UKC

I'm mainly a scrambler & trad climber but I've done a lot of bouldering indoors as training, I'm contemplating getting more into outdoor bouldering and having a pad would come in handy for soloing short trad routes or padding out dodgy landings too.

I remember reading once that its better to buy two smaller pads than one big one so I've been looking at two BD circuit pads?

Any advice is welcome!

In reply to Luke Brisco:

I've a couple of these and they are decent basic pads, nice and light too.

In reply to Luke Brisco:

Go to a shop with a good selection and have a look and feel of them all. From memory the circuit pad is great but quite small and even with 2 you may want some more coverage! Plus how are you going to attach them together etc for walk ins and is it comfortable to carry.

Personally If I was only having one I'd get the biggest I could afford/get in my car especially if you're soloing short trad routes with it.

In reply to Luke Brisco:

I'd much rather have one big one than two small. Something like the Core Titan. 

If that's a bit big then something like the Ocun Dominator is good. Thick and tough, and can be oriented in two ways thanks to the clever zip arrangement. 

In reply to Luke Brisco:

I have two BD circuit pads and they’ll hold a decent fall they’re big enough to support a fall but also small enough to manoeuvre into awkward positions. 
easily found second hand on Facebook market place I was able to get two for the price of one. 

In reply to ChrisBrooke:

The bigger pads are thicker which I think I'd rather have, but two smaller pads would actually cover a bigger area?

In reply to Euan McKendrick:

Two smaller Circuit pads are actually bigger than one Mondo pad, they sell an optional strap to attach two pads together for the carry in so that shouldn't be an issue.

In reply to Luke Brisco:

I too timid/clumsy to cope with anything less than two big pads. I've found a luxurious combination is an Edelrid Crux and a Snap Grand Wham. To carry, I wrap the Edelrid around the Snap, with a ratchet strap to hold them together, and use the cary straps of the Edelrid. With the Edelrid around the Snap, they also fit in my small car (Skoda Citigo).

In reply to Luke Brisco:

If you find you're getting into bouldering it won't be long before you're carrying a big pad with a smaller one strapped to it anyway

In reply to ChrisBrooke:

This is starting to sound expensive 😂

In reply to Luke Brisco:

Ye, Mondo is a better pad though in terms of foam and falling comfort. All the circuits I've fallen on felt too solid.

I have got back into bouldering after a long time off - last time round we used a beer towel or maybe a square of carpet, agility and a strong head.

Now I'm older, wiser and less agile I went for the biggest pad I could get for the money.  Keep an eye out as I've seen these as low as £129, I think I paid £159 / £169.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/bouldering-crashpad-big-blocker-1-4-m-x-1-1-m...

It's fairly big, fills the boot, well protected.  The only downside are the straps that hold it shut. They tend to come loose.  I need to look at a way to stop them slipping during the carry in.

I'm also looking at a smaller thin sit start pad to use as a back/side stop where needed.

In reply to Luke Brisco:

The key, if possible is not to go out bouldering alonę, you get someone to watch your back by spotting you, and they carry another one (or 2) mats.

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

That would be ideal but none of the boulderers I know go outside!

In reply to Luke Brisco: I've never regretted buying a big pad (Moon Saturn), and think it's better than a couple of small.  

Bit of patience and they pop up 2nd hand all the time

In reply to wbo2:

I agree although only if it fits in your car.

However two pads provides a lot more flexibility. I carry one big (Petzl Cirro) and one medium (Ocun Moonwalk) everywhere (or more). Two medium size pads is also ok for some stuff.

If the car permits, getting one good large pad and one much cheaper medium pad is a good solution. The medium pad could be bought second hand; if it's gone a bit soft you can just use it to pad out parts of problems before you get too high, with the bigger pad used for those.

But if the OP isn't yet sure how keen they are I would just start off with one medium pad and be sensible about choosing problems (straight up, not very steep).

In reply to Luke Brisco:

Another tactic is to look out for when there already are people/pads at a problem. I'm someone who's keen for other people to join when I'm trying a problem. I don't think that is so unusual, so I think it's fine to ask to join in (or in my case it's fine for others to just join in!).

In reply to Luke Brisco:

Thank you for this post. I am looking for a new pad too.  The replies are really helpful.  I don't know whether it happens in the UK, but I was recently in Portugal and was able to rent a pad (BD Mondo), which helps with potential buying decisions.

While here, anyone with any experience of the new BD Erratic?

In reply to Luke Brisco:

I would go as big as you can for your main pad. 

When you can afford it, you can add a second smaller one, then you can decide which one(s) to take on a given day.

Note that taco style pads must be stored flat if you want the foam to last. They go soggy in no time if you store them folded. If you don't have the space to store a taco pad flat, make sure you get a folded pad.

In reply to Luke Brisco:

Foiled by autocorrect and I'm too late to edit it.

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

Hats off to everyone who gets this to work. It certainly needn't be seen as a prerequisite for enjoying outdoor bouldering though. I very often come across other people, who like me have turned up on their own. It might even be 50:50 between lone boulders and groups.