Wear helmets, ye kids especially

I get it, people don't wear helmets a lot while sport climbing. I don't agree with this for children though. You know, their bones are softer and all. This is spurred by a recent film showing the climber as a kid quite a lot in home videos leading sport climbs doing hard moves around ~7 years old or so without a helmet on. I don't like to see it. Hopefully we can get better at wearing helmets all around. High favor to MIPS helmets. I'm probably sensitive to this because I took a lead fall this year and my helmet saved my life. I always wear a helmet for trad or sport projecting/try hard go's or even less effortful go's. Mips helmets reduce brain injuries. They're becoming the new standard for helmets in biking, snow sports, etc. Don't even get me started on films with trad leaders sans helmet ahhhh. Not a good look, guys. Skinny heads without helmets on look weird

I am not a huge fan of kids at the crag, helmets or not

Becca Joy Steinbrecher wrote:

I get it, people don't wear helmets a lot while sport climbing. I don't agree with this for children though. You know, their bones are softer and all. This is spurred by a recent film showing the climber as a kid quite a lot in home videos leading sport climbs doing hard moves around ~7 years old or so. I don't like to see it. Hopefully we can get better at wearing helmets all around. High favor to MIPS helmets. I'm probably sensitive to this because I took a lead fall this year and my helmet saved my life. I always wear a helmet for trad or sport projecting/try hard go's or even less effortful go's. Don't even get me started on films with trad leaders sans helmet ahhhh. Not a good look, guys. Skinny heads without helmets on look weird

  Doesn't really matter to me if you wear it or don't. If you're solid enough to climb what you want you're solid enough to climb how you want. I wear a helmet if I'm not sure of the challenge to my abilities. We all walk our own way don't worry about what safety decisions others make. Ok if someone is obviously batting out of their league sure say something. Just don't expect to be the change you want to see in others. This is still at least part a wild sport. I prefer it stay that way.

Becca Joy Steinbrecher wrote:

I get it, people don't wear helmets a lot while sport climbing. I don't agree with this for children though. You know, their bones are softer and all. This is spurred by a recent film showing the climber as a kid quite a lot in home videos leading sport climbs doing hard moves around ~7 years old or so. I don't like to see it. Hopefully we can get better at wearing helmets all around. High favor to MIPS helmets. I'm probably sensitive to this because I took a lead fall this year and my helmet saved my life. I always wear a helmet for trad or sport projecting/try hard go's or even less effortful go's. Don't even get me started on films with trad leaders sans helmet ahhhh. Not a good look, guys. Skinny heads without helmets on look weird

Trying to impose your point of view upon others is always a good idea… climb with a motorcycle helmet if that makes you feel safer but leave others alone.

Just expressing a thought not urging an opinion on others

Ummm….pretty sure this thread is about *kids* wearing helmets…

Ethics-, safety- wise, I don't like it. When/if I have kids that won't be happening with mine. I used to coach kids, I would encourage them to wear a helmet. You can endorse something without imposing it on *all*

Becca Joy Steinbrecher wrote:

I get it, people don't wear helmets a lot while sport climbing. I don't agree with this for children though. You know, their bones are softer and all. This is spurred by a recent film showing the climber as a kid quite a lot in home videos leading sport climbs doing hard moves around ~7 years old or so. I don't like to see it. Hopefully we can get better at wearing helmets all around. High favor to MIPS helmets. I'm probably sensitive to this because I took a lead fall this year and my helmet saved my life. I always wear a helmet for trad or sport projecting/try hard go's or even less effortful go's. Don't even get me started on films with trad leaders sans helmet ahhhh. Not a good look, guys. Skinny heads without helmets on look weird

At what age should they be able to make their own decision on that?

The kids could stay home and take care of the dog (s). The Bluetooth speaker could entertain them both. 

Tradiban wrote:

At what age should they be able to make their own decision on that?

Age 32.

Danny Birchman wrote:

  Doesn't really matter to me if you wear it or don't. If you're solid enough to climb what you want you're solid enough to climb how you want. I wear a helmet if I'm not sure of the challenge to my abilities. We all walk our own way don't worry about what safety decisions others make. Ok if someone is obviously batting out of their league sure say something. Just don't expect to be the change you want to see in others. This is still at least part a wild sport. I prefer it stay that way.

