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New Kneepads from Howies

PostPosted: Dec 7, 2007 8:49 am
by Adam Craig
Anyone seen the new Howitzer pads? I've got a pair on order and will hopefully be able to report out on them soon enough :kewl:

http://www.howiesharnesses.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=349&osCsid=4f487d778f9eb9653da23ae3df57d5b5

PostPosted: Dec 7, 2007 9:09 am
by Scott McCrea
I saw them at Fall VAR/MAR. They look well made. The price is certainly nice. I don't know much more than that. Let us know how you like them.

PostPosted: Dec 7, 2007 10:00 am
by Jeff Bartlett
they have that same weird double-seam through the wear area like the Bomber pads. i ripped out my Bombers in 3 trips right on that seam, though 2 of the trips were in a cave with an extensive chert crawl.

PostPosted: Dec 7, 2007 1:09 pm
by NZcaver
xcathodex wrote:they have that same weird double-seam through the wear area like the Bomber pads. i ripped out my Bombers in 3 trips right on that seam, though 2 of the trips were in a cave with an extensive chert crawl.

My long Bombers ripped out in the same place, but like you I was abusing them (in my case, extensive lava tube crawling). The short term fix for me was Shoe-gooing the seams to hold them together. Since Bombers aren't made any more, I later made a permanent fix by gluing and hand stitching 2-inch webbing pieces onto the front with a sewing awl. They've held up great - although I now know to use hard cap construction kneepads in lava tubes instead of my Bombers.

Howie's Howitzers look nice, and I agree the price is right. :kewl: Someone will have to post a review...

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 8:50 am
by YuccaPatrol
I'd buy those in a second if they did not have those cheap button-type connectors. My pads from Home Depot have the same system and are quite frustrating when they either loosen on their own or pop loose on a rock.

A set with a couple D-rings would be nice.

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 10:11 am
by ek
On my Sears Craftsman kneepads, the button-type connectors simply ripped off. That happened the first time I used them. (A while back in Onesquethaw Cave.) I (and others) tried various tricks to make the pads usable again, and none of them really worked right.

I would guess that Howie's kneepads have sturdier button-style connectors, though.

Still, it's a piece of plastic that is designed to catch, protruding from the pad...

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 11:50 am
by Jeff Bartlett
IMO has a new knee pad listed as well -- and just in time for xmas!

http://innermountainoutfitters.net/catalogentry.php?subcategoryid=12&page=1&catalogentryid=780&brand=Crawldaddies

tough to tell what the wear surface is made of from the photos, and the price is a little high, but they look to be very well made and don't have that awful "rip me here" pleat on the front.

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 11:53 am
by volica
Velcro closure in kneepads is a mistake. Once they are muddy you have to carry them in your pack :)

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 12:02 pm
by Jeff Bartlett
volica wrote:Velcro closure in kneepads is a mistake. Once they are muddy you have to carry them in your pack :)


agreed, except how would you ever get mud in the velcro unless you take them off? we have some muddy, gunky caves here in AR and that's the one thing about my Bombers i haven't had a problem with =)

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 12:11 pm
by NZcaver
xcathodex wrote:
volica wrote:Velcro closure in kneepads is a mistake. Once they are muddy you have to carry them in your pack :)


agreed, except how would you ever get mud in the velcro unless you take them off? we have some muddy, gunky caves here in AR and that's the one thing about my Bombers i haven't had a problem with =)

:exactly: I've never had a problem with the velcro on my Bombers in mud either - but like you I keep them for the whole cave trip. For that matter, I haven't really had any problems with mudding up the velcro on my Meander suit either. I like velcro. I guess if it did get too gummed up, I'd just have to use a little water and rub/wash it off.

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 12:24 pm
by barcelonacvr
For Mud /Velcro issues and a fix.Punch grommets (stainless is nice) on both sides of the pad and attach bungee material (1/8 or 1/4 stock to one grommet.Run the loose end through the other grommet and use one of those sliding barrel clips like lanyards have.Lacing works just as well but of course there is no give

I did this as a back up for my six six one pads to be proactive regarding Velcro mud slippage.I have not had problems with the six six ones though and we have very muddy caves(see Scott from Swaygo's post on caving here)I did it for the avoiding a potential , irritating in- cave factor.

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 12:31 pm
by Jeff Bartlett
NZcaver wrote::exactly: I've never had a problem with the velcro on my Bombers in mud either - but like you I keep them for the whole cave trip. For that matter, I haven't really had any problems with mudding up the velcro on my Meander suit either. I like velcro. I guess if it did get too gummed up, I'd just have to use a little water and rub/wash it off.


yes, even when i open my velcro closure several times during a muddy trip and get a bit of mud on in there, the Meander velcro isn't a problem.

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 12:32 pm
by Scott McCrea
Ponorplumber wrote:we have very muddy caves(see Scott from Swaygo's post on caving here)

Oh, you mean this one?

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 12:37 pm
by volica
Oh yeah
I had 661 4x4 knee pads, velcro wasn't issue with them, just padding wore out on 1st or second trip thru popcorn crawl :)
And you have undo velcro anytime you want to reposition knee pad to protect your knee, not calf

PostPosted: Dec 12, 2007 12:45 pm
by NZcaver
volica wrote:And you have undo velcro anytime you want to reposition knee pad to protect your knee, not calf

I know what you mean with some pads, but I've never really needed to do that with the long Bombers I have. They go all the way from my boots to above my knees, and are held in place with 3 elastic straps with velcro pads. Once in a while in tough crawls, they do start to slip around the side of the leg - but with a quick twist, they're back in front again.