Ski Mountaineering Helmet Recommendations

My Camp Storm has finally reached the end of its useful life, which i have used to both backcountry ski and climb. Doing some reasearch now it looks like there are a ton of ski mountaineering helmets rated for both climbing and skiing on the market. I am going to buy another Camp Storm for climbing, but wanted to see if anyone has some input on these newer skimo helmets for skiing? It doesnt look like there are any recent forum posts regarding these helmets, so I figured why not make one.

Any input on what helmet you have and if you like it is appreciated!

I wear a Mammut wall rider for everything. Its still super light and has enough coverage to make me still feel safe.

To answer your question, I have a petzl meteor helmet that I use for ice climbing and Backcountry skiing. Works great, comfy and light. 

To detail the thread, let me add that I have a camp storm helmet for sale if you are interested;) 

The Grivel Duetto looks pretty good.  

Petzl meteor is great. The size range seems to be pretty smal but when trying them on, if you think you won’t have space for head layers, remember you can remove the padding to give yourself a little more room

Another vote for Mammut Wall Rider.

Are you asking about climbing helmets that ski like the Wallrider and Meteor or ski helmets that  climb like the Julbo Peak and Movement Alpi? If I’m more worried about something falling on me, I’ll go with a climbing helmet. If I’m more worried about falling into something I’ll go with the ski helmet.

The ski mountaineering helmets tend to fit better with goggles and a warm hat (and often come with ear pieces if you’re into that), and tend to be a bit burlier than a climbing helmet. They also usually have fewer vents to get packed with snow. I find they sit a bit lower on my head too and at least give the impression of better side impact protection. 

I just recently opted to get a touring helmet with a bit more head protection after skiing the past five seasoms with the Petzl Sirocco (which I *think* is one of the few climbing helmets with an EU ski rating), and I picked up the Smith Summit. So far, I've been loving it. Not terribly heavier, but has a better safety rating for more impact types. The helmet is a BOA system and it makes it super easy and comfy to adjust for different layers. 

I use a Petzl Meteor but as mentioned up thread...its pretty tight with any layer under it.  Also, the ventilation is so good it's kinda frosty on cold downhills.  Pretty nice for warm days.

Anyone know of a good wind layer type cover for a Meteor?  I see a few out there in cyberland but haven't tried any yet.

The Mammut Wall Rider is specifically designed to fit better with ski goggles. 

I have been touring with a Petzl Meteor or Sirocco for the last 5 years. Regarding wind layers, I typically use a thin headband (1/3 of a regular buff) or a homemade thin hat from Patagonia Capilene base layer T shirt fabric.  Wearing one of those going up and putting my (wind shirt or puffy) hood over my helmet for the descent has worked well >95% of the time. 

Also relevant to this discussion is that certifications vary for helmets and some are only self certified by the manufacturer and not by an independent certification body - for instance the new Petzl Meteor doesn't have a freestanding skimo cert. After looking into it a few years ago I decided to just use a climbing helmet all the time for touring. 

It is surprising that nobody has mentioned the Smith Summit. It is actually certified for both skiing (ASTM F2040 and CE EN 1077: 2007 class B) and rock climbing (CE EN 12492). Apparently the Grizel Duetti is as well.

A quick check shows that the Mammut Wall Rider and Camp Storm,  are only EN 12492.

The Petzl Meteor and Sirocco are both EN 12492 and CE PCSR-002 (Ski touring, not alpine skiing) certified.

Of course all this only matters if you even care about what the certification tells you.

Sweet Protection Ascender MIPS -- rated for skiing and climbing.

I haven't tried any other dual helmets, so I have no idea how it really stacks up. These things are so niche, there's hardly any stores where you can try them on in person.

Sirocco is the best helmet out there imo. I use it for everything other than resort skiing.

Movment 3Tech Alpi 

> Doing some reasearch now it looks like there are a ton of ski mountaineering helmets rated for both climbing and skiing on the market. I am going to buy another Camp Storm for climbing, but wanted to see if anyone has some input on these newer skimo helmets for skiing? 

There's a newish skimo racing helmet certification that precludes large vents so you can't get poked with other racers poles. I'm avoiding these for touring because I like ventilation (California) and they tend to be a bit heavy. I personally like non-rated BD helmets like the Vector because it feels like they cover more of the sides of my head than the other lightweight helmets.

Shane F wrote:

The Petzl Meteor and Sirocco are both EN 12492 and CE PCSR-002 (Ski touring, not alpine skiing) certified.

Of course all this only matters if you even care about what the certification tells you.

Ok....what do they really tell us?

I kinda resisted wearing a helmet skiing for years...but have worn one for alpine/ice/rock climbing for a long time.  Then I figured out how warm they were (!) and got used to wearing one specific for skiing, and, don't mind my Meteor for trips where luggage space/weight is limited and I might have a dual use for that helmet.

