UKC

Why are there helmets specific to climbing, AND helmets specific to cycling, AND skating, AND kayaking, AND other outdoorsy sports?

If you do a multiple of these sports is it necessary to have a different helmet for each one, or do any manufacturers do a helmet that is appropriate and safe for multiple sports?

In reply to Landy_Dom: Well I have a separate helmet for each, but gath helmets are fairly widely used

In reply to Landy_Dom: the petzl metor 3+ is rated for climbing, cycling and white water, i only use it climbing but its the best bit of kit ive ever bought, its so light you dont even notice you have it on.

In reply to Reidy:

Where can I get one of those Gath Helmets from?

In reply to escalator: I wouldn't personally use this for climbing or cycling but it would do the job for loads of other stuff it's fine

Gath Surf
http://www.gathsports.com/productsingle.php?id=44

I'd get one off ebay cheap

In reply to Landy_Dom:

I'm no safety expert, but my understanding is that the basic safety tests for helmets to gain a CE mark for each activity is similar, so a helmet designed for one sport may well, (and often does,) meet the safety requirements for another sport.

However, there are obviously design features that are sport specific, so make that activity more enjoyable / comfortabe / safer, (given the CE mark safety tests are pretty generic.)

It's ike any other piece of kit; I may wear gloves to winter climb, mountain bike, sKate, paddle, but I woudn't use the same pair for them all.

In reply to escalator:

http://www.powerkiteshop.com/accessories/accessoriessafety.htm

In reply to Landy_Dom:

Thanks, and thanks.

In reply to Landy_Dom:
Many cycling helmets have loads of holes in to cool the rider down, where the likelihood of crashing into a sharp, small pointy thing is small. This would be a problem for climbers for whom a sharp, small pointy thing is very likely to fall on their heads.

In reply to kfv: I'm really pleased with mine.

In reply to Landy_Dom:

Simond Calcit is rated for climbing, cycling and skating:

http://www.simond.com/shop/categorie/cat-46-Helmets/prd-267-Calcit-Light-He...

In reply to Landy_Dom: different sports, different hazards, diffeent types of head injuries. That said, I'm sure that wearing any helmet is better than wearing no helmet in all of the ones you mention.

People say "ah but a cycling helmet is not designed for the impacts you might get in climbing". True. But if you wear no helmet for cycling or climbing, you will expose yourself to unecessary head injuries.

Bottom line - wearing any helmet is better than no helmet.

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:

Hi folks, thanks for your replies.

Let me fill out a bit of background. The various sports I listed was more out of curiosity than because I do all of them (I don't).

Where I'm at is I have been using an old Edelrid Shell / webbing design helmet for rock climbing, and after taking a ground fall a few weeks ago I'm concious that my current helmet does not provide much front / rear / side protection. I distinctly remember the back of my head hitting the inside of the helmet shell with some force as I hit the ground, and I suffered headaches for days afterwards.

Added to that I have just started cycling and until I buy a helmet, I have been using my rock climbing helmet as a "better than nothing" in-between until I get a new one.

Having done some research, it appears that shell / webbing helmets are great for protecting against rockfall, but less good at protecting against side impacts, and foam helmets (like bike helmets and some lightweight climbing helmets) are good at side impacts but less good at rockfall. There does appear to be a third way with a hardshell that contains a donut of foam protection around the head, like Wild Country's 360.

I'm wondering if such a type of foam lined hard shell might be good for both climbing and cycling (the 2 things I need a helmet for)?

Anyone have any experience of these foam / hard shell new helmets?

Cheers!

In reply to Landy_Dom:
I've got a Wild Country 360, and I've worn it cycling occasionally. I can't say whether it offers the same protection though, so the rest of this post is pure speculation
My gut feeling is that the design of cycling helmets seems to focus mainly on ventilation, streamlining and looks, and they just have to pass a minimum safety standard. I'd be surprised if a hybrid helmet like the 360 wouldn't pass the same standards as a basic cycling helmet. My guess is that my climbing helmet is probably as good as my (crappy) cycling helmet, but would get a bit hot on long rides. And look a bit silly.

In reply to Landy_Dom:
The BMC have a guide on helmets:
http://www.thebmc.co.uk/Handlers/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=629

David

In reply to Landy_Dom:

How about this one: -

http://www.kong.it/doc305.htm

In reply to MJ:
I was on a building site in Standish the other week and a chap was wearing that helmet instead of a proper hard hat - he was also making a leg bridge between a scaffold tower and a wall to fix up a sheet of plaster-board - 100% training

In reply to Landy_Dom:

I cycle (commute) in yellow Grivel Salamander helmet.
A friend of mine used Petzl Meteor III+ cycling triathlon.

I see no problem using climbing helmet for cycling. But, in hot weather, cycling in full shell helmet may be not very comfortable. So, IMO it is mostly the matter of comfort - there is tendency to use minimal helmet considered safe for injuries typical to particular sport.