CAMP Pulse Helmet

Hello,

Greetings from Switzerland.

Does the Pulse come with the Winter Kit?

The Camp website suggests it's a separate item and (for them at least) permanently out of stock.

Regards

Andi

Overall: Five Stars for one of the very few certified climbing helmets that provide some additional protection for skiing. Only caveat is that fit can be more finicky than most climbing helmets, and only two different sizes are available unlike most ski helmets.

Background on product familiarity: I bought my Pulse helmet in Spring 2008 and used it on some tours. The size Small fit me perfectly with either the winter kit or without. But without the winter kit yet with a wafer-thin sun hat underneath – too tight! (The size Large though was absurdly big on me.) Then one day my brother happened to be visiting and randomly tried on the helmet, pronouncing it the most perfect helmet he had ever tried, so it’s been his since then.

First, the first impressions out of the box: If you’ve previously worn only ski helmets typically designed for the resort, then you’ll be astonished at the lack of weight. And the adjustment dial in the back is simple and effective. See the prior paragraph though for fit concerns.

Second impressions, in use: Overall a very comfy helmet and without any of that “crystal dome” effect that plagues many bike-style climbing helmets. And already set up nicely for goggle retention unlike most climbing helmets. The vents are limited though compared to some ski helmets so as to meet the climbing certification spec.

Third impressions, for long-term durability: All of these expanded foam bicycle-style helmets are essentially one-hit wonders, designed to sacrifice their lives for you. But it’s held up well during its second life with my brother.

I bought this for general purpose ski touring, light ski mountaineering, and recreational skimo racing. I chose it over the Speed because I just don't trust the durability of the Speed for use in the mountains.

I have only used the helmet twice so far, but I like it pretty well. The shell itself feels solid but is fairly compact size-wise. The headlamp holder clips feel flimsy but they do hold my headlamp securely and in a good position. The tightener in the back operates smoothly and snugs down comfortably. The liner is comfortable and doesn't have any scratchy spots.

The straps are easy to adjust, however, the forward straps attach to the shell a bit too much in the vicinity of my ear. This can be annoying when it's windy and the straps are flapping around in my ear. The chin strap also has quite a bit of slack that I need to tuck out of the way.

Here are some things to know:

- I bought the Large, which is specified to 62cm, but it barely fits my head which I measured at 59cm. I doubt I could even fit a thin skull cap under this helmet. I own a climbing helmet that is specified to 61cm and fit into it with plenty of room to spare (regularly wear it with a hat).
- The ventilation holes narrow toward the inside of the shell, making the effective ventilation area MUCH smaller than it would seem by looking at the product photos. There is a silly mechanism on the front of the helmet to open and close the front vent holes, but it does not work very well and I wish they had done without it. A headlamp or goggle strap also covers up some of the holes, including the rear ones which are the largest. I did a race a little over an hour long in about 28F and needless to say the liner was completely soaked with sweat by the end. This is obviously not a racing helmet and I suspect it will do better on a mellower paced winter tour, but wearing it on the uphill for spring and summer mountaineering in the PNW will probably be very hot.

Despite these minor issues, it's a great comfortable helmet, and the best one I could find that fit my criteria of being minimalistic but not compromising on safety. I was also looking at the Smith Maze, but ruled it out due to having very little ventilation. I will probably pick up a Speed eventually for better ventilation while racing, but this is likely to remain my helmet for skiing in the backcountry.

I bought one of these helmets and was real excited to use as a ski/mountaineering helmet. I was incredibly happy with all of the features except the sizing. I typically wear a 7 3/4 or even a 7 7/8 baseball cap and my large brain was difficult to squeeze into this helmet. That said I am accustomed to not fitting into "one size fits all" hats so I can't hold it against CAMP. I was real impressed with the adjustibility of the helmet and really liked the headlamp clips in the front. The single headlamp/goggle clip in the back makes it difficult to have a headlamp with a battery pack in the back, but it did a good job of holding on my goggles when I tried them.