Probably the most underrated piece of bouldering equipment is the starter pad. In today's post we explain to you what a starter pad is and why it should not be absent when bouldering.
Starter what? A starter pad is a small and mostly hard-padded mat, almost a mini crash pad. If you have a starter pad, it will not be out of your hands again. Why? The number of pads you can wear while bouldering is limited. At the limit of endurance are two pads, usually a large and a small pad, tied together with a tension set. This mats arsenal can be supplemented or partially replaced by small starter pads, the Nimbos of Petzlthat we put in the bigger pads.
Padded and clean start
The conventional crash pads serve to secure the actual crash area, ie the area in which a fall from the height is expected. On the first moves, often a seat start when bouldering, you do not move far from the ground. Here is the starter pad used. It is enough to cushion a failed seat start attempt well enough and allows you a start without sitting in the dirt.
Risk of kinking is reduced
Another and very important area of application of Nimbo Starterpads is covering the gaps between your actual crashpads. Anyone placing multiple crashpads next to each other always has one problem to solve: Even if the pads are placed next to each other so nicely, the transition carries a risk. If you fall on the gap, the pads will move and can not perform their cushioning function. Often, the pads move apart during the spot. Pads can be overlapped to prevent this gap. The resulting gradation, however, carries the risk of kinking in the event of a landing. Much better and safer is therefore to cover the transition between the pads with a thin starter pad.
Also serves as a sunscreen
Show the Dab Police the middle finger
Anyone who touches a crash pad during a climbing movement (so-called dab) is often warned that the attempt does not count. Partly rightly, partly well, can be discussed about it. Often, the lack of body tension is the cause of a Dabs, but often simply the lack of range of motion, because a too large or too thick Crashpad was placed. So if the space between your body and a block or the floor is limited, it's best to use a starter pad that is less thick.
And by the way: By the way, the Nimbo also serves as a soft and insulating seat pad for the breaks during projecting.
Get the Starterpad Nimbo from Petzl now
Specifications of the Nimbo Starterpads by Petzl
- Colors: orange / black
- Dimensions: 75 50 x x 3 cm
- Weight: 700 g
- Material: extremely resistant Cordura Ballistic fabric, polyethylene (PE) foam
Get the Starterpad Nimbo from Petzl now
Product of the Month
Every month LACRUX, in cooperation with Bächli Bergsport, presents a product that convinces us. The product is currently available for purchase 11 locations in Switzerland as well as in the Online shop of Bächli Bergsport.