Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

I'm curious about what sort of protective pads, if any, people wear in the backcountry.

I've always worn knee pads when on my tele gear. After a brush with a tree a couple of weeks ago I got to thinking that it could have easily ended much much worse than it did. So I got out my six-six-one rage knee/shin guards for my latest adventures. They're a little long, but I almost think they are more comfortable worn for skiing than for biking, the reason I first got them.

Any thoughts?

I've hit a stump and a rock with knee pads and had 2-4 weeks recovery both times, don't want to think of the damage without them. I do take them off for the up in the BC.

I've smacked my knee several times with pads on and really only had a little soreness, while the cup of the kneepads (BD Telekneesis) and my ski pants got a bit tore up. I wear knee pads every time I ski; they keep my knees warm! I've been trying to wear a helmet more often in the BC too. Ran full on face first into a tree a couple seasons ago and did not like it nor the residual effects.

Woooaaah... I thought people who wore knee pads were just a myth. (Or a cool 80's looking thing girls did for fun...)

I'm curious, how did you guys hurt your knees exactly? Is it because you have a very low stance? Do you hit your knees sideways? How can they hit rocks instead of your skis... Like in the BC steeps?

I personaly can't see why I would want to wear pads... (Sounds like the kinda thing one shouldn't mention, accidents sometimes happen after you talked about it... And I'm just about the unluckiest guy in the world... : ) Maybe when I carve very aggressively and my knees almost touch the snow, but even then, I would only hit groomed snow...

IF everything is going well while skiing in the woods, knee pads only serve to keep the knees warm. Once shit starts hitting the fan or something is lurking just under the snow, knee pads can start to make sense, but then again, I'm clumsy. For purely groomed snow, I don't think they are needed. Also, as we all know, they should be worn on the outside of your ski pants.

Edited to add: They are also useful if you tour with free pivot bindings. You can tap/bounce the tips of your skis off the cups of the knee pads to get you skis to snap into a flat position while climbing in deep snow.

I never leave home without. This shot happened on an early season powder day. The impact was tremendous and it seems the angle of it would have removed my patella.

LJ, skiing powder one can find many hidden things under a smooth white blanket. Even blue grouse, which will freak you out the 1st time or two, but doesn't hurt near as much as a giant unmoving boulder lurking just below the surface.

teledance wrote:LJ, skiing powder one can find many hidden things under a smooth white blanket.

Exactly! One particular area that I use to ski has a perfect powder blanket and tip up pyramid shape rocks that protruded up to a 3-4 cm under the snow surface. Usually you can say that there is something under the snow, but the rocks here are totally invisible.
Definitely, I have to buy a pair of those protections, even if that means extra weight in my backpack. Or can I tour with the knee protection on?

Stay free maxi pad with wings.


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mariusshobo wrote: Definitely, I have to buy a pair of those protections, even if that means extra weight in my backpack. Or can I tour with the knee protection on?

Though we are having an extraordinary snow year here in NY, our local hills don't usually get such good cover. Even the foot trails we use on the up are rock strewn eroded gully like monsters and the rocks, stumps, and such only get worse off the trail.

I wear the BD knee pads. Put them on before the boots, and ski and tour all day long. Very light in weight and non-restrictive. Though I've not cracked or damaged them, I am confident that some of the hits I've had would have been very, very bad for me.