My helmet saved my life on Sunday
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Thank you to the OP for posting your story. I'm very glad that you were wearing a helmet. |
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Yikes, thanks for the well-written post. I always have my mine with me, but am probably too casual about wearing it while not on lead. |
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Malcolm Daly wrote:The photo makes it look like the blow to the helmet came more from the side than from the top, leading me to think that a lightweight suspended helmet (Elios, Armour, Half Dome, etc) may not have protected you as wel.Malcolm - I agree about the side impact, and I've wondered the same thing. I climbed in the Ecrin Roc for years, and always wondered how well it would do with a side impact. You are basically counting on the suspension not breaking, and allowing the hard shell to deflect. I prefer the foam. As to the Scirocco - It didn't fit me very well. The meteor covers my head better, and is plenty light. Scott Stanko wrote:Glad you are okay Rich! Super scary.Thanks Scott! Hope the new job is going well! |
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Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Search and Rescue |
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I have been hesitating....lots of things save lives. I find it hard to fathom the obsession with helmets and life saving...I really do |
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Like wearing a seat belt isn't it. Wear one if you want, don't if you don't. |
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john strand wrote:I have been hesitating....lots of things save lives. I find it hard to fathom the obsession with helmets and life saving...I really do one person got hit out of several in the area ? Misfortune I say,, what about the others ? No helmets / and they are fine.. Wear one if you want and don't tell others to wear one Bingo. I wear a helmet when climbing long trad or ice, but never for sport. Its great if you want to wear one all the time, but perhaps some folks should ease back a bit from being judgmental to those who don't wear them for cragging. |
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OP wrote:I'm posting here today to add one data point to the discussion [...] my goal in writing this is not to preach to anyone that they should always wear a helmet second poster wrote:It's a personal choice, though, and I don't rag on my friends that don't wear helmetsSame tone from all the posters after that. Where's that judgmental stuff you three seem to be reading between the lines? |
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Helmets save lives..over and over again...you know what saves a lot more lives ?? a good belayer ! one who pays attention and ties a knot in the rope, etc..not climbing on 'crumbly cliffs" as noted above. |
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john strand wrote:Helmets save lives..over and over again...you know what saves a lot more lives ?? a good belayer ! one who pays attention and ties a knot in the rope, etc..not climbing on 'crumbly cliffs" as noted above.Good belayers belay better if they aren't getting hit in the head. A few weeks ago some A-holes tossed about 15lbs of rope and webbing down from a TR setup while I was on lead. My wife was belaying close to the cliff, tied in, and the 15lb bundle came close enough she felt the breeze. Not saying she wouldn't have a broken neck with a helmet on if it hit her, but I'll take my chances that if it had any hard goods on it, like a biner or two, that she'd have dealt with the impact better with the helmet on. Likewise, if it was just a biner or two, she'd have certainly faired better. Biners hurt, they can make you bleed. Belaying with blood dripping down you face makes belaying harder. |
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Bike helmets. Motorcycle helmets. There are laws requiring them in some states. |
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The other reason is that i don't want to.. never have and never will.. I believe that helmets can and do sometimes give a false sense of security. |
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John if you don't want to wear a helmet then don't. For some reason you have taken this helmet saving your life thing as a personal attack on your choice not to wear a helmet, when it is actually a true statement about a safety device. A device that is used broadly across multiple sports and is proven to save lives. |
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john strand wrote:The other reason is that i don't want to.. never have and never will.. I believe that helmets can and do sometimes give a false sense of security.If you're walking around headbutting things because you're wearing a helmet, you've completely missed the point and likely don't have anything worth protecting with that helmet anyways. |
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Hey Rich, went climbing today with you know who and left my helmet on my head all day long, haven't done that for a while. All I have to say is glade your ok and the best helmet out there is the one thats on your head! |
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Ian Stewart wrote: If you're walking around headbutting things because you're wearing a helmet, you've completely missed the point and likely don't have anything worth protecting with that helmet anyways.Stay classy Ian. |
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Paul Campbell wrote: Also the statement that wearing a helmet makes you more careless and therefore it is better to NOT wear a helmet like you infer above is the stupidest shit I ever ever heard.hey, people make the same statements about tying knots in the end of a rope or using a prusik backup on rappel. FWIW, I don't always use a prusik backup, mainly because I'm lazy, not because I think it's safer to not use one. In fact, I only started using one in the last 2 years after climbing for over 15 years. I never died, but doesn't mean I was safer without one. Just because you haven't taken a head shot too date doesn't mean the helmet is unecessary, or you outsmarted the laws of chance. it just means you are lucky. |
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Paul Campbell wrote:IS PROVEN TO SAVE LIVES. .... Also the statement that wearing a helmet makes you more careless and therefore it is better to NOT wear a helmet like you infer above is the stupidest shit I ever ever heard.I'm not sure there is data to support your belief that wearing a helmet has been PROVEN to save lives. Would love to see the citations. ABS in cars doesn't decrease accidents. People drive more aggressively when they have it. I believe the helmet article cited above references a study from Australia where the implementation of a mandatory bicycle helmet law had no effect on accidents. Might have made it worse, I just can't remember and don't have time t review the article right now. I'll update and edit if I get the chance. |
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I wore a helmet today and it didn't save my life. |
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Tug wrote:I wore a helmet today and it didn't save my life.Not yet, maybe you need to leave it on. Can't be too safe. |