Weeks ago I researched what I could find about helmets and would like to add a few things: Climbing Helmets are certified with CE EN 12492 = good for falling rocks on top of your head, pointy sharp objects. UIAA 106 is the same thing but with a higher standard. and for multiple impacts. Bike Helmets use CE EN 1078 and are designed for smashing your head against something (mostly the ground) and like Ben said a single time. Ski Helmets are certified with 1077 (with two classes) that are designed for smashing your head like the bike helmets, but have to be stronger, because you are faster on ski and you have pointy objects like rocks you can crash against and. also they are designed for multiple impacts, like climbing helmets. So for example if you climb in the gym: you have 0 chance of having something falling on your head (nearly, because a hold couldn't be screwed right or something of your harness could come off) but have a chance of hitting your head on the wall = a bike helmet would be better for this situation than a helmet that is only for climbing. if you climb outdoor the chance of something falling on your head is huge. so a bike helmet wouldn't be so good for pointy heavy stones (ofc better than no helmet at all) so a climbing helmet > a bike helmet. But because you have also the chance of hitting your head against the rock or floor etc. the best thing would be a double certified helmet. most of them have the even better ski helmet certificate. so they have CE EN 1249 (and often UIAA 106) + CE EN 1077. that would really be the way to go, if you love your brain and well. living. Like Ben and Mammut showed there are helmets that are only (I think so, didn't look it up) climbing certified BUT also care about these side impacts and crashing the rock falls. some Petzl helmets for example have a double certificate light version called certificated for ski tours. On the other hand there were tests from the DAV showing that some only climbing certified helmets bring HIGHER forces to the head in case of a crash, because they are like hart hats for constructors etc and only designed for objects falling from above! also great, that Ben mentioned MIPS and its found its way into the climbing sport! So in conclusion: don't wear the cheapest only plastic shell helmets, if you might crash your head. inform yourself how good the helmet protects for these nasty falls where your head crashes into the rock. if you really want to be on the safe side: look for double certified helmets with CE EN 1077. If you want to be even safer go with MIPS on top of that (your head. good joke, no?) I think there are helmets that have both. but fe the black diamond vision mips has no ski certificate, but looks well better protective for these impacts than for example a cheap hard shell helmet. and has mips! Or the Grivel Duetto has the climbing and ski certificates and is very light. sadly it has no MIPS, that would make it the perfect non plus ultra helmet. And yes, safer (esp. safer for more styles of impact) helmets are easily double or triple as expensive. But look at it this way: When it saved your head it was totally worth every penny (I think everybody would even prefer paying 1000€ over having a serious head injury, esp. in USA where such an injury could actually cost you thousands). so what is 80€ more for that? And if you don't have such an accident, you can use the helmet for years (have to switch if after time because the foam will change) So either way it is well worth it. (: The text got longer than I expected, but I think it is very important information, because its your safety we are talking about. and your most important and easily destroyed (while climbing) part of the body. And I am not the helmet police, do what you want. But never ever make fun of someone who wears helmets where you think its not necessary. some people value their brains (:
I'm a mountaineer. I've watched a raven take off, launching a fairly big rock right in to the middle of the path in front of me. I wear a helmet if there is loose rock above, even if there is no climbing route there.
Oh, the new helmets look like the actually provide some protection for climbers. Older "mountaineering" helmets had no impact or side protection and I often told people not to buy imaginary protection for climbing and just use a cheap skateboard helmet. And I loved to give examples of expensive "climbing" helmets from major name brands that were clearly extremely flimsy and only able to just barely pass the mountaineering anti-penetration test for rocks landing on the top as a reason why we shouldn't trust manufacturers or marketing hype. So, ok, if you spend enough money it seems you can now get a "climbing" helmet that is actually better than a cheap skateboard helmet. And I'm going to leave my comment as a reply here to help boost Bas's comment cuz he actually named the certifications and stuff (although last time I looked the ski helmet certification was not so good, but maybe it is a new standard since I looked and I am too lazy to read them all again, so I hope Bas did his homework correctly).
Good point with the certifications. As someone doing multiple sports I wouldn’t want to buy a helmet for each activity, so rather invest into one that I can go climbing, skiing and mountaineering with.
The people in the outdoor stores i’m shopping and so the people i‘m climbing with, told me i cant climb with a ski helmet and have to Buy a climbing helmet. But it didnt made sense to me so I didnt care and Used it anyways… thanks for your comment, now i feel much More Safe!😁 its also EN1077 Certified. The only downside i‘m seeing is that its getting warmer on your Head and you tend to sweat more…
I've recently had an experience with a 10kg rock falling ont my belayer's head. I'm eager to see this video! He had a helmet and we were extremely lucky. He had to undergo skull surgery but he's okay now, and nobody else got hurt.
@@HardIsEasy I've always worn a helmet since I started climbing twelve years ago, because why take unnecessary risks? And I've always told people who ask me what gear they need to buy first, helmet is the first thing I say. My belayer actually didn't have his helmet on at first, I gave it to him when he was setting up grigri... Speaking of grigri, had we not been using one I'd have fallen 12m onto uneven ground because he lost consciousness for 3 seconds. He was wearing a Petzl Meteor, it got squished at the point of impact. He didn't get the full force of the rock as his body was able to bend forward under the impact, but still had 5 broken teeth and fractured skull. I still can't figure out how he didn't die that day... I could send you pictures of the helmet if you're curious 😅
@@manuelc5592 Yikes, that must have been close - Glad you both made it through. @Hard Is Easy Perhaps a topic for follow up, something to keep inside the helmet - First Aid training and how important seemingly small things are during the first minutes after an accident (and how to stabilize until the pro's arrive). Not a course in itself but how important knowledge and training is.
@@sharg0 I think that would be amazing! Maybe doing a collab with the helicopter rescue team at Hard is Easy's local firefighter place. That day we were also lucky to have an anesthesia doctor to take control of the situation. But as soon as I have been lowered I reached for my first aid kit, put a heat blanket onto my buddy and check for hemorrhages to see if there was any bleeding I could stop (after washing hands with soap and putting on gloves). By that time the rescue had already been called and the helicopter arrived 5min later.
The safety culture in climbing has changed a lot over the past 20 years and many of the people you see without helmets may just be stuck in their ways. When I was learning, some degree of exposure (risk of injury) was considered a crucial part of the sport. I changed with the times but many of my friends didn't and we just let each other do things the way we think right. If someone's actually judging you for wearing a helmet, you don't want them as a climbing buddy because they'll push you to take risks you aren't comfortable with
I climbed for 15 years all over North America, sport and multi-pitch up to 5.13. Number of times that rockfall was ever an issue: zero. The number of climbers I encountered who were injured or died due to rockfall: zero. I knew one guy who died rock climbing. He was wearing a helmet, but died soloing. I knew multiple people who died whilst mountaineering, dying in avalanches, but the presence/absence of a helmet in those circumstances wasn’t going to alter the outcome. All of the people I knew who died/were injured were either soloing, or were killed in avalanches.
In my earlier years of climbing, I went climbing with a veteran climber, who even bragged he hadn’t had any accidents. Down at our cars as we were setting up our gear to go hike up to the crag he saw me pack my helmet and sort of made fun of me. I reluctantly packed it, and wasn’t sure I’d actually wear it, but I’m glad I did. He had placed me far up to the left of the rope anchor, so when he finished and weighted the rope, I ended up flying into the Rock wall getting spun around violently. I sustained multiple hits, including to my head, and broke my big toe. I had a headache for two days straight even with 800 mg of Tylenol - and that was WITH my helmet on. Also, never fully put your trust in any one. Always trust your gut. I wish I had been more outspoken about how high up left he had me belay him - it was different than I had done with others, but I hadn’t fully grasped the dynamics/physics of belaying.