I think they're a good idea.  But, I wonder what the data really says about their use versus what the certifications are giving us in terms of "real" protection.  With an added risk of folks thinking they're better protected than they really are (channelling Clyde's view...ha ha).

Brian in SLC wrote:

Ok....what do they really tell us?

I kinda resisted wearing a helmet skiing for years...but have worn one for alpine/ice/rock climbing for a long time.  Then I figured out how warm they were (!) and got used to wearing one specific for skiing, and, don't mind my Meteor for trips where luggage space/weight is limited and I might have a dual use for that helmet.

I think they're a good idea.  But, I wonder what the data really says about their use versus what the certifications are giving us in terms of "real" protection.  With an added risk of folks thinking they're better protected than they really are (channelling Clyde's view...ha ha).

I ski patrolled for 15 years at the transition of no helmets to helmets.  I was the first patroller to wear one and got all kinds of crap from other patrollers.  During this time I was also a fireman paramedic and saw on a almost daily basis the results of traumatic head injuries which was what prompted me to wear one skiing.  I don't know how anyone can think that helmets don't off real protection.  Traumatic head injuries almost disappeared on the ski hill once helmets caught on.  I would never tell someone they have to wear a helmet besides my kids but its really a no brainer decision.

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

 ..  I don't know how anyone can think that helmets don't off real protection.  Traumatic head injuries almost disappeared on the ski hill once helmets caught on.  I would never tell someone they have to wear a helmet besides my kids but its really a no brainer decision.

It doesn't sound like he was questioning the use of helmets... I think he may have been asking how important it is to use a dual rated helmet, versus wearing a single-rated climbing helmet while skiing.

I don't know anything empirical about this specific case, but I do know that different helmet designs don't all provide the same directional protection (top vs front/back/sides), or shape of impact (surface vs point), or penetration protection.

So for example, bicycle helmets have good front/side/rear protection against surface impact -- but they're not great for top impacts, or resisting object penetration.

Climbing helmets are kinda the opposite -- their main purpose is the protect the top of the head from dropped objects or rockfall -- but front/side/back protection is a recent addition.

I have no idea what skiing helmets are designed for. Just never bothered to look that one up.

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

Traumatic head injuries almost disappeared on the ski hill once helmets caught on.  I would never tell someone they have to wear a helmet besides my kids but its really a no brainer decision.

No brainer...that's great!  

Data shows an increase in head injuries with the increase in helmet use.  Opposite of what folks expected I'd think.  I haven't read through the different standards recently, but I wonder if they're adequate for helmet design with regard to head injuries.

Head injuries haven't decreased here in Utah to be sure.  Just look at that poor guy that collided with Gwyneth...(ha ha!).  And they were both wearing helmets...

I'm not advocating to not wear a helmet, for sure.  But, as one of the studies out there on head injuries says:  

It is clear that helmets are not amulets worn as protective charms, nor are they designed or manufactured to prevent all head injuries. However, helmets may be better than no protection at all. To be most effective, wearers need to be informed about a helmet’s limitations and proceed as if they were wearing no helmet.

Brian in SLC wrote:

I use a Petzl Meteor but as mentioned up thread...its pretty tight with any layer under it.  Also, the ventilation is so good it's kinda frosty on cold downhills.  Pretty nice for warm days.

Anyone know of a good wind layer type cover for a Meteor?  I see a few out there in cyberland but haven't tried any yet.

I wear a turtle fur cap under ski and climbing helmets. They're designed to fit under helmets so they're thin with fairly flat stitching, The material is partially wind blocking but not enough to make you overheat.

Shane F wrote:

It is surprising that nobody has mentioned the Smith Summit. It is actually certified for both skiing (ASTM F2040 and CE EN 1077: 2007 class B) and rock climbing (CE EN 12492). Apparently the Grizel Duetti is as well.

A quick check shows that the Mammut Wall Rider and Camp Storm,  are only EN 12492.

The Petzl Meteor and Sirocco are both EN 12492 and CE PCSR-002 (Ski touring, not alpine skiing) certified.

Of course all this only matters if you even care about what the certification tells you.

I mentioned it, two comments up.

I did a bit of a deep dive into helmet ratings and their uses when I started paragliding, because there is a lot of use of climbing/ski helmets in the sport. 

My (very rudimentary) understanding is that, in essence, climbing helmets are similar to bike helmets in that they're designed to take single impacts or protect from one direction (climbing helmets offer far better top protection than side protection). Ski helmets, as I understand it, are rated to survive and protect your head from multiple impacts, but not necessarily on the same part of the helmet. Long story short, a Ski rated helmet is designed to offer better, increased protection from multiple impacts. 

I skied a lot with a climbing helmet, and still do occasionally. That's appropriate for some people, but I don't think we should kid ourselves that a climbing helmet will offer adequate protection in a more serious accident. A climbing rated helmet often feels like mental pro for me while skiing or flying, more than anything.