UKC

Rob and Tim put the Black Diamond Vapor and Capitan helmets to the test on some classic gritstone routes at Burbage North.

Watch the video: https://www.ukclimbing.com/videos/play.php?i=6316

A great little video on what is really quite a hard issue to make exciting: two modern, well designed helmets - one much lighter than the [not very heavy] other one, but the light one is a lot more expensive. You pay your money, you make your choices etc. 

I left the following comment on youtube when I watched last night, but worth repeating here: there appears to be Black Diamond shaped heads and non-BD shaped heads, and I am the latter. I went in to Outside to buy a tougher helmet for winter and a year and a bit ago. I wanted to buy a BD Capitan as I thought they looked cool and ticked all the boxes on my wish list. Really didn't fit, ended up buying a Petzl Borea instead that fits well - if not looking as cool to my mind at least! Last summer I decided it was time to replace my main lightweight helmet, a Petzl Meteor. Went back to Outside, tried the BD Vapor - again, it seemed to fit a rounder head than mine - pushing against my forehead and back of my head, and wobbling ear to ear. I end up buying a Petzl Sirocco - I think my 5th Petzl lid going back to the 90s. So if you're more oval headed than round headed, BDs don't seem to fit very well. Nothing wrong with the Petzl helmets, and I'm sure there are some people who find they fit BDs better than Petzls, but a bit annoying when you're want a bit of change!  

It's akin to the Sportiva/Scarpa divide within the climbing shoe market isn't it, where one fits slightly narrower feet whereas the other fits wider feet. I'm aware that's a sweeping generalisation, but the point stands.

Yep, and shows the value of having a good shop near where you live or at least near where you climb regularly! When I was looking for a new light helmet last summer, I wanted to try the light Edelrid one as well - I've still got an Edelrid Shield from a UKC review about a 11 or 12 years ago, and that fits my head. But unfortunately couldn't find anywhere in the Peak or Sheffield area that was stocking them.

I'm sure there are some heads that fit both BD and Petzl helmets OK, likewise I've got both some Scarpa shoes and some Sportiva ones that fit my feet well, but I've also tried different models of both that didn't. I haven't even tried Boreal shoes in recent years though, as for decades previously whenever I tried a pair the fit was hopeless on me! 

Again, not trying to plug Outside specifically (other great climbing shops are available - in places other than Hathersage!) but rock shoes and helmets are both pretty hard to buy without being able to try them on first.

The Edelrid salathe  fit is similar to the Mammut Wallrider and the Sirocco. I have the same issue with the BD fit.

Cheers, useful for future reference - and good to know that I don't have a particularly weird shaped head!

I have recently got a BD helmet (Vision I think). It is the first helmet I have ever had which doesn't perch high on my head and wobble around. It's great. I had assumed I just had a weird head, but turns out it is a BD head.