Thank you and every single person who makes donations :). Really enjoy your vids, thanks so much for all of the episodes and information. Looking forward to seeing the 8A climbing story.
Fun story. A friend and I were at the base of a crag packing up. We loaded our packs, took our helmets off, and were literally putting our packs on our backs when another group dislodge a massive rotten flake of rock. One person went flying, another person was just above it, and the belayer managed to dive sideways while still death gripping the rope and kept his climber safe. It sounded like someone hurling microwave sized rocks. You could FEEL the ground shake from where they were hitting. Needless to say, it scared the shit out of all of us. Aside from one guy having a deep hand laceration, we were all ok. Now we both wear helmets as soon as we get anywhere near the base of a crag.
Seriously the best climbing gear channel I know of! I grew up without helmets, but I am being won over. My whitewater Kayaking friend took a rock to the forehead, the helmet was crushed and he was still cut, but if he would not have had it I am positive it would have killed him. Besides helmets allow you to climb harder, push a bit more, so really they are worth it. Sure wish Ondra and other pros would wear them more. It would go a long way and probably save lives
I'm on episode 5 of the belay masterclass but jumped to your latest video to show some appreciation! It's my first donation on YT and although it's a small one it doesn't reflect how much I really like your videos! Please keep up the good work :D
Thank you for this important video. But there is another important thing with bicycle helmets : If you read the little label inside of them you will see "NOT FOR CLIMBING, RISK ON STRANGULATION". Indeed, if your climbing helmet get blocked but your body wants to continue falling, the strap will detach from the helmet. With a bicycle helmet, you will be hanged.
On my very first climbing lesson, 10 years ago, we had just arrived at the base of a route and the instructor said "first thing you do is put on your helmet". Immediately after he said that a cellphone came down the route from other people above and crashed like a meteor on the ground just beside me and exploded into pieces. Nowadays I put on my helmet before even getting close to the rock face.
I’m so forgetful that I put it on when I take it out of the car. This way if I’m walking near the base of routes with climbers or can’t see the people setting up top ropes I’m safe from rocks that break or get kicked accidentally.
I just discovered your channel yesterday and man, your videos should really be the benchmark for other RUclipsrs on how to do it right. High quality, straight to the point, good structure, excellent explanations and just the right mix of humor and horror mixed with great facts to really draw in the viewers.
A few other details- I think it's really great when the helmet has the twist dial on the back to fine tune the fit. I might put a buff or a cap with visor under the helmet. I mess with the dial every outing. Compared to using some "other" helmet: besides the head lamp attachment, it's designed for looking up! You don't want it to tip back and choke you. I've lightly bumped my head and appreciate that it didn't get dented or whatever, happy with the cheap BD half dome.
The first time I climbed outside my friend dropped a carabiner 20m up when cleaning the quickdraws. My girlfriend was belaying and managed to dodge the falling carabiner. She wasnt wearing a helmet, but I can only imagine if it hit her going that fast it could have messed her up pretty bad. The next day we all bought helmets.
When i try convincing people to wear helmets, they usually answer me "I know this crag, there's no risk here" (btw, I live in a place where there are wild mountain goats everywhere and they're often seen around climbing areas). Pointing out falling quickdraws or carabiners is my go-to answer. Glad you all learned that without anybody getting hurt!
I normally don't like wearing a helmet while belaying, but I think I'll be doing it more often, especially in limestone crags. On a recent climbing trip I broke a foothold about 15m off the ground, but fortunately my climbing partner was not only wearing his helmet, and the rock completely missed him. What a relief!
Thank you Ben for this important video! I hope some people will change their behaviour and wear a helmet in the future. I see so many people in Saxon Switzerland who do not wear helmets and I can’t understand this. I have only one head, too. So I always (ok 99%) wear a helmet when I climb outside, Trad and Sportclimbing. And of course I wear it while belaying. Little effort and so much more safety. Best regards and wishes!
Ben, I don''t like wearing a helmet, but I do because I remember a story about a biker who didn't like wearing his helmet either but his girlfriend Tanya made him wear it on one particular unfortunate night. It happened that he had a very bad wrack, was thrown out of bike by impact and while he was was rolling along the road, each time when his head was hitting the black top and making this "boom" sound he was telling himself in his head: "Thank you Tanya!". True story.
And the biker could tell this story afterwards? Probably because that stupid helmet saved him from more serious damage. So, even this n=1 statistics tells us: helmets do help.
Brilliant series!!! I can't thank you enough for putting all this stuff together. I know that it's an insane amount of work and time so: a Thanks thanks thanks again!!
I have watched the whole series of videos and I felt that I should comment on something.Great talent in presenting the issues and certainly a lot of work in organizing them. Many and condensed knowledge for all of us. I admire you for your venture. I wish you all the best!!
I really hope you can make a living from your channel!! The amount of (useful!!) info you put out there is superb :). I appreciate how you try to put quantitative and high quality info out there, without influencing it with your own opinion. it is much appreciated
That is amazing! I would never have thought helmet or not that the watermelons would survive that high of a fall from a rock. I don't like helmets, but pretty much wear them for every sport (mountain biking, snowboarding, climbing). I rarely wore a helmet when soloing since I though that there isn't anyone above me I didn't need to worry about rock fall from above, then I saw a clip of someone reaching up, grabbing a hold and a huge rock came right out of the wall and right onto their head, now I wear helmets.
Do helmets have a recommended life? Ropes, Slings, harnesses should be changed after a manufacturer’s recommended life. My felling helmet has to be replaced 5 years after the manufacture date stamped on the helmet. This would be another good test. Durability of old versus new climbing helmets.
I've seen a lot of videos. They're not very experienced on video camera work. Not they don't know what they do they just don't know how to explain it like you do, and Mammoth is back in you all of it is that a professional level thank you
Thank you for this great video! I can only agree with you that rockfall, even in well climbed areas, is a matter of statistics. I have surely broken around 10 foot/handholds in last 6 years. We always wear a helmet for belaying and we so often are the only ones doing so on a crag that I keep wondering if I’m just the unlucky one with my rockfall experience or people just really care about style so much? Also, white helmets are great of sun protection. We retired one of the hybrid helmets recently, as it had some visible dents and damage and decided to try to destroy it with a hammer. So impressive, a strong 90kg guy just could not get through the foam with the pointy side of it! And he did try hard.
Using my helmet I simply climb with more confidence and this made me advance in rock climbing very fast since then. By the way: never wore a helmet for more than a climbing decade. Then in the FIRST route where I used my helmet a stone of apple size fell onto the very center of my head from the Latschenkiefer growing above.
A carabiner and a piece of string will tell you exactly when you are over the helmet. Then use any stick, maybe part of a tripod to indicate the right place and you'll probably hit poor Hose every time. 2:03 FINALLY someone who can teach me proper helmeting. It's so obvious that 5 helmets are better than just one. But nobody else seems to get it. People actually made me feel silly when I did that. But now everything has changed. Thank you so much.
