Cavechat.org

Even tho I'm not ready to give up my ecrin anytime. I found these helmets interesting:

http://www.carbonfiberhelmets.com/index.html

You can custom order them in many different colors and shapes.

http://www.carbonfiberhelmets.com/colors.htm

Looking at their site and they seem to mostly make kayaking helmets, I'd be cautious recommending helmets designed for other activities for use in vertical caving (horizontal caving and you'd probably get away with it).
But you wouldn't really advise someone to use a bicycle helmet caving... well unless they were really desperate. (I guess it's better than a saucepan)

I think I read somewhere that kayaking helmets aren't subject to any/ as many standards (I could be wrong here) but there are certainly some more interesting designs in kayak helmets out there.

Besides I'd be afraid of scratching that pretty carbon fibre.

Looks like that rough surface would collect and hold lots of mud!

Hugh Banner used to make a climbing helmet that looked almost exactly like this. It was incredibly light and had exceptional safety ratings. That said, I wish these guys would turn out a a climbing/caving version since I haven't been able to find one since HB stopped making them.

Hunter

P.S. The shell is totally smooth (won't hold mud). It just looks funny because they use a clear resin.

Maybe it is different for cavers in other areas, but my helmet gets scraped and bashed a lot while going through TAG caves. I can't imagine carbon fiber being anywhere near as durable as the somewhat flexible plastic of a standard caving helmet.

Sure it is pretty, but I'd suspect such carbon fiber helmets are designed like a bicycle helmet for a one-time head-saving smash and are not meant to be scraped and bumped constantly.

YuccaPatrol wrote:Maybe it is different for cavers in other areas, but my helmet gets scraped and bashed a lot while going through TAG caves. I can't imagine carbon fiber being anywhere near as durable as the somewhat flexible plastic of a standard caving helmet.

Sure it is pretty, but I'd suspect such carbon fiber helmets are designed like a bicycle helmet for a one-time head-saving smash and are not meant to be scraped and bumped constantly.

LOL, sorry I find limestone hard where ever it is and not exclusive to TAG.

Actually carbon fiber which sometimes is blended with kevlar is far more durable than polymer helmets. The Ecrin polymer helmet was originally was advertised as a climbing helmet. I remember when it came out that I thought it might be a good caving helmet. There was discussion around the grotto about the Ecrin but people preferred the time tested fiberglass Joe Brown Helmet.

Polymer helmets are inexpensive to make compared to carbon or fiberglass. Also they weigh less than the alternative.

I had a pair of carbon fiber and kevlar knee pads which I could not wear out and would still have them if my gear would not have been stolen. They where bombproof and originally designed for hockey players.

Hey I'm a ww kayaker. This is a good helmet but - but! - it does not have a suspended part inside to damp a hit to your head. I expect the padding inside is mini-cell, just a thick layer of mini-cell in contact with your head on one side and the helmet shell on the other. Good for a relatively slow and gentle bash on a whitewater rock but the fast hard shock of any substantial fall is going to go straight to your brain. I would not use this helmet for vertical caving.
The other problem with this helmet for horizontal caving is it will be hot. Most caving helmets (if not all?) have ventilation. I've used a helmet like this in a horizontal cave in a pinch, and indeed it was hot.
Which reminds me of one more problem - no attachment points for your lights - I used duct tape of course...

The carbon fiber is good stuff. The surface of the helmet is smooth not rough like it appears. It very well may have kevlar cloth as well.

IIRC, the Ecrins from the early-to-mid '80s had a shell of glass-filled polymer (nylon?), as opposed to the current ones, which are straight polycarbonate.