Yes, us old guys thought knee pads were for wimps. What can I say, we were stupid but we also had very few options. I personally found cobbly crawls the only place I really wished I had them. The only time I actually wore a pair of the basketball knee pads that were common at the time was a trip to Roppel when everybody swore I'd need them. By the time we got through the Hobbit Trail my knees felt like I'd been crawling on sandpaper from the sand working it's way between my coveralls and the pad. I wish we had this stuff available then.
Very helpful. I finally wore my first knee pads out, the NoCry Flooring and Roofing style off Amazon. I also found some of the music you use. Found it in an old playlist I made 2 years ago lol
I use long Crawldaddies. They are excellent. They're strong, protective, comfortable, stay in place, and are very slip resistant, moreso than my boots. I feel very comfortable walking up slippery slopes if I'm on my knees. Its SO worth the investment. I've also heard very good things about Dirty Dave's and Salamanders. But get the Crawldaddies.
After getting a pair of Dirty Dave's long pads, I was disappointed with the build quality and ordered two pairs (1 short and 1 long) of Crawldaddies. So much better. I will still use the Dirty Dave's for ridgewalking since I can take the pads on/off without having to take off my shoes, but the Crawldaddies will be used for all actual caving.
@Isaac_L.. I now use howitzers, and I've found them to be more comfortable than the crawldaddies. This could be because I've kinda outgrown them. I have 5 pairs of howitzers now and they're comfortable unless it's super dry.
My personal experience is that knee pads with the rubber cap provide the best protection. I use the Alta contour. I've tried the foam type such as Howitzers which always left my knees badly banged up. Never had a problem with traction when wearing my Alta's but getting them to stay in place is a constant battle. I may try crawl daddies for this reason.
We've had a very different experience with the capped knee pads then. I've found them to have terrible traction when crawling on bedrock, and I've found them to be borderline dangerous when trying to chimney. The Howitzers are my favorite in most situations. As I mention in the video though... we all have different caves we're visiting and different styles of traveling through those caves.
Nice. Was just starting to research kneepads. I assume similar criteria also apply to elbow pads. Sounds like construction clothing may also be popular for caving. Would also be interested in boot recommendations. Looks like you're wearing Oboz.
Carhartts (as an example of "construction clothing") are popular with some cavers in some regions, but not in most of the caves I visit. They're cotton and are a poor choice in wet, cold, muddy caves. I'll be doing an overview of elbow pads soon, though they are less important than knee pads. Check out my website for a comparison of features of elbow pads. Boot recommendations vary even more than for pads based on the caves you're visiting. I use everything from trail running shoes to knee-high rubber Wellies to ankle-high hiking boots to canyoneering shoes. It all depends on the cave environment and type of trip.
I dont get it... WHY AM I STILL IN PAIN. I went Spelunking/ caving Sunday and my gear kept sliding off resulting in pain. I need to find the right gear for next season...seriously day 2 and I'm still in so much pain... :( ... every bone in my body hurts..
Thank you kindly
Great video, as always
Yes, us old guys thought knee pads were for wimps. What can I say, we were stupid but we also had very few options. I personally found cobbly crawls the only place I really wished I had them. The only time I actually wore a pair of the basketball knee pads that were common at the time was a trip to Roppel when everybody swore I'd need them. By the time we got through the Hobbit Trail my knees felt like I'd been crawling on sandpaper from the sand working it's way between my coveralls and the pad. I wish we had this stuff available then.
Very helpful. I finally wore my first knee pads out, the NoCry Flooring and Roofing style off Amazon. I also found some of the music you use. Found it in an old playlist I made 2 years ago lol
can you share the playlist?
I use long Crawldaddies. They are excellent. They're strong, protective, comfortable, stay in place, and are very slip resistant, moreso than my boots. I feel very comfortable walking up slippery slopes if I'm on my knees. Its SO worth the investment. I've also heard very good things about Dirty Dave's and Salamanders. But get the Crawldaddies.
After getting a pair of Dirty Dave's long pads, I was disappointed with the build quality and ordered two pairs (1 short and 1 long) of Crawldaddies. So much better. I will still use the Dirty Dave's for ridgewalking since I can take the pads on/off without having to take off my shoes, but the Crawldaddies will be used for all actual caving.
@Isaac_L.. I now use howitzers, and I've found them to be more comfortable than the crawldaddies. This could be because I've kinda outgrown them. I have 5 pairs of howitzers now and they're comfortable unless it's super dry.
My personal experience is that knee pads with the rubber cap provide the best protection. I use the Alta contour. I've tried the foam type such as Howitzers which always left my knees badly banged up. Never had a problem with traction when wearing my Alta's but getting them to stay in place is a constant battle. I may try crawl daddies for this reason.
We've had a very different experience with the capped knee pads then. I've found them to have terrible traction when crawling on bedrock, and I've found them to be borderline dangerous when trying to chimney. The Howitzers are my favorite in most situations. As I mention in the video though... we all have different caves we're visiting and different styles of traveling through those caves.
Nice. Was just starting to research kneepads. I assume similar criteria also apply to elbow pads. Sounds like construction clothing may also be popular for caving. Would also be interested in boot recommendations. Looks like you're wearing Oboz.
Carhartts (as an example of "construction clothing") are popular with some cavers in some regions, but not in most of the caves I visit. They're cotton and are a poor choice in wet, cold, muddy caves. I'll be doing an overview of elbow pads soon, though they are less important than knee pads. Check out my website for a comparison of features of elbow pads. Boot recommendations vary even more than for pads based on the caves you're visiting. I use everything from trail running shoes to knee-high rubber Wellies to ankle-high hiking boots to canyoneering shoes. It all depends on the cave environment and type of trip.
I dont get it... WHY AM I STILL IN PAIN. I went Spelunking/ caving Sunday and my gear kept sliding off resulting in pain. I need to find the right gear for next season...seriously day 2 and I'm still in so much pain... :( ... every bone in my body hurts..