Always excited when I see a new video of you in my feed. Yes I find it hard sometimes when climbing with someone more experienced and they do not wear a helmet. Even nearly dropped a stone on one of them in a very established climbing spot. 😳
As a climber with a big head (and a lot of hair) when I sought one all the helmets on the market didn't fit me. I found luck finding better fits with ski/snowboarding helmet. Found one with the ventilation, good coverage, and using the same materials found in all climbing helmet by TurboSke. Most importantly it FITS! So shout out to fellow big headed climbers who have trouble on the market.
Came to this vid, while waiting in the hospital after a jug broke. Rocks fell, and the one just bigger than a fist, hit me on the side of the head. I was not wearing a helmet because the route was easy and we had done it multiple times. Overconfidence got the best of me. Thankfully, only got 3 stitches so far (still waiting for ct scan results). Definitely a wakeup call. Always wearing a helmet from now on.
I don't usually comment, but I've been following for a while and just wanted to thank you for making this awesome educational video - please know it's much appreciated :)
Watching those fall videos actually made me feel so nauseous. 😨 thanks for the video. There’s very little selection of gear available where I’m at, so this is very helpful in making the right decision! You’re great!!
Nice video! Could you explain why in some falls people turn upside down. I have noticed that it depends of the position of the climber's rope and if the climber is straight up or left/right from the last quickdraw.
Normally when people fall upside down is because of bad positioning between lead climber and rope. If the rope is coming down from your harness and passing behind one (or both) of your legs/feet, it could trip you over upside down when you take a fall. A good rule of thumb to avoid this when you're a beginner is just look down. If you see the last pro you clipped your rope to between your legs, then just keep the rope between your legs. If you see the last pro to the right or left of your feet, then you should position your rope towards that side, passing in front of your legs and on the outside of your foot/knee/thigh. This way, if you fall, it's unlikely the rope will trip you upside down. Ask your belayer to pay attention to this as well and give you a heads up in case you don't notice the mistake during your climb. With that been said, there's still a small chance that, even when positioning correctly, the rope could move during a fall and catch your leg/foot. In 10 years of climbing this has happened to me only once. Hope this helps, but a professional guide's instructions would help a lot more in many ways. Be safe and climb on ✌️
I am absolutely blown away by the performance of these helmets! I would think the melons would just be squished between the helmet and the cement, but I was wrong!
Almost any mountaineer in the alps wearing a helmet, but when you are going to most sportclimbing crags you barely see one. In general the harder the crag the less helmets you see. Some of your videos are from Tenerife, right? I didnt see anyone wearing a helmet when i was there for one week! Yet there were at least 2 rockfalls in that time we witnessed. A few days before in Arico there was even an entire breakdown of carsized rocks destroying some routes. And that crag looks solid as fuck.
Falling a rock on someone's head could cause the best receding hairline ;) Also, one time a small pig fall off of the rock that we climbed. 1 meter away from my belayer. We survived, but when pigs fall from the sky, you know, you start to wear a helmet
Hello Ben, I recently discovered your channel, and watch about all of them, from Belay masterclass to Vipassana and much more. I really like what you do and how you do it, and I can only applause. Keep on, cheers, well done 👍 A French guy who love to walk in the Ceüse, but not climb it 🙃
I had an awkward fall out of this chimney. There was no way to do the climb while keeping the rope between my legs. Got flipped, my belayer underestimated how much air i had below me and gave me a really hard fall. When I hit my head, my vision jittered like flashbang explosion from a video game or something. My vision didnt go white, and my partner and I went through concussion red flags extensively over the next hour and then again in the evening. I was personally fine after about 10minutes to collect myself, but I hit my head jard enough that my eyes sloshed around in my head. I can hardly imagine how much force I would have taken without a helmet, and I am very confident I would have had a traumatic brain injury. Happy to still be climbing, and proud member of the helmet police.
Using the Mammut Wallrider without MIPS. Great helmet. As you said... Put IT on and forget it. Also on long mountaineering days. Keeps you save and cool.
Having a similar experience a little over 6 months ago I pulled off a huge chunk of rock while climbing it maybe fell about an arms length straight onto my head I ended up with a fractured skull, several bleeds on the brain, Serious concussion and whiplash as I was dead weight on the rope before coming to a stop. Ended up being airlifted out from the Crag and 3 days in hospital. I'm lucky to have made a "full recovery" (slight issues with speech). I reckon had I been wearing my helmet I would of walked out maybe with minor concussion.
If there's a rock that big falling from that high, it doesn't matter how good your helmet, at that point your cervical spine is what you're gonna have to be worried about. But at least they'll protect you from smaller stuff and weird falls, still good!
Thanks for the video! Definitely SO important to wear a helmet, espeeecially for the belayer! I see climbing partners all the time put the one helmet they have on the climber, and though they need one too, I think they've got it backwards. If the climber drops a big rock on the belayer and knocks them out, especially on an ATC, the climber's screwed. But yeah, all climbers should 100% have helmets. Shit happens, so let's go ahead and prevent any issues!
Great video, I’m really enjoying this series! I know you’re a sport climber but I think doing a video to show how to set up anchors and rappelling could be a great video.
Amazing! I like very much the one that moves sideaways beacuse in the accidents it is common that the force will be supported by the spyne witch may cause bain or spine damage. This helmet makes much more difficult for a rock to fall exactly on the center and not to slip sideaways. :)
Thanks for a good and informative video! I would agree with you when you say use a helmet "if you have anything inside your head worth protecting", and I will add, "if you have anything IN your head", you'd use a helmet! ;)
Very nice and instructional video! The title claims that the helmet used is "the Most Advanced Helmet" where does this come from? How is it measured? It's not the only helmet with this mips stuff (e.g. BD has it as well) so what makes it the most advanced?
Oh man, I hate those Petzl magnet clips. The amount of times my helmet has come unexpectedly undone because of them is ridiculous. Such a shoddy design.
I always wear my helmet now, because this one time I was at a crag with 100m walls, and a very large volleyball sized rock came flying down (probably dislodged from a mountain goat as they are common in this location), and I watched it land less than a foot away from a man lying down and ricochet into many pieces. The man didn’t have a helmet on and was less than a foot away from being dead for sure.
Just as with bicycle, its not about wanting your haircut nice, its about feeling free. Many people hate to wear things on them, helmet, or just even a hat, they just want their body to feel free (like free solo). Yes... this is more dangerous, btw climbing is a dangerous sport, everyone live it their own way, the only thing important is that they should know the risks and take their decision, pretty sure many people who don't wear a helmet didn't really evaluate the risks before choosing to not wear them, but i could be wrong :D
Not got a falling rock on my head but a tree branch (~5 cm dia) from about 6 m when cutting down a dead tree. And that was a substantial hit. Thankfully I did have a helmet (with visor and earmuffs) but even the secondary hit on my shoulder was quite painful. Without the helmet I would likely been knocked out (right on top of the running chainsaw). It's like the seatbelt in the car - I've never been in a serious accident but I have no illusions of being able to clip it on before an accident so it gets clipped on as soon as I'm in the seat.
I've had a tennis ball sized rock land on my helmet after finishing a route and untying on the ground. Someone yelled "ROCK!" and I just kept looking forward instead of up. That impact was quite big and without a helmet it would have been a visit to the hospital or worse! I know I am wearing one when I get close to rocks!