Doesn’t matter how solid you are, imho. Bomber holds can break; rockfall just sometimes happens, less skilled parties above you can drop cams, dislodge stuff, etc. Skill doesn’t keep you safe from random accidents out on the sharp end. You know what will, or at least keep you safe-er? A helmet.

The gawd-given right to make poor decisions that affect oneself and your children must be protected!

Becca Joy Steinbrecher wrote:

 I took a lead fall this year and my helmet saved my life.

I'm glad you're still with us, Becca. There are a lot of people rooting for you :-)

Helmets don’t stop you from getting concussions. A helmet for sure saved my 10 year old’s life, and you can find dozens of horror stories about catastrophic life altering events regarding children and rock fall etc. the way to change is to provide education about safety measures, and allowing people to choose for themselves. This is a personal choice just like anything else in the world. 

S T wrote:

Mips helmets reduce brain injuries. BD is the only company making climbing ones, that I know of... They're becoming the new standard for helmets in biking, snow sports, etc.

Mammut wall rider has a MIPS version and it’s snazzy looking/comfortable/ relatively low profile. And expensive 

MIPS are more suitable for skiing and mt biking due to the particular type of impact associated with these sports. In the most typical scenario of rockfall from above MIPS doesn’t make a difference. Arguably marketing at its finest, not to mention the additional weight.
Side note :…Back in the day people were pushing the limits of ice climbing without a helmet (Jeff Lowe on the FA of Bridalvail Falls or Alex Lowe his entire life) and they were just fine. Nowadays someone goes clipping bolts 5 feet apart without a helmet is being publicly shamed and called iresponsabile… not sure I would call this progress.

Val I wrote:

MIPS are more suitable for skiing and mt biking due to the particular type of impact associated with these sports. In the most typical scenario of rockfall from above MIPS doesn’t make a difference. Arguably marketing at its finest, not to mention the additional weight.
Side note :…Back in the day people were pushing the limits of ice climbing without a helmet (Jeff Lowe on the FA of Bridalvail Falls or Alex Lowe his entire life) and they were just fine. Nowadays someone goes clipping bolts 5 feet apart without a helmet is being publicly shamed and called iresponsabile… not sure I would call this progress.

Did you complain about airbags and seatbelts too, when they came out? I’m constantly amazed at the   moaning and groaning and the crotchety refusal to understand or accept that climbing as a discipline can evolve to be safer and more enjoyable. Go back to bowline harnesses made from Manila ropes if you’re so hellbent on tradition, and the  “back in my [or insert xyz historical climbing legend here] day we did it this way…” way of thinking, but leave the rest of us in peace and quit griping.

Climbing Weasel wrote:

Did you complain about airbags and seatbelts too, when they came out? I’m constantly amazed at the   moaning and groaning and the crotchety refusal to understand or accept that climbing as a discipline can evolve to be safer and more enjoyable. Go back to bowline harnesses made from Manila ropes if you’re so hellbent on tradition, and the  “back in my [or insert xyz historical climbing legend here] day we did it this way…” way of thinking, but leave the rest of us in peace and quit griping.

Sorry I got you all worked up buddy…Very appropriate name I might say.  

trailridge wrote:

I am not a huge fan of kids at the crag, helmets or not

This guy definitely has kids sending his project. XD

Is MIPS more important for skiing or mountain biking yeah prolly.  Especially on traverses but even on wandering trad routes it is easy to imagine situations where MIPS could make difference.  I am not convinced about the weight argument, especially MIPS vs. nonmips, maybe the cost element.  Also, a skiing helmet is better than a skating helmet, which is better than a bike helmet.  Obviously, anything is better than nothing.  

I tend to climb in a sunshirt and actively enjoy having a helmet on because it facilitates the hood staying where it needs to go.  

With all that being said, here are my tendencies: Trad Always, anything multi or if people are above yup, sport on bomber rock maybe not, but generally.  Top rope unless abosolute choss I likely wont. Belaying on rock prolly not.  Also I was pretty sure my petzel meteor had mips but just looked it up and realized it was my bike helmet that actually had MIPS.  

Val I wrote:

Sorry I got you all worked up buddy…Very appropriate name I might say.  

I like weasels. They bite… 

Jokes aside you’re right- I do tend to get a bit heated around safety. Spent some time working in a medical setting so am well aware how fragile humans are, and am baffled when we don’t take advantage of innovations that could help us be less fragile. Didn’t mean to call you out specifically.  Cheers and climb safe.