Recently while looking through Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills by Craig Luebben, I read that you shouldn't put stickers or paint on your helmet because it undermines the strength of the shell. Any idea why that is? Is it even true?

There could be a chemical in the adhesive or paint that weakens the plastic. Unlikely, but possible. I have stickers on my helmet.

In construction we have this issue with hard hats. Paint is a definite no-no; but the idea that stickers weaken it is generally dismissed as a wives tale. What the safety guys do state regarding stickers is the possibility of hiding a defect or damage.

This is ridiculous. Sorry, but total BS. Sure the adhesive may have a chemical in it that may weaken the shell in the slightest bit, but I can't believe someone would honestly say a sticker caused failure of a helmet, not the whipper they just took or the rock that fell from above.

if you take some time to google this, you will find this largely unfounded from both the construction standpoint as well as climbing.
As stated, stickers hiding defects and cracks is a valid point. So make sure you know the status of your pot, and inspect it frequently.

In construction they do not like you to have metallic stickers within an inch of the brim because of (maybe also unfounded) concerns for elctrical conductivity.

besides, how do you tell your identical make and model helmet apart from everyone elses?

Well judging from the dozen or so stickers on each of my helmets, I'm a dead man next rock I catch.

I like the link at the footer of the site that says "free stickers"

I am not a huge fan of being a billboard or an indicator species for that matter. I had a half dome suck up the impact of a toaster oven sized block and it performed really well. Give the stickers to your kid or your neighbors kid and go climbing. After all it's about doing it, not being a pawn to marketing.

Think.

Paint could change to Styrofoam strength. Would it change the plastic? Stickers could hide things like damage.

What have you done to your brain bucket?

If you put a sticker on your helmet you will die.

Wilson!!!!

Wilson!!!11111

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Damn sucks for all my belayers. I just bought a preowned helmet that had a sticker on it...

Oh well if they are climbing with me they led a good life...

Also JP that stickers saying not to use stickers is clearly hilarious.

As a rider of motorcycles for much of my life, I had heard that you shouldn't put stickers on a motorcycle helmet because it compromises the ability of the slick helmet surface to slip across the ground upon impact.

Rather than the chemicals in the sticker affecting the material, it's the friction of the surface of the sticker itself that binds to the road surface when your head hits/slides along the road. If the sticker (and therefore your whole head) bites into the road surface, the momentum of your body could break your neck.

Not sure if this would transfer to the physics of a fall in climbing since you're falling downwards mainly, but maybe a sticker(s) could prevent a rock from glancing across the helmet?...dunno.

LOL...the subjects on here being discussed...