Would a climbing helmet work for packrafting? I’ve been told by some people that kayak that you need a whitewater specific helmet. However I noticed in Roman Dial’s book that he uses cycling and climbing helmets to packraft. I was hoping I could use the same helmet for canyoneering and packrafting. I can get a good deal on a Black Diamond climbing helmet.
Thanks, Jeff
Hey Jeff,
I`d say get a real “whitewater helmet” if you are going to be paddling whitewater, climbing and bike helmets are not designed to take multiple hits and are also not designed to take side hits, or hits from the back. There suspension system is also not designed to keep the helmet on your head when your head is underwater and the helmet is getting ripped off your head by the current, leaving your forehead exposed. Roman may have started with a bike helmet years ago, but he either got smarter or got tired of people telling him that a bike helmet was a really bad idea in whitewater, seems now he wears a real helmet…
That being said, some helmet is better than no helmet, but you should go with a boating helmet if whitewater is what you want to paddle in your packraft.
Thanks for the reply. I’ll purchase a whitewater helmet and maybe I could use it for canyoneering as well.