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Crash Pad Suggestions

Original Post
NickA · · Boulder, CO · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 2

For starters, I realize that there is a search bar to look this up, but oh well. I am looking for a crash pad to replace my old Session. I am looking for a larger pad that will hold up for a long time, any suggestions? (Note: Any price is fine, as I am willing to pay a lot for a nice pad) Thanks!

Arthur · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 136

Organic. Thread complete.

Rob Cotter · · Silverthorne, CO · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 240

Asana. They can make a pad & monogram it for you.

Tom Sherman · · Austin, TX · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 433

Is there something more to organic's pads or just cult following? I (not a boulderer) have a Metolious Recon, its big, think they have a bigger as well.

schoenwetter kraxler · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2015 · Points: 0

The foam that organic uses feels a lot better when falling onto it, especially from higher problems. It's a bit more stiff when you just walk onto it, but compresses well on a fall. Owning a BD Mondo and an Organic Big Pad, the Organic is definitely what I want under the problem if it's a high crux.
Don't get me wrong, the BD is also a good pad (which I use for the usual after-work bouldering, since it's practically impossible to replace my Organic Big now that I'm back in Europe), but there is that edge between BD "good" and Organic "Wow!".
The only comparable quality to Organic that I encountered yet was Revolution pads, but I think they went out of business a year or two ago.

From falling on other peoples pads, I'd say that Metolius and Edelrid offer comparable performance to Black Diamond. No conscious memory about stuff like Snap, Alpkit, Ocun, the likes. If it's "OK" to "good" you're after, there are lots of options. But if you want the best, there's only Organic.

For examples of what to avoid, I'd say anything from Mad Rock. Had one of theirs a few years back and it went soft after just half a year, compared to BD and organic lasting far longer.

Arthur · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 136

I'll add more detail to my Organic praise. They are a small business, made in the USA, and more or less custom. That is the easy stuff. The deeper stuff is that the foam is for sure superior in that it holds up well over time. The oldest Organic pad I have I've climbed a lot on since 2008. Still in better shape than some of the Metolius and S7 pads I had over the same time period. They have a cult following for a reason, and I think Josh (Organic) used to work for Cordless which eventually became Revolution so there is some heritage there. Though I could be mixed up on that.

Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316

Organic pads are pretty but the straps blow and the foam is, IMO, way too stiff. The stiffness can be an issue if you integrate it with other pads.

reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
Kinetik gives Organic a serious run for its money, and their chalkpot is really really functional. I've heard that the foam tests to be more durable than Organic's and their pads have loading straps & carries way better than Organic's (important for a big pad). It does also have a waterproof velcro flap system (for wet landing), which may be a bit overkill for most (but does have the additional benefits of keeping the pad from tacoing & not requiring anything else to stack carrying their pads). No doubt Organic is still good, it just ain't the best in the business anymore.

Mike Brady wrote:Organic stiffness can be an issue if you integrate it with other pads.
That tells me the other pads suck. They can be a bit uncomfortable for lowballs (you can flip the pad over), but you are not gonna hurt yourself. Bottoming out the foam, however, is really really bad.
Rob Gordon · · Hollywood, CA · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 115

I took a long fall the other day onto an airpad on top of a big organic on top of a couple madrocks. I highly recommend this combination.

Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
Rob Gordon wrote:I took a long fall the other day onto an airpad on top of a big organic on top of a couple madrocks. I highly recommend this combination.
Flashed is legit and the air pad is awesome, except for the weight. It would really be best if it was all sitting on top of a mondo or one of hose old 4x8 gym pads.
Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
reboot wrote: That tells me the other pads suck. They can be a bit uncomfortable for lowballs (you can flip the pad over), but you are not gonna hurt yourself. Bottoming out the foam, however, is really really bad.
Just a matter of preference. I like softer pads for taller lines as I feel they offer a softer and less jarring catch. One time I saw a dudes fibula sticking out his leg because of hitting the edge of a stiff pad.
Jacob Burningham · · Seattle · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 20

NickA
I've got a brand new organic big pad 5" that I'm looking to sell (bought a rope and the pad went into storage). Where are you located? I don't really want to ship.
I'm in Seattle.
Jacob

reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
Mike Brady wrote: One time I saw a dudes fibula sticking out his leg because of hitting the edge of a stiff pad.
I wasn't there so I don't know what happened, but even the stiffest pad on the market will probably break your leg because lack of adequate support.

Other than the weird Madrock air pad, all pads use a layer of closed-cell foam to dissipate the impact over a larger area of open-cell foam at the bottom (some also use a layer of open-cell foam on top to soften the pad a bit). At the edge, you just don't have this area to dissipate the impact & they'll all bottom out too easily.

If you have enough pads to layer them on top of each other, then yes, you could consider using softer pads. But if all you got is 5" or less between you & the ground, most budget pads just aren't stiff enough (once they break in).
MattH · · CO / NM / ME · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 1,226

Anyone know of a way to get the giant Edelrid Crux pad in the US? I know Scarpa used to be a distributor and you could buy directly off their site but that seems to have stopped and the only places I can find are in Europe/Australia. I've used one and not been very impressed by the foam durability but definitely liked the form factor.

As far as other brands go, Asana has the best features but bad foam, Organic has the best foam and 2nd best features (making them both the best overall and best value), BD/Metolius have very mediocre foam/features and aren't as cheap as organic, and I think Mad Rock's generic pads have good foam but have by far the worst features. The R7 is heavy as hell but could be good as a 1st line of defense on terrible talus slopes. I'd go Organic.

reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
MattH wrote:Asana has the best features but bad foam, Organic has the best foam and 2nd best features (making them both the best overall and best value).
I'd contend Kinetik has better feature than Asana & better foam than Organic (though Organic is still far more durable than the next choice), but it's neither cheap nor well known (think Organic before they got big).
Joe Kreidel · · San Antonio, TX · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 1,495

Voodoo pads are just as good as Organic. And I can't speak to the longevity of Organic pads (never owned one, only used other peoples), but Voodoo pads last a long, long time.

Rob Gordon · · Hollywood, CA · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 115

Reboot definitely works for Kinetik.

reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
Rob Gordon wrote:Reboot definitely works for Kinetik.
Incorrect, besides the outdoor industry doesn't pay enough. I own a 5" Organic big pad (see my thread ) and I do have a friend that works/reps for Kinetik and have used all their pads. When I bring my pad out I've not had an envy for anyone else's besides his. I may be biased, but do you have anything to contradict me?
Chase D · · CA · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 195

Can anyone offer a quick review of the Madrock mad pad? Great price but I assume you get what you pay for...

R. Moran · · Moab , UT · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 140

I think you could make an argument that you get more than you pay for. Pads have become rediculously expensive. A budget pad for sure , use a Rei coupon or find a sale, and you can have a great pad for about a hundred bucks. Definitely a good option for the money. I own a Organic Big Pad, a BD Mondo, and a couple Mad pads. The Mad pads are not as good as the high end ones (duh). They soften up quicker at which point they make a great top pad in a stack. IMHO

Rob Gordon · · Hollywood, CA · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 115

I was just joking Reboot. The Kinetik pads look interesting. (I've always liked carpet on top and the stacking carrying feature is cool.) Though I have trouble believing any pad can hold up better than the Organic and still be soft enough to provide a catch.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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