I think it would have been interesting to see the rock fall at an angle. In real life situations, the rock would be spinning, and most likely (Like it happened to my belayer two month ago) hit the helmet with a sort of pointy or at least uneven edge. I think it would make more of a dent than having it fall flat. Also, if you are reading this, remember to check the lifetime of your gear. It's X years since the date of fabrication. How many years is written on the piece of paper that comes with the gear you buy, and date of fabrication is written on the piece of gear (Quickdraws have the year sticking from the side next to how much force they can hold, and helmets have a small sticker on the inside, usually with year and month of manufacturing), as old materials stop working the way they're intended to, and may not absorb as much force as your head would like them to.
Great content, as always. Ah the helmet police is everywhere. For me it is just another decision the climbers must make along the way, just like skipping a quick draw, placing (and trusting) marginal pro, etc. I do wear a helmet most of the time, but I don't make this practice a dogma. It is a choice made upon risk assessment. If the climber knows well the route, knows the quality of rock in that crag, I think it is 'ok' to choose not to wear a helmet. Of course it is totally possible to be injured or killed even in this scenario. But that is also true for free soloing and any other more adventurous (and legit) climbing styles. So the helmet police is really a little bit over their heads when they advocate for helmets on in any situation; climbing is dangerous, each climber chooses the amount of risk he is willing to take.
Great video, but the part about bicycle helmets smells a bit ignorant. The bicycle helmet standards specify that each helmet take multiple impacts from multiple angles. As per the US CPSC: "Impact sites. Each of helmets 1 through 4 (one helmet for each conditioning environment) shall impact at four different sites, with two impacts on the flat anvil and two impacts on the hemispherical anvil." There are all kinds of bicycle helmets. I'm pretty sure the Giro Quarter MIPS helmet would make a fine climbing helmet. It's got plenty of coverage, the outer shell is ABS and it has some PU to protect the EPS. Maybe the top vent holes are not ideal, but those are easily remedied by some kind of tape, mesh, or fabric cover.
I have a POC helmet w/ MIPS. Would make a great helmet for climbing. People underestimate the risk of smacking yer head during a weird fall. If rockfall is a primary concern (ice/alpine) a high quality 'hardhat style' is your best bet. Penetration isn't the main concern, it's the blunt force trauma to the skull and neck. The airgap and webbing suspension are far superior to any foam in this respect.
A scooter just crashed outside on the street crossing in front of my balcony while watching 'gaving helmet videos'! I went outside he just got up and drove away again. It rained and the street is wet. Its 23.30 here. I whispered "..and thats why we wear a helmet Gavin.." How crazy is that 😅
Hello! Could you possibly do a video showing the differences between the figure 8's knot and the knot used by Adam Ondra on his latest videos (I just saw that he is not using an 8, but I don't know which one is actually using). Thanks!!
I don’t see too many helmets indoors even though hitting the wall indoors is not going to be much nicer than outdoors. Is my assumption correct that top roping indoors should be quite safe if the belayer knows what they are doing? However, indoor lead is risky and helmet might be a good idea.
I personally prefer leight-weighted helmets due to high altitude where every pound counts so I have been pretty much happy with my Black Diamond Vapor so far. Truth to be said I have never used it on the vertical wall where being hit by rocks is more often.
Would be great to know if there's a general rule about ratings of soft Vs hard helmets- which is better or is it of course not so simple.. Was good in carabineer ep to know that it's rated way higher then needed essentially- wonder what the ratings mean in practice... Thanks for the vid ☺️
It seems like climbing helmets are finally catching up to MTB helmets. Previously they were just glorified construction-grade hard-hats. It's good to see thick absorbent foam and MIPS technology FINALLY making it into them. Contrast that to my IXS and Leatt mountain biking helmets, which have 1.5x the absorbing material, more coverage (include on the rear of the skull), and better retention capability. Honestly, if it weren't for the vents in my MTB helmets, I'd feel safer wearing those than a previous generation climbing helmet.
You should only climb in the gym. It’s the safest option. If I have to go out to the dangerous outside, I always wear my level A hazmat suit, respirator, helmet, class I personal flotation device, two pairs of safety glasses and I like to bring two pillows and a parachute just in case. You never know what you might run into 💁♂️ I’d especially recommend the aforementioned safety precautions if you do risky things like rock climbing, be sure it’s safe enough to where it no longer feels like rock climbing.
Great video thanks ! Have you tested an helmet with a go-pro or a headlamp attached on it ? I heard that if the rock hits directly on it, it reduces drastically the protection and the shock-absorption...
My feeling is that unless the rock is quite large, whether it hits a go-pro or headlamp or whatever won't make a large difference. Yes, hitting it directly means the small area of the go-pro creates a pressure point, but the thing is, the rock itself exerts the force of impact in a small area already, so it's the same situation. If anything, since the go-pro is softer and easier to break than the rock, it may even help cushion the impact as it's smashed. Now, if you were, say, riding a bicycle and crashed, and a go-pro got between your helmet and the ground, it could actually make the accident worse. In this case, the ground is wide and flat, and so doesn't have a narrow impact point, and so the go-pro ends up concentrating the impact into a small area.
Weeks ago I researched what I could find about helmets and would like to add a few things:
Climbing Helmets are certified with CE EN 12492 = good for falling rocks on top of your head, pointy sharp objects. UIAA 106 is the same thing but with a higher standard. and for multiple impacts.
Bike Helmets use CE EN 1078 and are designed for smashing your head against something (mostly the ground) and like Ben said a single time. Ski Helmets are certified with 1077 (with two classes) that are designed for smashing your head like the bike helmets, but have to be stronger, because you are faster on ski and you have pointy objects like rocks you can crash against and. also they are designed for multiple impacts, like climbing helmets.
So for example if you climb in the gym:
you have 0 chance of having something falling on your head (nearly, because a hold couldn't be screwed right or something of your harness could come off)
but have a chance of hitting your head on the wall = a bike helmet would be better for this situation than a helmet that is only for climbing.
if you climb outdoor the chance of something falling on your head is huge. so a bike helmet wouldn't be so good for pointy heavy stones (ofc better than no helmet at all) so a climbing helmet > a bike helmet.
But because you have also the chance of hitting your head against the rock or floor etc. the best thing would be a double certified helmet. most of them have the even better ski helmet certificate. so they have CE EN 1249 (and often UIAA 106) + CE EN 1077. that would really be the way to go, if you love your brain and well. living.
Like Ben and Mammut showed there are helmets that are only (I think so, didn't look it up) climbing certified BUT also care about these side impacts and crashing the rock falls. some Petzl helmets for example have a double certificate light version called certificated for ski tours.
On the other hand there were tests from the DAV showing that some only climbing certified helmets bring HIGHER forces to the head in case of a crash, because they are like hart hats for constructors etc and only designed for objects falling from above!
also great, that Ben mentioned MIPS and its found its way into the climbing sport!
So in conclusion: don't wear the cheapest only plastic shell helmets, if you might crash your head. inform yourself how good the helmet protects for these nasty falls where your head crashes into the rock. if you really want to be on the safe side: look for double certified helmets with CE EN 1077.
If you want to be even safer go with MIPS on top of that (your head. good joke, no?)
I think there are helmets that have both. but fe the black diamond vision mips has no ski certificate, but looks well better protective for these impacts than for example a cheap hard shell helmet. and has mips!
Or the Grivel Duetto has the climbing and ski certificates and is very light. sadly it has no MIPS, that would make it the perfect non plus ultra helmet.
