Helmet transport method poll

[Dave Pushee]

My son, who works for a company that makes backpacks, asked my expert advice about a product design question - do winter sports enthusiasts value backpack features designed to securely carry a helmet.

I told him I would keep my eyes open in ski area parking lots and lodges to see if I could collect a bit of insight. Then I realized I've got a handy source of people who readily offer their opinions on almost any subject.

I looked up the helmet poll thread and found that 198 of 210 hardbooters wear a helmet.

The poll question is: How do you carry that helmet going from car to lodge?

[crucible]

I carry and travel with my helmet in a surplus padded flyer's bag, originally designed for flying helmets.

I carry my alpine boots in another pilot's helmet bag too.

[Dave ESPI]

if it is cold out, I wear it. If I am "dome" I hang it off my handle loop or lower weist strap by a D-RING and chin strap.

How about a backpack that has pockets inside the back of it with padding for small digital cameras an stuff like Twinkies?

Man it frost my bawlz when I have mushed twinkie goo on my camera !

:lol:

[Trenchman]

I transport my helmet in my motorcycle helmet bag. I put that bag inside my boot bag.

[BobD]

across the parking lot. Helmet stands it fine, but the goggles are a mess.

BobD

[dingbat]

"Attached by chinstrap to pack or bag to whack people with it"

Except I never whack anyone with it, because I am so damn suave and in-control when I'm carying all my gear back and forth from the lot.:rolleyes:

[Dave*]

In the Imortal words of Frank Costanza " Theres got to be a better way!!!!!"

I started with a full size carabiner on my belt, ony problem was it pokes out that way and having to lift jacket to attach helmet via chinstrap,

I then built a 4 inch loop of 1 inch nylon webbing which the belt goes thru on one end and the carabiner on the other.

"biner" sits flat , mouth of biner sits just at bottom of jacket.

This has become my third hand for attaching gloves, wrist guards, helmet, grocery bags, , goggles etc while walking to and from the vehicle.

As I generally carry boards on safetly leash over my right shoulder , I run my biner set up on the left so the paint on my helmet doesnt get chipped by boards edges.

I have crashed with biner on belt more times than I care to count and never have had issue with it.

Dave

[Strider]

I received this Spyder backpack as a captain's gift in our ski league last year and I love it:

http://www.bergsskishop.com/spyder/backpacks-p4588c2253.html

Its got a space for boots on the side, and the mesh helmet holder is great because it stows away when not shlepping the helmet.

Now, it is pricey, so for my wife's stuff we just got an oversized boot bag with backpack straps and fit the helmet in with the boots.

[Allee]

I bought a great backpack bootbag this season. You slide the boots into slings on the outside and strap them in. The inside bag bit is the perfect size to shove the helmet in upside down, then pile goggles, neck warmer, gloves etc in on top, and zip up. It has another pocket in the front that I use to carry the tools. It's a nice kit.

[Neil Gendzwill]

It's either in my bootbag or on my head, depending on whether I'm getting dressed in the lodge or at the car. I don't use a backpack at all for riding.

[Pow]

its my glove bucket, attatched to my boot bag or lately my bindings as i walk to the mountain dressed up and ready to go. dont waste no time with bags of crap:nono:

[AK in PA]

I either have my helmet in an old backpack (with socks, a vest, a water bottle, and a snack) or on my head. Boots are velcro'ed together at the booster straps and slung over my shoulder for the walk across the parking lot.

[queequeg]

http://www.chromebags.com:80/products/bags/show/15/

I attach the chin-strap to a velcro flap on the shoulder-strap on this messenger bag. This bag is HUGE ... I can fit a days worth of riding gear in it. boots, jacket, gloves etc ... no prob.

[Hans]

My Sweet Trooper helmet has a special SWEET sack with it to wack people down...:lol:

[Furi]

well transporting the helmet from house to mountain it usually gets stuffed into my gear or boot bag.

Once I'm at the mountain I suit up at the car. I don't usually rent a locker and boot up at the lodge. So the helmet and boots get put on in the parking lot.

[Sinecure]

I don't think folks give too much thought to how they carry their helmet from car to slope. The bigger issue is if they are making technical packs for backcountry. Then the pack should have a way to carry skis angled or A-Frame, plus board vertical or horizontal, plus some sort of bungie or other set-up to carry a helmet. Most people I know remove their helmet for the uphill segment and you kind of want it a bit secure. In the parking lot I just use the chinstrap to the outside of my boot backpack (transpack). But if I'm hiking up hill with skis or board on my back, I'd rather not have the helmet swinging around or collecting snow because its upside down.

[paragonUE]

I wear mine all the time

thats what they told me to do.....

[Steve Dold]

I thought this was kind of a useless idea at first since I usually just carry the helmet by the strap, but now I'm remembering a few days during snowstorms and having my helmet fill with fresh powder while carrying it around or sitting on the ground, so it's not a bad idea. A lightweight zippered thing that unfolds out of a pack, like the way a hood unfolds out of a jacket, something like that, might be nice to have and I've never seen one on a pack.

[NateW]

I've always just stuck it in a duffel or backpack.

The Spyder Govy mentioned earlier is a really nice backpack:

http://www.bergsskishop.com/spyder/backpacks-p4588c2253.html

IMO helmets are easy, boot transport is the tricky thing. The Govy has been out of production for a while and I felt really lucky to find one on a shelf at a shop last fall. I changed the boot attachments slightly so they use carabiners instead of the clips and elastics that it came with. I have another similar backpack that uses fastex clips to secure the boots and I like that the best, but it doesn't have the bunch-of-extra-storage-compartments that the Govy has.

Your son should find one of those, clone it, use fastex clips for the boots, and advertise it better. I can't believe Spyder stopped making these things.

I don't ride with a backpack, I just like being able to carry everything out to the car at once. :)

[queequeg]

I thought this was kind of a useless idea at first since I usually just carry the helmet by the strap, but now I'm remembering a few days during snowstorms and having my helmet fill with fresh powder while carrying it around or sitting on the ground, so it's not a bad idea. A lightweight zippered thing that unfolds out of a pack, like the way a hood unfolds out of a jacket, something like that, might be nice to have and I've never seen one on a pack.

Osprey makes a pack that has a little helmet bag built in:

http://www.ospreypacks.com/Packs/SwitchSeries/Switch16/

[Gleb]

I wear mine all the time. The Northeast is way overdue for an earthquake, and it works wonders to keep fluff from sandwiches outta your hair.

just on a backpack held on by a chin strap. I got all my helmets either super cheap or free, so i don't care if they're all scratched up.

[willywhit]

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