Helmets for Packrafting

For years, in Packrafting meet ups around the world or pictures/vidoes you’ll see of packrafters, it was pretty common to see a menagerie of different helmets. Mountain bike helmets, climbing helmets, ski helmets, I’ve even seen the occasional horse riding helmet. I always assumed it was the expression of a recreation in it’s infancy and we’d see it phase out over time. But it seems the odd collection of helmets is here to stay within the packrafting community. So other than looking a bit odd or generating eye rolls from other river users, why does what we wear on our heads matter? Surely a helmet is a helmet right? Well lets get into it…

The simple answer trotted out is that different helmets are built for different uses and to protect heads from different types of impact. A climbing helmet is primarily designed to protect climbers from rock fall for example and it’s tested (and certified) as such. But how can you tell what helmet is suitable for river use and what do they test for?

Luckily we don’t need to be become experts in design and manufacturing techniques in order to understand what helmet will work for what purpose, there are standards adopted within the industry to determine the suitability of helmets for any given sport. The most widely accepted standards are the CE EN standards. For whitewater that means that helmets are tested to standard CE EN 1385… but what the heck is that? And how is it different from CE EN 1078 (bikes) and CE EN 12492 (climbing)?

So lets start with what CE EN 1385 is all about. There are 6 criteria a manufacturer will need to satisfy to reach the standard. These are:

1. Field of vision- Does the helmet impede the vision of the athlete when being used. Anyone who has cycled in a Sweet Protection Strutter or Predator Shiznit will have quickly found out that when you’re in a cycling position, the peak restricts your vision heaps. Your focus is restricted to the few feet infront of you and you can’t see further down the road which is sub-optimal. So first order of business, can you see where you’re paddling?
2. Extend of coverage- Does the helmet cover parts of the head likley to be exposed in an impact? This is an important one. A Petzl Meteor for example may be a popular choice for packrafters becauser it’s light, but as a climbing helmet, it is no designed to protect the sides of your head or the back of it in an impact. Given that some folks have been concussed from impacting the water (not even rocks in the water) when falling from paddle craft, protection in this area is clearly needed.
3. Shock absorbing capability- This is common across most CE EN standards as you’d expect. This is the most irreducible function of your helmet after all! What differs with CE EN 1385 is that this is tested to see if the helmet still retains it’s absobtion capabiities in conditions that we’re likely to see on the river. Helmets are artifially aged to replciate UV fade when tested as well as under the extremes of temperatures likely to be expereinced. Cruicially helmets are also tested to see if they still work after being immersed in water for hours. This is not universally true of other CE EN standards.
4. Retention system- It’s all well and good being a bombproof helmet, but if it slips infront of your eyes or the straps holding in place are frail… what’s the point?! So the cradle that holds it on your noggin and the chin straps are tested.
5. Bouyancy- Another huge one. If you’re knocked unconscious, will the helmet help keep your head out of the water and help provide a viable airway? A biking helmet is not designed for this at all so won’t help you on this score.
6. Durability- The helmet should show no sign of damage after use, and neither should the wearer.

Lots of these standards above are covered by other CE EN standards for climbing helmets, ski helmets and biking helmets, but we should recognise that the types of impact and therefore the type protection needed, differs significantly from recreation to recreation. You wanna know that the glues used in the manufacturing process aren’t going to come apart in water right? Or that the parts of your head you’re likely to hit are actually going to be protected? Or that the helmet has enough bouyancy to float your head if you’re go sleepy night night.

The attraction of other helmets are clear to see, nobody wants to buy 3 or 4 different helmets for 3 or 4 different activities. Plus if you’re going to have to carry all of this stuff, don’t you want to get the lightest helmet you can? Many years ago, a helmet manufacturer that was ahead (excuse the pun) of it’s time, made the one helmet certified for all uses. It was an absolute game changer. The Kong Scarab. As rare as rocking horse shit. Sadly it stopped being manufactured. One can’t help but think if it had been around another few years, the world of packrafting and in particular adventure racing would have picked it up and made it a mainstay in most folks adventure arsenal. There was a rumour going around for a while too that Petzl used to have a helmet certified as CE EN 1385 but couldn’t afford the certification process. Given that Petzl are estimated to turn over $229.8m annually, I find this conspiracy theory hard to believe.

This is a common theme among many of my articles on gear so I apologies to readers who’ve heard this multiple times before but weight should not be the only metric you need to use when assessing what gear you buy. Function is first, then the lightest functional option out there. If ultra light weight is all that matters to you, may I suggest a tin foil hat? You won’t find a lighter one out there and you’re conspiracy theory friends will think you’re awesome too! Head protection isn’t important until it is. I went years of river running professionally before hitting my head. I’d be more likely to run a river without a helmet than my PFD or drysuit for sure. You could get lucky like I did and not hit your head for years. You might be lucky enough not to hit your head through your whole river running career…. but the river only needs to get lucky once to kill you. You have to be lucky every time you’re out there. Look after you’re head, you don’t have a spare one.

I’ve heard it said that the best helmet to use is the one you’ve got, and I appreciate the sentiment, but the best helmet to use has a CE EN 1385 rating. That just doesn’t have the same ring to it though…