And yes, safer (esp. safer for more styles of impact) helmets are easily double or triple as expensive. But look at it this way: When it saved your head it was totally worth every penny (I think everybody would even prefer paying 1000€ over having a serious head injury, esp. in USA where such an injury could actually cost you thousands). so what is 80€ more for that? And if you don't have such an accident, you can use the helmet for years (have to switch if after time because the foam will change)
So either way it is well worth it. (:
The text got longer than I expected, but I think it is very important information, because its your safety we are talking about. and your most important and easily destroyed (while climbing) part of the body.
And I am not the helmet police, do what you want. But never ever make fun of someone who wears helmets where you think its not necessary. some people value their brains (:
I'm a mountaineer. I've watched a raven take off, launching a fairly big rock right in to the middle of the path in front of me. I wear a helmet if there is loose rock above, even if there is no climbing route there.
Exactly everyone make their own choice. Better safe than sorry is a good motto here👍🏻
Oh, the new helmets look like the actually provide some protection for climbers. Older "mountaineering" helmets had no impact or side protection and I often told people not to buy imaginary protection for climbing and just use a cheap skateboard helmet. And I loved to give examples of expensive "climbing" helmets from major name brands that were clearly extremely flimsy and only able to just barely pass the mountaineering anti-penetration test for rocks landing on the top as a reason why we shouldn't trust manufacturers or marketing hype. So, ok, if you spend enough money it seems you can now get a "climbing" helmet that is actually better than a cheap skateboard helmet.
And I'm going to leave my comment as a reply here to help boost Bas's comment cuz he actually named the certifications and stuff (although last time I looked the ski helmet certification was not so good, but maybe it is a new standard since I looked and I am too lazy to read them all again, so I hope Bas did his homework correctly).
Good point with the certifications. As someone doing multiple sports I wouldn’t want to buy a helmet for each activity, so rather invest into one that I can go climbing, skiing and mountaineering with.
The people in the outdoor stores i’m shopping and so the people i‘m climbing with, told me i cant climb with a ski helmet and have to Buy a climbing helmet. But it didnt made sense to me so I didnt care and Used it anyways… thanks for your comment, now i feel much More Safe!😁 its also EN1077 Certified. The only downside i‘m seeing is that its getting warmer on your Head and you tend to sweat more…
I've recently had an experience with a 10kg rock falling ont my belayer's head. I'm eager to see this video! He had a helmet and we were extremely lucky. He had to undergo skull surgery but he's okay now, and nobody else got hurt.
Wow good job at having a helmet tho!
@@HardIsEasy I've always worn a helmet since I started climbing twelve years ago, because why take unnecessary risks? And I've always told people who ask me what gear they need to buy first, helmet is the first thing I say.
My belayer actually didn't have his helmet on at first, I gave it to him when he was setting up grigri... Speaking of grigri, had we not been using one I'd have fallen 12m onto uneven ground because he lost consciousness for 3 seconds.
He was wearing a Petzl Meteor, it got squished at the point of impact. He didn't get the full force of the rock as his body was able to bend forward under the impact, but still had 5 broken teeth and fractured skull. I still can't figure out how he didn't die that day...
I could send you pictures of the helmet if you're curious 😅
@@manuelc5592 Yikes, that must have been close - Glad you both made it through.
@Hard Is Easy Perhaps a topic for follow up, something to keep inside the helmet - First Aid training and how important seemingly small things are during the first minutes after an accident (and how to stabilize until the pro's arrive). Not a course in itself but how important knowledge and training is.
@@sharg0 I think that would be amazing! Maybe doing a collab with the helicopter rescue team at Hard is Easy's local firefighter place.
That day we were also lucky to have an anesthesia doctor to take control of the situation. But as soon as I have been lowered I reached for my first aid kit, put a heat blanket onto my buddy and check for hemorrhages to see if there was any bleeding I could stop (after washing hands with soap and putting on gloves). By that time the rescue had already been called and the helicopter arrived 5min later.
Thanks for sharing you experience. Glad your friend recovered well :)
Brilliant vid. As a newbie I sometimes feel a bit stupid wearing a helmet when experienced climbers around me don't, and this vid is a good reminder.
F what others think. If its about safety, do what makes you feel comfortable👍🏻👍🏻
The safety culture in climbing has changed a lot over the past 20 years and many of the people you see without helmets may just be stuck in their ways. When I was learning, some degree of exposure (risk of injury) was considered a crucial part of the sport. I changed with the times but many of my friends didn't and we just let each other do things the way we think right. If someone's actually judging you for wearing a helmet, you don't want them as a climbing buddy because they'll push you to take risks you aren't comfortable with
I climbed for 15 years all over North America, sport and multi-pitch up to 5.13. Number of times that rockfall was ever an issue: zero. The number of climbers I encountered who were injured or died due to rockfall: zero. I knew one guy who died rock climbing. He was wearing a helmet, but died soloing. I knew multiple people who died whilst mountaineering, dying in avalanches, but the presence/absence of a helmet in those circumstances wasn’t going to alter the outcome. All of the people I knew who died/were injured were either soloing, or were killed in avalanches.
In my earlier years of climbing, I went climbing with a veteran climber, who even bragged he hadn’t had any accidents. Down at our cars as we were setting up our gear to go hike up to the crag he saw me pack my helmet and sort of made fun of me. I reluctantly packed it, and wasn’t sure I’d actually wear it, but I’m glad I did. He had placed me far up to the left of the rope anchor, so when he finished and weighted the rope, I ended up flying into the Rock wall getting spun around violently. I sustained multiple hits, including to my head, and broke my big toe. I had a headache for two days straight even with 800 mg of Tylenol - and that was WITH my helmet on. Also, never fully put your trust in any one. Always trust your gut. I wish I had been more outspoken about how high up left he had me belay him - it was different than I had done with others, but I hadn’t fully grasped the dynamics/physics of belaying.
Thanks!
Thank you as well Tim!
Thank you and every single person who makes donations :). Really enjoy your vids, thanks so much for all of the episodes and information. Looking forward to seeing the 8A climbing story.
Fun story. A friend and I were at the base of a crag packing up. We loaded our packs, took our helmets off, and were literally putting our packs on our backs when another group dislodge a massive rotten flake of rock. One person went flying, another person was just above it, and the belayer managed to dive sideways while still death gripping the rope and kept his climber safe. It sounded like someone hurling microwave sized rocks. You could FEEL the ground shake from where they were hitting. Needless to say, it scared the shit out of all of us. Aside from one guy having a deep hand laceration, we were all ok. Now we both wear helmets as soon as we get anywhere near the base of a crag.
Seriously the best climbing gear channel I know of! I grew up without helmets, but I am being won over. My whitewater Kayaking friend took a rock to the forehead, the helmet was crushed and he was still cut, but if he would not have had it I am positive it would have killed him. Besides helmets allow you to climb harder, push a bit more, so really they are worth it. Sure wish Ondra and other pros would wear them more. It would go a long way and probably save lives
I'm on episode 5 of the belay masterclass but jumped to your latest video to show some appreciation! It's my first donation on YT and although it's a small one it doesn't reflect how much I really like your videos! Please keep up the good work :D
Hey Robel, Thank you so much!
Thank you for this important video.
But there is another important thing with bicycle helmets : If you read the little label inside of them you will see "NOT FOR CLIMBING, RISK ON STRANGULATION". Indeed, if your climbing helmet get blocked but your body wants to continue falling, the strap will detach from the helmet. With a bicycle helmet, you will be hanged.
