Helmet while indoor leading?

Wearing a helmet allows me to climb with my legs behind the rope at all times 10/10 would recommend. A truly freeing experience. 

For how many things I’ve watched fall out of peoples pockets in the gym, I’m always sort of surprised that gyms don’t require them… Y’all ever gotten hit by a phone from 20ft up? Not pleasant.

Alex C wrote:

Didn’t John Sherman tell the Nugget Podcast that he boulders with a helmet AND two chalk bags for ease of reaching behind his back?

I think John Sherman's joke was "I've had 6 concussions, and the doctors tell me if I have any more, I could turn into a sport climber!"

There are sports where you are either wearing a helmet, or you are already waking up with blood all over your face (e.g. downhill racing, motorcross/bmx, whitewater kayaking) and not wearing a helmet is a huge sign to everyone else that you are dangerously ignorant and possibly drunk.

Single pitch rock climbing is not one of those sports.

In my experience belay failure/groundfall is honestly a bigger risk indoor climbing. I would guess the insurance actuarial data would back that up, as some gyms are starting to regulate belay devices, but there is nothing about helmet requirements yet.

However, hitting your head is of course always a risk, and if you prefer the least risk to focus on climbing as much as possible, you should absolutely feel free to wear a helmet with no judgement. 

I’ve tried wearing a helmet a couple of times, and not because I was worried about my brain cells. My reasoning is that a helmet my provide a psychological advantage while climbing. If you feel safer with the helmet, you may try harder. 

Andy McAdamswrote:

I’ve tried wearing a helmet a couple of times, and not because I was worried about my brain cells. My reasoning is that a helmet my provide a psychological advantage while climbing. If you feel safer with the helmet, you may try harder. 

This is precisely the problem, the helmet allows some people to take risks they wouldn’t otherwise take. 

Tradibanwrote:

This is precisely the problem, the helmet allows some people to take risks they wouldn’t otherwise take.

Genuine question- are you being serious here?

Practice your rope/leg mgmt, it's important. Be in control, stay centered, chill out.

Tradibanwrote:

This is precisely the problem, the helmet allows some people to take risks they wouldn’t otherwise take. 

Kinda like wearing long pants vs wearing shorts, guaranteed if im wearing shorts im taking no risks!

Climbing Weaselwrote:

Genuine question- are you being serious here?

It’s called “False sense of security”, Google it.

It may provide a slight false sense of security but the benefits far outweigh that slight false sense.  People argued seatbelts would make people drive crazier or motorcycle helmets would promote reckless riding.  Ski helmets have all but done away with fatal ski injuries due to head trauma.  I still wouldn't wear one in a gym but there is absolutely no good reason for me not to wear one.  Helmets save lives, period.  After more than 30 years being a paramedic I can't be persuaded otherwise.

Kevin Mokracekwrote:

It may provide a slight false sense of security but the benefits far outweigh that slight false sense.  People argued seatbelts would make people drive crazier or motorcycle helmets would promote reckless riding.  Ski helmets have all but done away with fatal ski injuries due to head trauma.  I still wouldn't wear one in a gym but there is absolutely no good reason for me not to wear one.  Helmets save lives, period.  After more than 30 years being a paramedic I can't be persuaded otherwise.

Head injury has decreased, but accidents have increased, so yes from a head trauma perspective helmets are a great thing.

If you want to use a helmet indoors, just man up and do it. I took a fall in a roof indoors and was flipped and slammed into the wall. I have never used a helmet indoors, but there is potential situations where I would consider using one.

Never once wore a helmet, inside or out, except on my mtb’s. In 55 yrs of climbing, only one close call with a falling rock, never fell and hit my head on anything climbing. I learned to climb with “the leader never falls mantra”. Even sport climbing I rarely fall, but I’m not the agro competitive type

Mountain biking I wear a full face helmet, and it definitely ups my go for it. I think climbers that climb to fall should wear helmets.

Kevin Worrallwrote:

Never once wore a helmet, inside or out, except on my mtb’s. In 55 yrs of climbing, only one close call with a falling rock, never fell and hit my head on anything climbing. I learned to climb with “the leader never falls mantra”. Even sport climbing I rarely fall, but I’m not the agro competitive type

Mountain biking I wear a full face helmet, and it definitely ups my go for it. I think climbers that climb to fall should wear helmets.

My first 30 years of climbing I never wore a helmet but when I got back into serious climbing again 10 years ago I started wearing a helmet and have only gone helmet less when I forgot it.  Not wearing a helmet is great until its not then yer sipping a steak through a straw and shitting into a bag asking for your hospital bills to be paid on your Gofundme site.

Kevin Worrallwrote:

Never once wore a helmet, inside or out, except on my mtb’s. In 55 yrs of climbing, only one close call with a falling rock, never fell and hit my head on anything climbing. I learned to climb with “the leader never falls mantra”. Even sport climbing I rarely fall, but I’m not the agro competitive type

Mountain biking I wear a full face helmet, and it definitely ups my go for it. I think climbers that climb to fall should wear helmets.

Where’s your “no falls” mentality for MTB?

I haven’t paid the same dues for mtb as I have climbing, and I don’t have time to, Tradi. Plus, going OTB puts the melon directly in jeopardy.

Chris Sharma's gym in Madrid requires anyone that's leading to wear a helmet. Curiously enough though, he was there on the day I went and he climbed a bunch and definitely did NOT wear a helmet. 

Kevin Mokracekwrote:

My first 30 years of climbing I never wore a helmet but when I got back into serious climbing again 10 years ago I started wearing a helmet and have only gone helmet less when I forgot it.  Not wearing a helmet is great until its not then yer sipping a steak through a straw and shitting into a bag asking for your hospital bills to be paid on your Gofundme site.

Yep, I'm not even worried about falling as much as I am of a small rock crushing a nice hole in the noggin. Many years of climbing under goats and careless people taught me this. I ain't goin out like that!

We have a tiny indoor community wall nearby that requires helmets and its all 25' TRs!

Don't climb vert or slab in a gym, don't stick your leg behind the rope. 

Non of its real climbing anyway just boulder indoors it'll get you stronger and you can do 4x4s for endurance.