lol:
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chossmonkey
Jan 11, 2004, 4:04 PM
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Registered: Feb 1, 2003
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I usually don't where a helmet sport climbing. At the sport crag if I do it's usually for belaying on routes that have a lot of choss on them constantly falling. I always wear one at the sport crag when I'm bolting and cleaning. I also pretty much always wear a helmet when I'm climbing trad routes.
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holdplease2
Jan 11, 2004, 4:39 PM
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Registered: Dec 18, 2002
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It looks like the headlamp is holding the headphones on.
This guy could just as easilly be one of those great homeless guys that wears a crazy getup to communicate with aliens or whoever. (not being un-pc, I know a few guys like this in my old neighborhood. He used to stash bits of tinfoil all over his body to help him "pick up the signal".)
I know the tinfoil isn't the key. Its the dental floss. Try it.
-Kate.
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diesel___smoke
Jan 11, 2004, 5:45 PM
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In reply to: question: Why does he have a headlamp on when the sun is shining? :lol:
In reply to: It looks like the headlamp is holding the headphones on. |
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coylec
Jan 11, 2004, 5:45 PM
Post #25 of 25
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Registered: Jul 12, 2003
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I wear a helmet nearly every time I climb on rope and occaisonally bouldering. I even wear a helmet indoors. The only time my helmet has saved me from injury has actually been indoors. Our climbing wall is on the backside of our gym and basketballs have been known to come over the wall, down the wall and hit climbers and belayers.
Helmets are great for several reasons:
1. As one of my partners said, "it prevents my bald spot from being sunburned.
2. You can decorate them with stickers (although, they can obscure structural damages to the helmet, so be careful).
3. Looking at "Accidents in North American Mountaineering" (I've said this before), a lot of injuries and deaths are grouped under "No Hard Hat" with descriptions that indicate a helmet could/would have reduced/eliminated injury/death.
4. While you may not look extremely cool in a helmet, you look much cooler being alive than decomposing.
*** Funny story: Ski helmets were mentioned: While I was in Utah, I decided to ski for a day. One of my professors (an avid skiier) convinced me to wear a helmet (he always wears one). During the course of the day, I put two good sized gashes in the helmet, one from a tree and another from some dude's ski pole. Now, I don't ski well - I mostly let gravity do the work until i fall, but damn.
And, finally, my last reason for adovocating helmets. Like it or not, the public perception of rock climbing (public doesn't know the difference between an A5 aid climb and a 5.1 top rope) is that its a bunch of stupid idiots climbing things, getting hurt and requiring taxpayer money to rescue them. Its part of the reason that a lot of places are closed to climbers. Wearing a helmet helps show people that while rock climbing is "inherently dangerous," there are steps that make it safer. Driving is inherently dangerous, but its less so when everyone wears a seat-belt.
rant over
coylec
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