Instead of a crash pad, I might use a baby mattress...?

So I was in Walmart the other day and saw a baby crib mattress for $38.

I'm new to rock climbing and in the times when I don't have a partner, I've been doing some bouldering to try to shape up. Needless to say, I'm not hardcore, and more interested in just practicing on the rock and not doing hard routes. It is mostly sand where I boulder, but the problem is the little pebbles in the sand- when I land my heel on one it hurts like hell.

Since a crash pad will cost me probably abut $150; I was thinking this baby mattress should work. It is about the same size as a pad, and about 6 inches thick. It has a waterproof coating so it should be tough enough, and impermeable.I figure I could fold it and use some straps to haul it.

As I read this over I feel more and more ridiculous.

Any thoughts? Has anyone done it?

Baby mattresses use open-cell foam. You want your crash pad to have ~2/3 open cell, with another layer (~1/3 the thickness of the pad) of closed-cell foam over the top to help distribute the impact force across the entire area of the pad. If you can get a big piece of closed cell foam, ~2" thick and fasten over your baby mattress, that would work.

If I were you I would just look around the web for used crashed pads. You can get decent used pads for ~$75.

Do you remember those old "Bad Idea Jeans" commercials that used to be on SNL?

How about an old ensolite sleeping pad on top of the baby mattress? I'm all for saving money too and sounds like it could work OK. Folding might be the worst part of it.

Wow, Monomaniac you know a lot about crash pads. Thanks so much for the reply though.

Now remember, I am looking mostly to cushion my feet when I bail. I'm not doing any back to the ground, hard, low-overhanging, bouldering. I'm just climbing around on some big rocks when I'm not sport climbing.

I know I will look crazy walking through Garden of the Gods with a big baby mattress strapped to my back (folded or not), but I just want something real cheap for the time being. I'll look into pads if i ever get really into bouldering as a sport.

That's funny, because my wife and I thought the opposite: how about using a crashpad for a baby mattress? We're still convinced it will work when we have a kid someday. It's sure to make him/her into a climbing prodigy.

A crash pad would work great for an older infant, but newborns have reall soft skulls, so unless you want your baby to have a big dent in their head, I would opt for something a little softer.

you working off of some drop test empirical results mono? kind of freaking me out man.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, and the comedic entertainment. I think I am just going to save for a used pad.

There's probably a million ways I could rig some sort of landing pad, but the truth is; crash pads are designed to absorb a fall and that's really my best option.

Ever come up to Boulder? I'll give you a pad. Best to save your ankles no matter if you're doing "easy" routes or not.

• *EDIT TO ADD: Never heard from baby mattress guy (who wouldn't want a free crashpad?) and I had another taker, so the free Madrock Mad Pad is gone.

Go check out Gearonimo on Circle/ Palmer Park. they might have a used pad there or get you a good deal on a new one.

I would only recommend the crib mattress option if you are still wearing diapers.

Monomaniac wrote:A crash pad would work great for an older infant, but newborns have reall soft skulls, so unless you want your baby to have a big dent in their head, I would opt for something a little softer.

We bouldered a lot before crash pads came around. And back in the 'cram your feet into waaay too small shoes era' too; which added to the sting of good size drop. You can climb harder than you think if consequences are involved. Anything would be better than running around the Garden with a baby mattress.

Completely cover it with duct tape to hide what it is. Classy if you choose several colors of tape to do some artwork too.

Having two kids and two of these mattresses, this is a bad idea. The ones we have are heavy as hell and not made as well as crash pads. Keep an eye out on Craigslist, you'll pick on up cheap on there. Crashpads are like hangboards, people by them with good intentions and they end up for sale in no time.

Here you go. 50 bones.

http://denver.craigslist.org/spo/2703519451.html

NO Baby mattress. lol

For the first year I was bouldering I used a piece of impact foam that i found in the dumpster behind the outback steakhouse, it was about 4'x3' and it worked just fine. I probably fell off the crux of breashear's crack onto that foam pad a hundred times, straight on my bum, before finally sticking it.. There no shame in being frugal - and you're only going to use that pad until you grow out of bouldering anyway right ;)

When you want to climb and you don't have money, you do whatever you can. IMHO, $38 bucks is a bit expensive if you're really broke. If you can save up that much, you can wait until you can afford a used pad.

But if you can find something (anything) for 20 bucks (or free) then by all means, use it! Who cares if you look funny. No funnier than you look trying to get to the top of that 8 foot boulder when the other side of it is just a walk up.

Go dumpster diving, look around at construction sites and near college dorms and apartment complexes. There are all kinds of things that could be used until you get a pad.

PS, I've eaten out of trashcans, spent an entire season in a pink women's harness with flowers on it, slept in tape gloves for days at a time, and belayed for beer. Do what it takes and don't look back.

Instead of a baby mattress just use a baby or two. They are soft, bounce right back and make fun noises when you fall on them...........