Ah, the humble boulder pad… a lifesaver, an ankle-saver, a sofa, a mattress, a backpack, a weapon, a buddy that always has your back again. These squishy monsters are arguably one of the most functional part of gear you is ever going to put in your collection, as well as the value for money is utterly stellar when you look at the fact that you could dirtbag towards you through months in Rocklands with just a pad as well as the kindness of total strangers (preferably rich internationals). Have more information about Lil Boulder kids climbing wall crash mat
As the very humble pad may become this type of significant part of your life (and your new favourite resting mat), it is essential that you find your ideal match. Fortunately, there is a great deal to pick from! On this page we breakdown the factors you need to think about when picking a pad, the options available, and the basics of appropriate pad wrangling.
Just what is a Boulder Pad, Anyway?
This one is pretty self-explanatory – a boulder pad, also referred to as a boulder mat or collision pad, is a mattress-kind pad created from dense foam that is utilized to protect boulderers when climbing outside the house. Pads are positioned in the slip zone to guarantee that if/each time a climber drops, they do not damage themselves by dropping on any razor-sharp rocks or irregular ground.
Squish Aspect
Pads generally consist of more than one sort of foam often there will be a couple of sorts that differ in occurrence. This permits the pad to better distribute the stress in the climber on impact. It will also help the pad to offer a gentle(ish) find, whilst still safeguarding the climber from difficult ground or rock. As an example, if a pad was 100% high-occurrence foam, the rocks can be kept under control, but it would also knock the wind away from you. Vice versa, a pad that only comprised low-density foam would find you like a cloud, but supply tiny guard against pointy things.
You will find myriad methods a pad could be constructed. For example, the Ocún Incubator features a sandwich-like construction, with two levels of high-occurrence foam on either side of a soft, heavy level of open-cell foam.
The Moonwalk, alternatively, utilizes three several types of foam, with all the center covering getting the softest.
It is essential to understand that you should always have your pads the right way up to ensure the foam with all the greatest occurrence is on the top. Some pads have got a zip that permits you to open it up and take a look inside this can be largely to ensure that you can replace the foam if required.
Hinge or Taco?
In terms of construction, there are two varieties of pads: hinge and taco. Easy-to-open pads use a be a part of that enables them to be neatly flattened and established up to your flat surface area. Taco pads, on the flip side, really are a single pad without any seams or hinges that you can fold up… well, like a taco. Hinge pads tend to be much easier to store, but a climber could possibly get seriously injured should they land right on the sign up for. Taco pads offer a fantastic landing since they have zero become a member of, nonetheless they are generally bulkier. Furthermore, you should store a taco pad open as the foam in the fold can degrade more rapidly if it is placed covered up.
If you have queries about pad utilization and construction, chat to your local gear expert and they can get you sorted.
Appropriate Pad Play
Boulder pads and spotters work jointly to maintain the climber safe, plus a large part being an effective spotter is knowing how you can place pads and the way/when you should transfer them.
When putting pads, there are several aspects to not forget. First of all, guarantee that you have absolutely no spaces between pads – gaps are ankle eaters, and you could place yourself (or even your climber) out of your game for weeks because of a wayward space. Even if you smush your pads collectively, a gap could still form where two pads meet. Ideally, you should think about investing inside a cover pad – sometimes termed as a seam sealer these are typically fairly slender, small mats which can be placed over your other pads to cover any gaps. You could also dirtbag it and look for foam suppliers or check out your local hardware store to determine if there’s something ideal you could use (just chat to someone you never know what they’re doing to make sure you’re staying safe).
Additionally, make certain that the climber remains safe and secure for 100% from the climb. Essentially, you needs to have enough pads to cover the fall zone for that entirety from the problem. Nevertheless, you may possibly have plenty of pads so as to protect a part of the climb up at one time. That means that you must work smart to place pads in such a manner that they may be quickly moved as the climber techniques throughout the problem. It is also important to time your pad-switching correctly in order that the climber is protected at ALL times, and you don’t accidentally smack these with a pad.