Interesting, I want to check this now :) Learning from you guys :D thanks
On my very first climbing lesson, 10 years ago, we had just arrived at the base of a route and the instructor said "first thing you do is put on your helmet". Immediately after he said that a cellphone came down the route from other people above and crashed like a meteor on the ground just beside me and exploded into pieces.
Nowadays I put on my helmet before even getting close to the rock face.
I’m so forgetful that I put it on when I take it out of the car. This way if I’m walking near the base of routes with climbers or can’t see the people setting up top ropes I’m safe from rocks that break or get kicked accidentally.
I've gotten so much value out of all these videos, just wanted to say thank you!
Ah my pleasure! Thank you so much!
When the choice is "expose your brain to damage or death" or "aesthetics" I know which one I'll choose.
aesthetics?
- OD, male model
I just discovered your channel yesterday and man, your videos should really be the benchmark for other RUclipsrs on how to do it right. High quality, straight to the point, good structure, excellent explanations and just the right mix of humor and horror mixed with great facts to really draw in the viewers.
Dude, your videos are gold! Many of the topics were like "that's what I wondered, but in no way I could test it in real life". Thanks for your effort!
GRRREAT EXPERIMENT! So funny but also so important matter on security! Extra love to MAMMUT for being a loyal sponsor to your awesome videos!💚
A few other details- I think it's really great when the helmet has the twist dial on the back to fine tune the fit. I might put a buff or a cap with visor under the helmet. I mess with the dial every outing. Compared to using some "other" helmet: besides the head lamp attachment, it's designed for looking up! You don't want it to tip back and choke you. I've lightly bumped my head and appreciate that it didn't get dented or whatever, happy with the cheap BD half dome.
The first time I climbed outside my friend dropped a carabiner 20m up when cleaning the quickdraws. My girlfriend was belaying and managed to dodge the falling carabiner. She wasnt wearing a helmet, but I can only imagine if it hit her going that fast it could have messed her up pretty bad. The next day we all bought helmets.
When i try convincing people to wear helmets, they usually answer me "I know this crag, there's no risk here" (btw, I live in a place where there are wild mountain goats everywhere and they're often seen around climbing areas). Pointing out falling quickdraws or carabiners is my go-to answer.
Glad you all learned that without anybody getting hurt!
@@manuelc5592 tbh in well established areas I do not care enough to wear a helmet. But with goats would 100% wear a helm
I normally don't like wearing a helmet while belaying, but I think I'll be doing it more often, especially in limestone crags. On a recent climbing trip I broke a foothold about 15m off the ground, but fortunately my climbing partner was not only wearing his helmet, and the rock completely missed him. What a relief!
@@rallymaniac92 I hope you use an autolocking device then otherwise its the climbers life you're putting at risk
Thank you Ben for this important video! I hope some people will change their behaviour and wear a helmet in the future.
I see so many people in Saxon Switzerland who do not wear helmets and I can’t understand this.
I have only one head, too. So I always (ok 99%) wear a helmet when I climb outside, Trad and Sportclimbing. And of course I wear it while belaying. Little effort and so much more safety.
Best regards and wishes!
You can actually remove those Petzl (strap) magnets, clean them or leave them out entirely (as stated in the manual btw). Another great video btw :)
1:07 cat versus giant cucumber😂🤣
Ben, I don''t like wearing a helmet, but I do because I remember a story about a biker who didn't like wearing his helmet either but his girlfriend Tanya made him wear it on one particular unfortunate night. It happened that he had a very bad wrack, was thrown out of bike by impact and while he was was rolling along the road, each time when his head was hitting the black top and making this "boom" sound he was telling himself in his head: "Thank you Tanya!". True story.
And the biker could tell this story afterwards? Probably because that stupid helmet saved him from more serious damage. So, even this n=1 statistics tells us: helmets do help.
Oups... Yea I guess life feels interesting that - nothing will happen to me... until it does happen.
@@yveskemp7218 Exactly, the purpose of my comment was to show how important it is to wear a helmet even if you don't like it. It can save your life.
Loved the beta climber cameo!
Brilliant series!!! I can't thank you enough for putting all this stuff together. I know that it's an insane amount of work and time so: a Thanks thanks thanks again!!
Thanks for that series! Amazing job👍
I have watched the whole series of videos and I felt that I should comment on something.Great talent in presenting the issues and certainly a lot of work in organizing them. Many and condensed knowledge for all of us. I admire you for your venture. I wish you all the best!!
I really hope you can make a living from your channel!! The amount of (useful!!) info you put out there is superb :). I appreciate how you try to put quantitative and high quality info out there, without influencing it with your own opinion. it is much appreciated
Nice Video! And RIP José ☹️😂
Yeah :DDDD
That is amazing! I would never have thought helmet or not that the watermelons would survive that high of a fall from a rock. I don't like helmets, but pretty much wear them for every sport (mountain biking, snowboarding, climbing). I rarely wore a helmet when soloing since I though that there isn't anyone above me I didn't need to worry about rock fall from above, then I saw a clip of someone reaching up, grabbing a hold and a huge rock came right out of the wall and right onto their head, now I wear helmets.
Great video, as usual! Thank you!
Do helmets have a recommended life? Ropes, Slings, harnesses should be changed after a manufacturer’s recommended life. My felling helmet has to be replaced 5 years after the manufacture date stamped on the helmet.
This would be another good test. Durability of old versus new climbing helmets.
I've seen a lot of videos. They're not very experienced on video camera work. Not they don't know what they do they just don't know how to explain it like you do, and Mammoth is back in you all of it is that a professional level thank you
I actually was looking for a video about helmets. But just week i brought the Mammut Skywalker helmet so.. still good to finally see a video
Thank you very much! Really like your videos
Thank you for this great video! I can only agree with you that rockfall, even in well climbed areas, is a matter of statistics. I have surely broken around 10 foot/handholds in last 6 years. We always wear a helmet for belaying and we so often are the only ones doing so on a crag that I keep wondering if I’m just the unlucky one with my rockfall experience or people just really care about style so much? Also, white helmets are great of sun protection.
We retired one of the hybrid helmets recently, as it had some visible dents and damage and decided to try to destroy it with a hammer. So impressive, a strong 90kg guy just could not get through the foam with the pointy side of it! And he did try hard.
Using my helmet I simply climb with more confidence and this made me advance in rock climbing very fast since then.
By the way: never wore a helmet for more than a climbing decade. Then in the FIRST route where I used my helmet a stone of apple size fell onto the very center of my head from the Latschenkiefer growing above.
A carabiner and a piece of string will tell you exactly when you are over the helmet. Then use any stick, maybe part of a tripod to indicate the right place and you'll probably hit poor Hose every time.
2:03 FINALLY someone who can teach me proper helmeting. It's so obvious that 5 helmets are better than just one. But nobody else seems to get it. People actually made me feel silly when I did that. But now everything has changed. Thank you so much.
Always excited when I see a new video of you in my feed. Yes I find it hard sometimes when climbing with someone more experienced and they do not wear a helmet. Even nearly dropped a stone on one of them in a very established climbing spot. 😳
If they won't wear a helmet best make sure they're using an autolocking belay device!
3:22 belayer of the year award. Maybe wear a helmet for your climber
As a climber with a big head (and a lot of hair) when I sought one all the helmets on the market didn't fit me. I found luck finding better fits with ski/snowboarding helmet. Found one with the ventilation, good coverage, and using the same materials found in all climbing helmet by TurboSke. Most importantly it FITS! So shout out to fellow big headed climbers who have trouble on the market.
