I need a cool helmet for hiking

[dug]

Hmmm. I guess I could see the need, but why stop there? Kneepads? Elbow pads? Wrist pads? I think I'd be more likely to smash my knee than my head.

It is nothing I ever thought about, so I'm just posting that as I don't have anything really useful to add.

(dull moment at work)

 

[sardog1]

As a nearly-always soloist when hiking, with some near-misses over the years, and a witness several times to the effects of brain injuries from falls, I understand entirely the motivation for wearing one. I wear mine (Petzl Ecrin Roc) in winter a lot, and I'm now inclined to think hard about wearing it while bushwhacking in wet conditions as well. It is light, well-ventilated and highly protective.

More than a few SAR responders in this country will wear helmets nonstop, on both technical and nontechnical terrain.

A serious brain injury can develop slowly and insidiously long after an impact, and your ability to recognize what's happening and deal with it diminishes as it progresses. If you're off the trail and alone, the brain bucket might literally save your life.

Mine's yellow -- say hi if you see me while you're wearing yours, and we'll tell each other how cool we look.

 

[hammerhead]

"Dishes are done dude"

 

[Chip]

Hmmm. I guess I could see the need, but why stop there? Kneepads? Elbow pads? Wrist pads? I think I'd be more likely to smash my knee than my head.
(dull moment at work)

true, but you'd be conscious and might be able to call or crawl for help.
we can't prevent paper cuts, but it makes sense to protect the grey matter.
Ascents and decents, wet, ice, snow...I'd rather look like a dork than be found face down in a puddle.

 

[Umsaskis]

I never thought of helmets when hiking, but I suppose it might be similar to helmets when horseback riding. I wear one if I'm on a skittish horse or if I'm jumping, but going on a roadside ride on an old plodding quarter horse, I generally leave the helmet (and saddle) behind. Hiking on a dry day on moderate terrain, no helmet needed, but on ice or wet leaves (often worse than ice since you can't see the fall coming), if you are a helmet wearer, that's when to put it on. Incidentally, I have a lightweight bike helmet with lots of ventilation holes that works for horseback riding as well, and it's usually a longer fall from a horse than from your feet.

 

[Chip]

Chip,
I've checked them out and agree that the Petzl Ecrin Roc is the one to get (at least if you're not going too technical).
Good luck,
Bill

I got a new red Petzl Ecrin Roc on ebay shipped for $60, so DORKS AFIELD !!!
Thanks for everyones help. Even the off hand comments made me consider the thought process.
That mirrored kayak helmet would make Rick Moranis proud !

 

[erd]

For what it is worth, one huge change in the emphasis of Wilderness First Aid over the years has been the recognition that lower body trauma is far less likely then head injury in various forms. I know of more than a few people who have fallen and concussed themselves, and there have certainly been hikes (especially where there's a cave or a really wicked scramble thrown in) where I've wishes in retrospect I'd bought one along.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I lost count of the number of times this past winter that I slammed by head into overhead branches and wished that I had been wearing a helmet. But, by the time I got down and back out on the trail again, I had forgotten about the trauma until it happened again, and again. The deep snowpack this past winter was probably in part to blame, as our heads were protruding higher into the trees than usual.

When I began rock and ice climbing many years ago, most of us wore helmets. But, soon very few younger climbers were wearing them, as the helmets were quite heavy, like ski racing helmets. But, as helmets became lighter the past couple of decades, more climbers are wearing them again.

I began wearing a helmet for downhill skiing a few winters ago, and for back-country skiing we do indeed also wear wrist, elbow, and knee pads, as joked about in an earlier reply. Back-country skiers some times look like hockey players.

It is now the law to wear a helmet above treeline in Baxter State Park during the winter, I believe.

But, perhaps the item that I find most important for hiking below treeline during winters such as this past one is a pair of ski goggles, or at least glasses, as those branches stuck into the eyes really hurt. "Ow;" "quit it."

 

[dr_wu002]

Nay

I lost count of the number of times this past winter that I slammed by head into overhead branches and wished that I had been wearing a helmet. But, by the time I got down and back out on the trail again, I had forgotten about the trauma until it happened again, and again. The deep snowpack this past winter was probably in part to blame, as our heads were protruding higher into the trees than usual.

