Climbing Helmet Buying Guide - How to Buy Climbing Helmets
A Climbing Helmet is a wise investment for climbers of all ability levels. Not only will a helmet protect you from injury in falls, but more often will it protect you from falling debris when you are climbing. In Rock Climbing, falling rocks can cause fatal head injuries. In ice climbing, ice debris caused by the leading climber can fall down as well.
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Climbing Helmets - Parts and Features
Keep your head protected from falling debris or equipment and hard impacts by wearing the right Climbing Helmet. Know the different components of a helmat and learn how it can protect you from head injuries and other related mishaps.
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In this section, learn what to look for in a Climbing Helmet:
Fit
As discussed in our Parts and Features of Climbing Helmets section, the helmet should sit squarely on the head with the front of the helmet low on the brow to protect the forehead. You would like a close fit, but it has to accommodate a balaclava and a headlamp. The front and rear straps form a "Y" just below and forward of the ears. There is no slack when the chin-strap is fastened.
Do not wear a helmet tipped back on the head. Even if you can form the "Y" around the ears and eliminate slack, helmets worn on the back of the head are more likely to pop off and do not protect the forehead.
Buckle the chin strap securely at the throat. Connect the buckle according to the instructions provided with your helmet, and pull on the strap until it is snug against your throat. This ensures that your helmet will not come off at high-impact.
The padding exerts firm, uniform pressure all around the head so that the skin on the forehead moves as the helmet is rotated from left to right and from front to back. If the harness isn't correctly adjusted, it's possible for the helmet to be knocked off or out of place.
Material
Most Climbing Helmets have a polycarbonate or other high-impact plastic outer shell and a closed-cell foam liner for comfort and fit. There are three shell types: fiberglass, plastic, and carbon. Plastic helmets are very strong and durable. Helmets of fiberglass or carbon are very common in ice climbing.
All helmets are built to protect the climber from falling rock and other objects. But the way in which they do this is different. Fiberglass and Carbon helmets absorb the energy of a falling rock by breaking, where plastic and nylon helmets transfer the shock to a harness system in the helmet. This is the reason why helmets made of fiberglass and carbon usually have a closer fit.
Other criteria
Other criteria that should be taken into account when buying a helmet are ventilation, the weight, clips to accommodate headlamp, the straps, etc.
These are the basic things to consider when buying a Climbing Helmet. You are now ready to buy your gear. Check out our Climbing Helmets shop.
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