Body Protection?

[justadude]

Who wears their Dirt Bike chest protector, shin gaurds, and foreharm/elbow pads when they ride?

Seems like a reasonable cost effective solution to buying Skidmoo or Poreass or Articscat gear.

Or is it too tacky for some?

Or is there a difference specific to each sport that makes the difference?

Just wondering?

Thanks!

 

[Ex-Member]

Tekvest and thor force knee guards. Don't ride without 'em. Elbows I've worn before but find them to be more of a nuisance. Sometimes leave them in the truck riding dirt too. Hate 'em.

The knee guards are for moto. Wear them both sledding and on teh bike. Real comfortable and they stay put. Busted 4 of the cheapo $15/pr knee guards year before last, two of those would have destroyed my kneecap if I didn't have 'em on.

Tekvest... lots of over-the-bar landings, headlight checks, sled rolling over on top of me... Roost guards aren't that comfortable to begin with. Throw on a few more layers and a pack and i'd wager you'll be pretty uncomfortable. They also limit some motion; you're not sidehilling on a moto, thus the roost guard is not cut for that whereas the tekvest is. Heard some success stories with impact-rig/pressure suit type protectors, but again; they're made for dirt, not snow.

Why cheap out on gear that could save your life (or body parts)?

 

[John]

Knee/shin guards are a must, IMO. I also wear a B-Wear Protective Vest. This is what can happen without the shin guards...http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132746 Blood clots are no fun.

 

[enis750]

I wear a Moto-X chest protector, its the EVS Evo

super comfy and not retricting at all
i find the TEK VEST's etc very bulky, this is a nice alternative
also wear knee pads - thought about shin guards as well - have some nasty scars on my shins

 

[tudizzle]

If you are going out to do battle body armor is a must.

 

[ArcticBoy]

Tekvest and shin knee guards

 

[snowww1]

Tekvest freestyle-light,ventilated, non restrictive. Much better for protection than a mx roost guard.

 

[Rob1334]

I wear the same Thor Force knee guards Mule has and a sixsixone compression top, for the price they are WORTH EVERY PENNY!

Bought the vest after I broke my ribs and sternum, not taking a chance of a direct hit on the bars...
I have horrible knees to start with, and hitting them on the plastics is not an option either. Once you get use to them it is really wierd riding without your gear.

 

[Ollie]

Knee and shin guards plus B-wear vest.
The problem with motocross style chest protectors is they are designed to protect you from flying roost (rocks and dirt chunks), where as sled body armor needs to protect against spearing and crushing injuries.
Don't know how well motocross chest protectors do for injuries like that.

 

[ruffryder]

I tried my mx chest protector, but it didn't work too well with a backpack. I wear my knee pads and elbow pads though....

ATGATT - all the gear all the time..

Eventually, you will fall and hurt everything you have a pad for, then you will finally be smart enough to just wear the gear and be done with it...

 

[Trenchmaster]

My buddies laugh at me when I put on my "gladiator" suit, but when they hurt themselves, they ask if the armor is comfortable. I use a Thor impact rig which is like a mesh shirt with plastic chest, shoulder, elbow and back protection. Knee protection is a must for me with the way I bash them on the console of the Dragon, getting to old to deal with self inflicted pain.

 

[polaris dude]

hehe just curious, how do you hurt your shins/elbows? I guess i've never worn any protective gear(helmets do not count to this as they are a must) and never thought twice about it

 

[Ex-Member]

My buddies laugh at me when I put on my "gladiator" suit, but when they hurt themselves, they ask if the armor is comfortable.

hahaha, yep. Beginning of the day it's "damn, that's a lot of gear...", but after a few wrecks the conversation turns to "So how much was ____? Is it comfortable?"

 

[Ex-Member]

hehe just curious, how do you hurt your shins/elbows? I guess i've never worn any protective gear(helmets do not count to this as they are a must) and never thought twice about it

Elbows I haven't had an issue with; but falling off on hard spring snow hurts less with them. Not an issue in pow.
Knees I run through the cowl landing jumps, shins are usually beat up from skis and rails biting them when rolling the sled over. Nice being able to kneel down and not stand up with cold knees too.
Shoulder pads on the tekvest are nice for roost and tree branches. Whole system keeps you warmer too; wear it snug and it stays warm, loosen it up on warmer days to get more airflow.

Like I said earlier, i'd have very likely busted both my kneecaps and a few ribs without this stuff.

 

[thefullmonte]

Most of the softer padded body suits or under protectors will work to some degree. My concern with the hard plastic roost protectors is that they can become increasingly brittle as the temperature drops. Could break, shatter or even puncture you in an impact. You will get a lot of conflicting opinions when it comes to this.
Some protection is better than none. Just be honest with yourself as to the level you ride at and the amount of protection you should be wearing. I have worn the EVS Revo 4 in the past. I currently use the 661 Core Saver. Has been working just fine for me.

 

[cookiecutter]

In mountaineering and canyoneering we spend top dollar on protective equipment, it should be just the same for riding! This is not something to skimp out on. I have plenty of examples but the most recent, got bucked off landed in front of the sled and took a ski tip right in the chest, not a problem and no pain. SPend your money on your gear first (beacon, probe, shovel, protective gear) first, then mod the sled. If you can't afford protection with the sled you are ridding then you can't afford that sled!

 

[Ollie]

hehe just curious, how do you hurt your shins/elbows? I guess i've never worn any protective gear(helmets do not count to this as they are a must) and never thought twice about it

Land a cornice jump wrong, land any jump wrong, get tossed into a tree, it's easy to hurt your shins and knees. Never had a problem with my arms or elbows.
Took a tree trunk to the side ribs a couple years ago, I would have busted ribs if it wasn't for the B-wear.

Also, this is a good way to break something.

 

[tudizzle]

hehe just curious, how do you hurt your shins/elbows? I guess i've never worn any protective gear(helmets do not count to this as they are a must) and never thought twice about it

your doing it wrong

 

[ruffryder]

hehe just curious, how do you hurt your shins/elbows?

Mis - judge the angle of a jump face and jump the snowmobile staight up into the air. Freak out and jump off and land with your elbow on the running board.

Perfect way to end the beginning of the day.

 

[tudizzle]

wait for it...........wait for it.............bingo lol

lucky you were slowing down!