Helmet and Kneepads

[connyro]

When I used to wear knee pads I used the Black Diamond telekneesis https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/e ... -kneepads/
They are comfortable and effective and not too bulky. I now use them mainly for when I take the snowmobile out for exploring for new ski terrain. They really help when kneeling on the seat when maneuvering and also keep aging knees warm.

I can't stand skiing in the BC with a helmet on. Way to restricting and hot/sweaty. For me personally, I'm from the old school of thought that more and more protection leads to overconfidence and clumsiness which in turn leads to more risk taking and accidents

I understand what you’re saying about overconfidence. However I wear a helmet on my mountain bike, I never needed it, but for riding fast on twisty tree lined trails it doesn’t hurt. The tree skiing I’m starting to do is way sketchier than my mountain bike trails. @randoskier started me looking at mountaineering helmets, which have more airflow. Believe me when I say I’m not a helmet guy, but for tree skiing if it can keep me from being a full time drooler it might be worth it

I get it for sure. I use a bike helmet and it's saved me a few times. I assume if you break a helmet then it would have been your skull. I even wear a helmet at the ski hill 100% of the time. In the BC is the only place I won't use one but I take way less risk on when skiing in the BC than mountain biking. I met up with several BC skiers at a spot once who all were helmeted. I didn't have a helmet on so one dude flatly stated that he wouldn't help rescue me if I hit my head. I asked him if he had knee pads on and if he didn't I wouldn't help with his rescue if he hurt his knee. We all had a good laugh. Mountaineering helmets seem like they are worth looking into...

[consular_ship]

I like Giro’s Montero MTB helmet for riding and skiing in. The visor is removable and can blend in with ski helmets at the hill. It offers good coverage on the back of the head while being light and well vented too. In my own experience the helmet cracked after crashing off a ladder drop, but the MIPS saved me from certain concussion (or worse, my arm and wrist fared poorly). I believe Giro offers crash replacements, but a friend who works there took care of my replacement. I’m on my third after wearing through them.

[lowangle al]

Well, I took a trip to the resort on Wednesday and didn't take my helmet and had a crash at speed and hit my head. Not hard, just enough to get my attention. I went back out today and wore it for the first time and really liked it. It was comfortable and not too hot with the pads removed and it was in the mid 60s. I don't think I'll wear it in the bc , but anytime at the resort I will even if it's not crowded. That hard base and higher speeds can be a bad combo.

[lowangle al]

[dave52]

As for a helmet, I think a bicycle helmet would be fine in the right weather. Personally, I have a Giro helmet that has vents and that's very comfortable as well. It's basically a bicycle helmet when I take the ear pads off and open the vents. Actually, it's much cooler for your head than quite a few bicycle helmets I've seen. Just not as cool as my bicycle helmet.

I'll second the bike helmet with removable liner. I use one for snowboarding and mountain biking.



https://www.evo.com/outlet/helmets/bern ... eps-helmet

The bill is nice for sun and rain (probably not an issue skiing). The helmet doesn't obstruct vision, sometimes that's really a nuisance. The liner is an additional purchase unfortunately. I've forgotten the liner before and wore a beanie beneath the helmet (when it's really cold), the crank on the back is quick to adjust for size though.

[MJG]

I always bring a helmet in the backcountry. I only wear it on the downhill. The amount of time I spend on the downhill pales in comparison to climbing, so overheating is not an issue for me. I also wear Ac'teryx knee pads under my softshell pants, so I only adjust them when I am putting them on. By the end of the day, my knees feel their presence, but I find the tradeoff to be worth it. They are more comfortable with a base layer under the softshell pants, but that doesn't work well when it's really warm. In some cases, I have worn the pads outside the pants, as dorky as it sounds, and slid the pads down to my boots on the up and slid them up over the knees and adjusted them for the downs. Inconvenient, but prevents chafing without a base layer. I've gotten to the point where I am uncomfortable skiing almost anything downhill without the ski helmet and knee pads (like riding a bike without a bike helmet).