Came to this vid, while waiting in the hospital after a jug broke. Rocks fell, and the one just bigger than a fist, hit me on the side of the head. I was not wearing a helmet because the route was easy and we had done it multiple times. Overconfidence got the best of me. Thankfully, only got 3 stitches so far (still waiting for ct scan results). Definitely a wakeup call. Always wearing a helmet from now on.
I don't usually comment, but I've been following for a while and just wanted to thank you for making this awesome educational video - please know it's much appreciated :)
I appreciate that! ;)
I really like this style with the funny meme videos in between. Good edutainment!
Thank you for helping making climbing more safe for all of us 🙌
This video convinced me to wear a helmet ⛑ as always great content, please keep it up.
Man, some of those clips are stomach churning. Thanks for brining this important topic to everyone's attention!
Great as always! Congrats for the channel 👏👏
Watching those fall videos actually made me feel so nauseous. 😨 thanks for the video. There’s very little selection of gear available where I’m at, so this is very helpful in making the right decision! You’re great!!
Nice video! Could you explain why in some falls people turn upside down. I have noticed that it depends of the position of the climber's rope and if the climber is straight up or left/right from the last quickdraw.
Normally when people fall upside down is because of bad positioning between lead climber and rope. If the rope is coming down from your harness and passing behind one (or both) of your legs/feet, it could trip you over upside down when you take a fall.
A good rule of thumb to avoid this when you're a beginner is just look down. If you see the last pro you clipped your rope to between your legs, then just keep the rope between your legs. If you see the last pro to the right or left of your feet, then you should position your rope towards that side, passing in front of your legs and on the outside of your foot/knee/thigh.
This way, if you fall, it's unlikely the rope will trip you upside down.
Ask your belayer to pay attention to this as well and give you a heads up in case you don't notice the mistake during your climb.
With that been said, there's still a small chance that, even when positioning correctly, the rope could move during a fall and catch your leg/foot. In 10 years of climbing this has happened to me only once.
Hope this helps, but a professional guide's instructions would help a lot more in many ways. Be safe and climb on ✌️
I am absolutely blown away by the performance of these helmets! I would think the melons would just be squished between the helmet and the cement, but I was wrong!
Thanks SO MUCH BEEN WAITING for this topic
Really good videos, thank you a lot
Almost any mountaineer in the alps wearing a helmet, but when you are going to most sportclimbing crags you barely see one. In general the harder the crag the less helmets you see. Some of your videos are from Tenerife, right? I didnt see anyone wearing a helmet when i was there for one week! Yet there were at least 2 rockfalls in that time we witnessed. A few days before in Arico there was even an entire breakdown of carsized rocks destroying some routes. And that crag looks solid as fuck.
Falling a rock on someone's head could cause the best receding hairline ;)
Also, one time a small pig fall off of the rock that we climbed. 1 meter away from my belayer. We survived, but when pigs fall from the sky, you know, you start to wear a helmet
Hello Ben,
I recently discovered your channel, and watch about all of them, from Belay masterclass to Vipassana and much more. I really like what you do and how you do it, and I can only applause. Keep on, cheers, well done 👍
A French guy who love to walk in the Ceüse, but not climb it 🙃
Wow thank you so much! And seems like I need to keep up with my creation speed :D
Enjoy Ceuse! We've been there and totally loved the place!
I had an awkward fall out of this chimney. There was no way to do the climb while keeping the rope between my legs. Got flipped, my belayer underestimated how much air i had below me and gave me a really hard fall.
When I hit my head, my vision jittered like flashbang explosion from a video game or something. My vision didnt go white, and my partner and I went through concussion red flags extensively over the next hour and then again in the evening. I was personally fine after about 10minutes to collect myself, but I hit my head jard enough that my eyes sloshed around in my head. I can hardly imagine how much force I would have taken without a helmet, and I am very confident I would have
had a traumatic brain injury.
Happy to still be climbing, and proud member of the helmet police.
7:30 those heads absolutely made a "BONK" sound....
Using the Mammut Wallrider without MIPS. Great helmet. As you said... Put IT on and forget it. Also on long mountaineering days. Keeps you save and cool.
It was fun doing this with you! 💓
Having a similar experience a little over 6 months ago I pulled off a huge chunk of rock while climbing it maybe fell about an arms length straight onto my head I ended up with a fractured skull, several bleeds on the brain, Serious concussion and whiplash as I was dead weight on the rope before coming to a stop. Ended up being airlifted out from the Crag and 3 days in hospital. I'm lucky to have made a "full recovery" (slight issues with speech). I reckon had I been wearing my helmet I would of walked out maybe with minor concussion.
If there's a rock that big falling from that high, it doesn't matter how good your helmet, at that point your cervical spine is what you're gonna have to be worried about. But at least they'll protect you from smaller stuff and weird falls, still good!
Thanks for the video! Definitely SO important to wear a helmet, espeeecially for the belayer! I see climbing partners all the time put the one helmet they have on the climber, and though they need one too, I think they've got it backwards. If the climber drops a big rock on the belayer and knocks them out, especially on an ATC, the climber's screwed. But yeah, all climbers should 100% have helmets. Shit happens, so let's go ahead and prevent any issues!
Great video, I’m really enjoying this series! I know you’re a sport climber but I think doing a video to show how to set up anchors and rappelling could be a great video.
Thanks!
Anchors - It's on my list =]
But the list is a tiny bit long :D
Thank you every single person :-) And thank you for your very informative and also entertaining videos!
Amazing! I like very much the one that moves sideaways beacuse in the accidents it is common that the force will be supported by the spyne witch may cause bain or spine damage. This helmet makes much more difficult for a rock to fall exactly on the center and not to slip sideaways. :)
Great content as always
I know the spot where the woman fell. She got really lucky. It’s at Cherokee Rock Village (Sand Rock). The name of the route is Misty.
I cant wait for another episode. Amazing content!
Thanks for a good and informative video! I would agree with you when you say use a helmet "if you have anything inside your head worth protecting", and I will add, "if you have anything IN your head", you'd use a helmet! ;)
Thanks
Thanks Mister :D
I dOnT nEeD a HeLmEt gAvIn.
Grazie.
Thank you too Davide!
Very good and interesting climbing channel! Good job man! Thank you for the passion you put into your videos!
My pal bought a helmet instantly after a rock of a size of a melon fell next to him after a guy on a route pulled it out of the rock. Good decision
How would the Mammut Crag Helmet be for Scrambles / Mountaineering? Not looking rock climbing.
Very nice and instructional video! The title claims that the helmet used is "the Most Advanced Helmet" where does this come from? How is it measured? It's not the only helmet with this mips stuff (e.g. BD has it as well) so what makes it the most advanced?
Oh man, I hate those Petzl magnet clips. The amount of times my helmet has come unexpectedly undone because of them is ridiculous. Such a shoddy design.
Danke!
Bite!
hey mate! I watched yours videos, nice job! I have a question, why do you have all of mammut? (I love this brand)
I always wear my helmet now, because this one time I was at a crag with 100m walls, and a very large volleyball sized rock came flying down (probably dislodged from a mountain goat as they are common in this location), and I watched it land less than a foot away from a man lying down and ricochet into many pieces. The man didn’t have a helmet on and was less than a foot away from being dead for sure.
