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Impact Gear

22K views 62 replies 25 participants last post by  fazy 
#1 ·
Anyone wear impact gear? If so, what's good? I've searched the forums but mostly saw older posts, but wondered if anyone has used any for a bit and have had good results.
 
#4 ·
I ride every day with a Demon Armor upper jacket. Cost me about $100 four years ago. I now have about 150 days while wearing it, and it's pretty much time for a new one.

Don't think I'll ever be without that in my gear. Sometimes on spring days if I'm doing a lot of work I won't wear it, but otherwise it's part of my daily gear.
 
#12 ·
My impact shorts came in very handy yesterday when I went straight down on my ass on a stone rail/box. Everything still hurts, but nothing is broken! I have the Burton D30 version. Some form of protection is very worth wearing! I also wear knee pads (hold over from tele skiing since the old days) and the Level mittens with wrist guards. I've never needed the knee pads for protection as far as I know, but they are super handy for kneeling down while you wait for your buddies.
 
#15 ·
I have G-Form kneepads and a pair of the Burton G-Form impact shorts.

I've just started learning to snowboard and being 42, I was taking care of my old body! Plus, I recently had ACL reconstruction, so I liked the psychological benefit of getting good knee pads. They only have come into play a coupe of times, but makes you feel super confident when those knees slam down and you don't feel anything.

The impact shorts have been great because you don't really feel them. I can wear them driving to the hill and everything and they never bug me. I wish the tailbone/butt protection extended slightly higher, but that's kind of hard to do with something that's pretty much underwear. I will say that G-Form stuff works great though.

They are a bit $$$, but I love how minimal they are when you wear them. For me that's huge because then there is never an excuse to NOT wear them. Slip 'em on and go!
 
#17 ·
I ended up getting the Demon Flex Force Pro Top and shorts.

I used them today for the first time and noticed there is some definite bulk to them, but you get over it quick. I don't know if it was noticeable though looking at it. The tailbone protection reaches down low towards the taint- it's weird, but you sort of get used to it.

I purposely fell on my arse a few times and felt nothing.That makes it worth it to me, I'll definitely get used to the bulk. Backcountry.com has them on sale now.
 
#20 ·
Unfortunately I have an NSFW picture that shows a very similar bruise that I took this weekend. After a fall on my ass on a rail nine days ago at Killington the bruise has really started to come in. My entire right butt cheek is essentially that same purple and yellow! My tailbone is also sore when I sit but fortunately not debilitating. I am very glad I was wearing impact shorts as I assume it would have been worse.
 
#23 ·
Yeah, I've got it on GPS so in the future I'll head back and try to find the exact log (and hopefully miss it this time!)

Was wearing my armour, but took the log across the kidney/upper thigh area. Kindey protectors would have helped I think. A blunt force is a blunt force, but if it's spread over a larger area the damage would likely have been less.

On the plus side, I'm breathing (for the most part)...
 
#28 ·
Thanks guys! For anyone curious, here's a link to the gully that I went into. We were on our way along the cat track and I saw this gully with good snow. Once I got down in it it looked like there was a creek running underneath, so I traversed high right to get out of it, came over a roller in the woods and there was the log... No where to go but into it at that speed!

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.2866052,-117.0644744,3a,75y,40.64h,75.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3avuEaxkctcT2njKPkpJZQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
 
#37 ·
Fortunately, I have not had any crashes in the park yet to truly determine how protective are the pads.
I understand your concern as the pads are thinner than d3o and others.
It is always a trade off imo between protection and comfort. POC has the highest protection, G-form has the highest comfort, Xion is in the middle.

I tend to not sweat too much when riding - I run on the cold side generally.
Nonetheless, the G-form fabric is very light and I have never had it stink. I wash it every two to three days and hang dry. No issues yet.
 
