Equipments impact on sport

[fisheater]

I have considered a helmet for backcountry tree skiing thinking I may feel able to ski more assertively.

I’m in the same boat. Of course I’ve been considering for about 5 years now!
As far as wearing helmets at the resort, I am definitely grandfathered in on any exemptions for wearing a helmet.
As far as helmets, I have been looking at the Backcountry Access Air Touring Helmet, and the Solomon MTN Lab helmet.
The factors that makes me consider a helmet are number one, I ski alone. It’s only good manners to make it back to the truck. It’s really bad form to have people form a search party to find your frozen body. My second reason, is now that I am over sixty, and while my entire life it had been impossible for me to suffer significant injury, I’m not 30 and bulletproof any longer.
So I am considering a helmet for tree skiing. I’m pretty sure I will buy one before I’m 70.
If anyone cares to share a backcountry touring helmet they like, please share. It has to breathe. Frequently while touring I remove my hat. I would prefer a helmet that I could just keep on. It would be a lot easier to keep a thin wool “Nordic” type hat in my pocket, if I needed added warmth. Rather than unstrapping a helmet from my pack.
Thanks for the conversation starter @mca80 I’m probably thread drifting. I’ll be glad to buy you a beer if there is snow for Telefest!

[Lhartley]

In surfing (especially if you're not that good at it!) there is a "thing" called "neoprene courage". A full wetsuit just makes you feel safer, so you tend to push things harder.

I have heard several guides reference something like this when talking about airbag packs. They don't recommend them. That said, the same guides don't exactly advocate for lids either.

[Lhartley]

I got helmet shamed while taking a girlfriend's kids for a bike ride in the neighborhood years ago. Went back in the house, got their helmets on and strapped a pillow to my head. My neighbors love me.

Don't get me wrong, I won't discount the importance of helmets. I fractured my skull bombing 19th street in Calgary on a fixed gear track bike around 2008. My head parts have never been the same

[Lhartley]

I have considered a helmet for backcountry tree skiing thinking I may feel able to ski more assertively.

I’m in the same boat. Of course I’ve been considering for about 5 years now!
As far as wearing helmets at the resort, I am definitely grandfathered in on any exemptions for wearing a helmet.
As far as helmets, I have been looking at the Backcountry Access Air Touring Helmet, and the Solomon MTN Lab helmet.
The factors that makes me consider a helmet are number one, I ski alone. It’s only good manners to make it back to the truck. It’s really bad form to have people form a search party to find your frozen body. My second reason, is now that I am over sixty, and while my entire life it had been impossible for me to suffer significant injury, I’m not 30 and bulletproof any longer.
So I am considering a helmet for tree skiing. I’m pretty sure I will buy one before I’m 70.
If anyone cares to share a backcountry touring helmet they like, please share. It has to breathe. Frequently while touring I remove my hat. I would prefer a helmet that I could just keep on. It would be a lot easier to keep a thin wool “Nordic” type hat in my pocket, if I needed added warmth. Rather than unstrapping a helmet from my pack.
Thanks for the conversation starter @mca80 I’m probably thread drifting. I’ll be glad to buy you a beer if there is snow for Telefest!
[/qu@mca80

Around here the ski touring community uses a lot of climbing helmets. I have a mammut wallrider , but have seen black diamond helmets used a lot. They are very light and breathable. Although, the primary purpose of the helmet may be for overhead hazard, and will not be built for repeated impacts like a purpose built ski helmet

[mca80]

Thanks for the conversation starter @mca80 I’m probably thread drifting. I’ll be glad to buy you a beer if there is snow for Telefest!

Lol I don't believe a single response addressed anything in Grant's blog. But glad I started a discussion.

[aclyon]

man, I'll never understand the gate keeping nature of the Helmet Klan. After I moved to Tahoe I sent my east coast friend a picture of me skiing, and the very first thing he did was shame me for not having a helmet on. He has been snowboarding his whole life, I only got into skiing a couple of years ago, and it very much felt like a "let me tell you how you're supposed to do that" moment. I now wear a helmet at the resort-- we like to go in the trees and it's often pretty cement-slippery in there any how, so it's not like I'm against the idea. I just don't understand why people make such a big fuss about it. In the BC I've face planted without a helmet dozens of times and never had any real injury. If I ski into a tree, what are the chances that the point of impact is on the part of my head covered by the helmet, any how?? I would think I'm more likely to slam my body or face into the tree.

how about a knee brace?? resort skiing is an ACL graveyard. I'm gonna start shaming people who don't have proper knee protection on!

as far as the article goes, I dunno, on a 20+ degree slope aren't you going to go fast no matter what ski tech you've got? I don't think fancy gear makes the snow more boiler plate, or the trees more thick, etc. senders gonna send it

[wabene]

@mca80 said, "Lol I don't believe a single response addressed anything in Grant's blog. But glad I started a discussion."

Ok it was a lot of work, but I scrolled all the way down to the blahg post on helmets and read the whole thing. Makes sense to me. Is it surprising that there are people pushing you towards an orthodoxy they have not vetted and don't really understand?

I liked the hack with the foam in a helmet shell.

[mca80]

I liked how hack with the foam in a helmet shell.

Fisheater might want to diy a helmet. With the foam and home project it should be conceivable to make something with a lot of air passage.

[scottyX]

@fisheater I have a petzl sirocco helmet that's incredibly light and breathable, hardly even notice the thing.

[Montana St Alum]

My father took up snowboarding after his 80th birthday. He wore a helmet, wrist braces and hockey pants stuffed with carpet padding. Whatever it takes!