Please consider making a video about proper relay setup, and why leaving a quicklink is not the best way to setup a relay.
Great video as always :) !
Just as with bicycle, its not about wanting your haircut nice, its about feeling free. Many people hate to wear things on them, helmet, or just even a hat, they just want their body to feel free (like free solo).
Yes... this is more dangerous, btw climbing is a dangerous sport, everyone live it their own way, the only thing important is that they should know the risks and take their decision, pretty sure many people who don't wear a helmet didn't really evaluate the risks before choosing to not wear them, but i could be wrong :D
Another very good video. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much Raul
Not got a falling rock on my head but a tree branch (~5 cm dia) from about 6 m when cutting down a dead tree. And that was a substantial hit. Thankfully I did have a helmet (with visor and earmuffs) but even the secondary hit on my shoulder was quite painful. Without the helmet I would likely been knocked out (right on top of the running chainsaw).
It's like the seatbelt in the car - I've never been in a serious accident but I have no illusions of being able to clip it on before an accident so it gets clipped on as soon as I'm in the seat.
I've had a tennis ball sized rock land on my helmet after finishing a route and untying on the ground. Someone yelled "ROCK!" and I just kept looking forward instead of up. That impact was quite big and without a helmet it would have been a visit to the hospital or worse! I know I am wearing one when I get close to rocks!
And that's a lucky day for you! Now you can produce useful things with unbroken skull ;)
@@HardIsEasy 😂 absolutely 😂🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I think it would have been interesting to see the rock fall at an angle. In real life situations, the rock would be spinning, and most likely (Like it happened to my belayer two month ago) hit the helmet with a sort of pointy or at least uneven edge. I think it would make more of a dent than having it fall flat.
Also, if you are reading this, remember to check the lifetime of your gear. It's X years since the date of fabrication. How many years is written on the piece of paper that comes with the gear you buy, and date of fabrication is written on the piece of gear (Quickdraws have the year sticking from the side next to how much force they can hold, and helmets have a small sticker on the inside, usually with year and month of manufacturing), as old materials stop working the way they're intended to, and may not absorb as much force as your head would like them to.
Old helmet is still better than no helmet at all.
@@TushhsuT on that we agree, I sometimes bring my old helmet to lend it to people who are starting climbing and don't have a helmet yet.
Thank you for the information. I will be buying multiple helmet this year. We have turned a corner in the safety factor.
Great content, as always. Ah the helmet police is everywhere. For me it is just another decision the climbers must make along the way, just like skipping a quick draw, placing (and trusting) marginal pro, etc. I do wear a helmet most of the time, but I don't make this practice a dogma. It is a choice made upon risk assessment. If the climber knows well the route, knows the quality of rock in that crag, I think it is 'ok' to choose not to wear a helmet. Of course it is totally possible to be injured or killed even in this scenario. But that is also true for free soloing and any other more adventurous (and legit) climbing styles. So the helmet police is really a little bit over their heads when they advocate for helmets on in any situation; climbing is dangerous, each climber chooses the amount of risk he is willing to take.
Great video, but the part about bicycle helmets smells a bit ignorant. The bicycle helmet standards specify that each helmet take multiple impacts from multiple angles. As per the US CPSC: "Impact sites. Each of helmets 1 through 4 (one helmet for each
conditioning environment) shall impact at four different sites, with
two impacts on the flat anvil and two impacts on the hemispherical
anvil." There are all kinds of bicycle helmets. I'm pretty sure the Giro Quarter MIPS helmet would make a fine climbing helmet. It's got plenty of coverage, the outer shell is ABS and it has some PU to protect the EPS. Maybe the top vent holes are not ideal, but those are easily remedied by some kind of tape, mesh, or fabric cover.
I have a POC helmet w/ MIPS. Would make a great helmet for climbing. People underestimate the risk of smacking yer head during a weird fall. If rockfall is a primary concern (ice/alpine) a high quality 'hardhat style' is your best bet. Penetration isn't the main concern, it's the blunt force trauma to the skull and neck. The airgap and webbing suspension are far superior to any foam in this respect.
A scooter just crashed outside on the street crossing in front of my balcony while watching 'gaving helmet videos'! I went outside he just got up and drove away again. It rained and the street is wet. Its 23.30 here. I whispered "..and thats why we wear a helmet Gavin.." How crazy is that 😅
Hello! Could you possibly do a video showing the differences between the figure 8's knot and the knot used by Adam Ondra on his latest videos (I just saw that he is not using an 8, but I don't know which one is actually using). Thanks!!
Bowline is the one Adam uses afaik. Doesn't tighten during a fall, but it needs a backup knot always, otherwise it can untie itself if you're unlucky.
I don’t see too many helmets indoors even though hitting the wall indoors is not going to be much nicer than outdoors. Is my assumption correct that top roping indoors should be quite safe if the belayer knows what they are doing? However, indoor lead is risky and helmet might be a good idea.
I would rather have two quickdraws, than... Brain
I personally prefer leight-weighted helmets due to high altitude where every pound counts so I have been pretty much happy with my Black Diamond Vapor so far. Truth to be said I have never used it on the vertical wall where being hit by rocks is more often.
Great video, thank you
Cool video! And love the Melons demonstration!
Would be great to know if there's a general rule about ratings of soft Vs hard helmets- which is better or is it of course not so simple.. Was good in carabineer ep to know that it's rated way higher then needed essentially- wonder what the ratings mean in practice...
Thanks for the vid ☺️
I think all helmets go through the same tests, I'm not sure they have safety ratings... maybe not a bad idea... like in car industry...
It seems like climbing helmets are finally catching up to MTB helmets. Previously they were just glorified construction-grade hard-hats. It's good to see thick absorbent foam and MIPS technology FINALLY making it into them. Contrast that to my IXS and Leatt mountain biking helmets, which have 1.5x the absorbing material, more coverage (include on the rear of the skull), and better retention capability. Honestly, if it weren't for the vents in my MTB helmets, I'd feel safer wearing those than a previous generation climbing helmet.
Whaaaaat you're not covering belay glasses?? That's part of my buddy check.
You should only climb in the gym. It’s the safest option. If I have to go out to the dangerous outside, I always wear my level A hazmat suit, respirator, helmet, class I personal flotation device, two pairs of safety glasses and I like to bring two pillows and a parachute just in case. You never know what you might run into 💁♂️ I’d especially recommend the aforementioned safety precautions if you do risky things like rock climbing, be sure it’s safe enough to where it no longer feels like rock climbing.
@@spiercevaughn do you even know what belay glasses are? 🤣🤣🤣
gracias por informacion muy buena y gracias por compartiila traduccion para español .saludos desde el salvador
Great video thanks ! Have you tested an helmet with a go-pro or a headlamp attached on it ? I heard that if the rock hits directly on it, it reduces drastically the protection and the shock-absorption...
My feeling is that unless the rock is quite large, whether it hits a go-pro or headlamp or whatever won't make a large difference. Yes, hitting it directly means the small area of the go-pro creates a pressure point, but the thing is, the rock itself exerts the force of impact in a small area already, so it's the same situation. If anything, since the go-pro is softer and easier to break than the rock, it may even help cushion the impact as it's smashed.
Now, if you were, say, riding a bicycle and crashed, and a go-pro got between your helmet and the ground, it could actually make the accident worse. In this case, the ground is wide and flat, and so doesn't have a narrow impact point, and so the go-pro ends up concentrating the impact into a small area.