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General Climbing Discussion

Author

Wearing helmets

daave

14-Nov-2005
10:46:04 AM

Gday,
Just wondering what peoples views are on helmets. Do you wear them? Why, Why not? Ever had any accidents resulting in any sort of head injury?

Daave


rodw

14-Nov-2005
10:54:07 AM

Never had an accident, bit bought a helmet a year ago and always whack it on...


Nick Kaz

14-Nov-2005
11:09:42 AM

It depends is the best answer I can give...

I dont think I have ever warn a helmet on a sport route as they tend to be fairly safe, same with most single pitch trad lines as well. If there is a chance of rock fall or its a route where I'm not sure about the route and rock/pro then on goes the helmet. It comes with me on most trad outings but wether it gets warn depends on the situation.


The good Dr

14-Nov-2005
11:12:58 AM

I have worn one for years and am very glad I do. I had a ground fall early this year. The helmet got mangled. If it had been my head I would have been dead or being looked after by someone else for the rest of my life.

Sports route or not, I wear a lid!!

Rosie

14-Nov-2005
11:15:57 AM

I have never gone climbing without one. I just don't think it is worth the risk. I have never had a head injury from climbing, but I have never had to test the helmet.

I spose it is a personal thing though. If I was a risk averse person then I wouldn't go climbing at all. I'm not sure a helmet would make a huge difference in a 30m groundfall.


new2thegame

14-Nov-2005
11:22:18 AM

I WEAR IT ALL THE TIME THE NUMBER OF TIMES I HAVE JUST RAISED MY HEAD AND GONE DONK! ON THE ROCK MAKES IT WORTH IT.

gfdonc

14-Nov-2005
11:34:00 AM

10 stitches on the eyebrow once, from a groundfall at Hanging Rock. I was wearing a helmet, but part of a tree stump broke my fall, just under the helmet line. I was knocked unconscious and ended up in Kyneton hospital for the night. Don't like to think how it may have ended if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

Surprisingly I went through a 'fashion period' after that point where I mostly didn't wear a helmet. Was that stupid or what?

Always wear one now though.


Eduardo Slabofvic

14-Nov-2005
11:42:23 AM

In the mountains = always. elsewhere, depends on the conditions of the rock and the route, however I acknowledge that side impact received from a fall is the most likely scenario when crag climbing, which can happen anywhere regardless of conditions. I wear a helmet more than I used to.


Sabu

14-Nov-2005
12:10:14 PM

i always wear a helmet when im climbing and i would agree with newtothegame!!! i reckon it's far too risky to leave it behind on trad lines and some sport lines.


DT

14-Nov-2005
12:23:12 PM

After a couple of near misses from rock fall i bought a helmet & i've worn it ever since.

It keep the sun off your head in the summer & keeps your head nice & dry in the rain.


Romfrantic

14-Nov-2005
12:27:00 PM

On 14/11/2005 DT wrote:
>After a couple of near misses from rock fall i bought a helmet & i've worn
>it ever since...

yeah, not to mention things like bolt plates, and what-not....had a near miss with a bolt plate that fell off my partner's hand while climbing 18m above me - if it wasn't for the helmet, could've been painful! ....I always wear a helmet.


neats

14-Nov-2005
12:27:40 PM

On 14/11/2005 new2thegame wrote:
>I WEAR IT ALL THE TIME THE NUMBER OF TIMES I HAVE JUST RAISED MY HEAD AND
>GONE DONK! ON THE ROCK MAKES IT WORTH IT.

Yere, me too. I find that I bump my head more if I wear one!! But I always wear one anyways...

mockmockmock

14-Nov-2005
12:31:25 PM

80% of the time I wear my lid. There a a few times I don't but usually because I forgot, I've had it thrown up to me on a few occassions. Funny thing with the going 'doink' comment, do you ever do that without a lid on?? I don't. I might hit my head a couple of times on a route when wearing a helmet but am yet to without it. I'll wear the lid 99% of the time when on belay, so would you if you climbed with the people I do.

Ralph


manacubus

14-Nov-2005
12:54:42 PM

After witnessing some terrible injuries I swore I would always wear my helmet from then on, but now I've become complacent and rarely wear it unless I am on loose, sketchy ground. I am dissapointed in myself.


gremlin

14-Nov-2005
1:06:20 PM

Only time i've ever NOT worn my helmet was when i once forgot it...
On that day a nice chap bolting a new climb dropped a hammer, missing me by inches
Never forgot it since... never walked under someone hauling stuff since that day either...
I've been powering along then bashed my helmet covered head in a roof/bulge
Had a fat arsed SES member during a 'rescue' dislodge a large rock on a scree slope

Gravity is not on your side... Shit happens... Darwin's theory of evolution rules...
A helmet covered in stickers and graffiti looks much cooler than a coma or brain damage

hotgemini

14-Nov-2005
1:09:10 PM

Always wear one, only exception is when I'm climbing indoor, I expect my belayer to wear one too, after all, they're (usually) below me and therefore in the path of anything I dislodge and or drop.


dino

14-Nov-2005
1:20:57 PM

I suppose it depends on what price you put on your head. I value mine as its the only one i have got ( yes i know i am Tasmanian - having lived here for several years, but still Victorian deep down).


ElvisLegs

14-Nov-2005
1:32:34 PM

After finishing a route at Arapilies a few weeks ago, a BIG rock landed 5m away from me while I was collecting the bags. This was just after handing my harness and helmet to my partner who was heading to the car. Having worn my helmet all day up till then this would have been a silly way to come to grief.


shmalec

14-Nov-2005
1:34:23 PM

I wear a helmet all the time because its easy and costs me almost nothing. Alot of things about climbing are focussed on reducing risk, helmets are just another part of it. They are a good indicator of when a chimney is getting too narrow to wiggle thru too.


rodw

14-Nov-2005
1:35:33 PM

On 14/11/2005 mockmockmock wrote:
> Funnything with the going 'doink' comment, do you ever do that without a lid
>on?? I don't. I might hit my head a couple of times on a route when
>wearing a helmet but am yet to without it.

Yep did it the other week, finished climbing for the day, took helmet off to pack up, stood up in cave I was sitting on and whack..it hurt tooo...but I didn't cry...honest.

There are 123 messages in this topic.