#44 ·
Fortunately, I have not had any crashes in the park yet to truly determine how protective are the pads.
I understand your concern as the pads are thinner than d3o and others.
Update: had my first notable fall since switching to G-form.
Fell backwards on a box, landed on my tail bone/lower back.
Didn't notice a thing - no bruises.:smile:
 
#38 ·
In the first three years of snowboarding (still at the beginner level), I had many falls to my tailbone (and wrist). Sometimes the end of the day was when I hurt my bones and I hated that.
In the last season I decided to buy a protector, it was the Hillbilly.
I got a larger size waterproof shell but I always felt like an oversized snowman. And looked like an oversized snowman. Nothing I care about how am I looking on the slopes but... the is some limit, haha, and, not comfortable. But did the job.
This year somehow (still don't know what happened) on the second day in Colorado I wasn't able to zip my jacket over my pants. I ran to the next store and bought a Burton total impact protector
It was very expensive but I am glad I bought it! Much smaller and of course works perfectly. I cannot feel I am wearing it.
Without them I would have some broken bone I am sure.
I am still thinking about some knee protection as I injured them too many times and last time I had to skip snowboarding for a week just to have my knee heal. I hope the Burton knee protection works well, anyone has experience with them?
 
#39 ·
I am still thinking about some knee protection as I injured them too many times and last time I had to skip snowboarding for a week just to have my knee heal. I hope the Burton knee protection works well, anyone has experience with them?
I have the G-Form knee pads and love them (G-Form is the company that makes the shorts for Burton). I tried on 2 other brands and it was the best fitting one for me... and I really liked all the "flex points" in how they distribute the padding. It really hugs around the knee cap area nice. I also really liked how it felt more like a compression sleeve because of its length.

You can find them for a "decent" deal if you look around and don't care much about the color. I got mine for a little over $50 USD (bright yellow). I also have the Burton Impact shorts and love how you really don't even feel them throughout the day (and they don't really slip).

If possible, try to get a few different kinds and see how they fit. Depending on the size of your legs, certain pads will usually fit much better than others.
 
#40 ·
I have the Demon D3o Impact shorts, and they've now saved my season twice. Two years ago, my board slipped out on a box and I fell straight to my tailbone. I could actually feel the energy from the impact dissipate out the sides. Then last weekend, I got too close to a tree, clipped a hidden chewed off 1" tree stump and then landed right on that, right below my cheek. That one hurt quite a bit, and is still a little sore, but I don't even have a bruise. I rode away from both of those with no real damage at all.
 
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#48 · (Edited)
I used to wear this Protective Hip Padded Shorts Skiing Skate Snowboard Impact Pants Protector Gear | eBay

It protect good protection to the butt, but not so much on tailbone and lower back.

Until I switch to this.

Protective Snowboard Hip Padded Shorts Skiing Skating Impact Protection | eBay

Now I'm sticking with it, because the pad is thicker and more importantly, much higher coverage on your back, it covers all of your tailbone and even a small part of your lower back. I have jumped and landed on my tailbone while wearing this and I didn't felt a thing.

And of course, I wear double knee pad, the inner layer is the flat thin pad with padding, the outer pad is the bubble foam pad that sticks out. The outer one absorbs all of the initial impact, the inner one absorbs the outer shock, it also serve the purpose of stabilize the outer bubble pad in pace.
 
#52 · (Edited)
I'm not planning on wearing any pushing or back protector while snowboarding but if anyone knows of a good one to wear while fishing I'd associate it.
Had my hardest most dangerous fall of my life while fishing a month ago. Feel on boulders backward and fractured 3 vertebrae,c6 c7 and t1. Luckily I didn't require surgery and should be recovered in time for the snow. 3 inches in the wrong direction and I wouldn't be here though. Stay safe,don't fish. (Jk fishing is awesome, I'm just depressed that I an not able to do much right now)
Seriously though I may consider some sort of back/torso protection if it is not taking my freedom to move away, if there is a good suggestion of somee good stuff to look into. I honestly don't think I will ever fall as hard as that snowboarding,but you can trip in your house and die. Never know

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