To each their own, I guess. I've never hit my head while hiking and I'm usually more concerned with snapping my leg in half somehow. I honestly think that I have more of a chance of getting hit by a drunk driver in Boston or being on the "T" when it gets in a hideous accident then I do getting injured hiking. At least, except for a land slide or something like that, while hiking I'm for the most part in control of my person quite well.

I'd wear a helmet hiking Katahdin in Winter but I won't wear body armor while walking around in Boston or while hiking (for the most part). Rock Climbing, things like that -- different story.

Anyone who wants to wear a helmet, by all means do! I certainly wouldn't discourage you or make fun -- especially if you're prone to hitting your head (which I'm not). But with a lot of people chiming in and saying helmets are a necessity I thought I'd write in and cast my "Nay" -- for the day

-Dr. Wu

 

[ADK4Life]

I could understand the need for a helmet if you were hiking in CA but in the North East its probably not going to offer much protection for the types of injuries you will encounter on our mountains. My fears always lie in breaking my legs on boulder fields leading up Huntington's fan.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

one huge change in the emphasis of Wilderness First Aid over the years has been the recognition that lower body trauma is far less likely then head injury in various forms.

I could be wrong but I am not sure that other injuries are far less likely to occur. I think that there is a recognition in the medical community that an emphasis is needed to have rescuers, especially wilderness rescuers, look harder for head injuries, and especially C-spine trauma, which is life threatening. This is because c-spine injuries, or closed head trauma, almost always, doesn’t get rescuers attention as much as limbs that are pointing in odd directions or have gaping wounds with bones sticking out of them or other insults to the body that are blatant. This is particularly true of the untrained or little trained. Even experienced medical responders sometimes get caught up in not seeing the whole picture. It is easy to dismiss serious head and neck injuries because they don’t always immediately manifest themselves at the time of the injury. Sometimes even the patient will complain more about a distracting injury but be unconcerned with their head or neck problem. A good rule of thumb is if someone falls with enough force to break a bone, always consider that they have hit the ground with enough force to cause neck injuries, until you can prove otherwise. And if they have distracting injuries like the injuries we just mentioned then you can NOT clear the C-spine in any event. You as a rescuer can prevent further damage by protecting the C-spine. There is nothing definitive, you can do for head injuries. You can document their changing mental status and vital signs and evacuate them as rapidly as possible to a trauma center and let whoever is on the other end (radio or phone or by runner) know that you suspect a brain injury and want as rapid a transport or evacuation as possible.

Disclaimer: I am talking about generally accepted protocols for the Wilderness environment by people trained in their use.


Just my $.02,
Keith


When all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.

 

[MattC]

A few months back, in early winter, a 60-something guy perished somewhere in Sam's Point Preserve in the Shawangunks. I was about 15 miles from the area that day, and Tom Rankin actually passed the guy on the trail. There was a thread up at the time which could still be found by searching. I don't know how to link to an old thread.

My memory may be failing, but I believe he died of a head injury. Apparently he was climbing a steep slope, fell, and hit his head on a rock. He was hiking, not rock or ice climbing. The larger issue could have been his lack of gear, experience, or care, I don't know. As I recall, the news story wasn't very detailed.

Matt

 

[Chip]

You can document their changing mental status and vital signs and evacuate them as rapidly as possible to a trauma center and let whoever is on the other end (radio or phone or by runner) know that you suspect a brain injury and want as rapid a transport or evacuation as possible.
Disclaimer: I am talking about generally accepted protocols for the Wilderness environment by people trained in their use.
Just my $.02,
Keith

Excellent info, Keith.
A few years ago I took the 3 day "Wilderness First Responder" course out of the Heart Lake Program Center/ADK.
Not that I'm qualified now, but the 2 things that struck me as the most easily preventable "deadly" things to occur were;
1) an allergic reaction (I now carry benedryl and epipens) and
2) head injuries (I bought a helmet).

I won't wear the helmet on regular hikes, but when I'm solo or in charge I will wear one when conditions are unstable.

 

[Thunder Dan]

Helmets useful

I could see a need for helmets for certain clumsy people, even when just hiking. I have seen someone hit their head on more than one occaision and I only hike with them about twice a year!

Also, I banged my head on an overhanging rock on the Knife Edge of Katahdin.

I would also like to have a helmet if I ever attempt to hike some of Colorado's more difficult Fourteeners like the Maroon Bells.