What makes a good crash pad?

[nlunstrum]

A friend just got a heavy duty sewing machine, so it's time to make a crash pad. What do you think makes a good pad? Any tips for making one...?

Thanks,

N

[freeclimb9]

quote:

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Originally posted by nlunstrum:

What do you think makes a good pad?

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Anyplace I'm welcome. And if there's a fine looking woman there who's got affection for me, so much the better.

So, how do you get a climber off your front porch? Pay him for the pizza.

What's the difference between the climber and the pizza? The pizza can feed a family of four.

[Ibex]

I toyed around with the idea of making a couple of these this last summer, and here is what I found.

Pretty much every commercially produced one has a top layer of closed cell foam about 3/4-1 inch thick, over a 2-2.5 inches of open cell foam.

The closed cell is easy to come by in 3/8 to 1/2 thicknesses (just double it), and the open cell can be bought in a fabric/craft store. Beware though b/c they have EXTREMELY high markup's on this stuff, and you need to buy it on sale (which is practically every other week). Anyway, you want the light green "high-density" open cell foam. After you get your pile of materials, stack up the foam and jump on it some to see if it is firm enough. If not, just add another layer of closed cell.

For the fabric cover, just about anything will work. Popular choices are cordura, packcloth, industrial carpet (for the top), etc. A little bit of webbing for the handle/straps and you are in business. Good sources for fabric include www.seattlefabrics.com and even your run of the mill local fabric store will probably have a version of pack cloth.

When I priced it this summer I figured it would cost about:

closed cell: $12-15 depending on brand and where you buy it

Open cell: $30-$60 did i mention sales...?

Fabric: $15-20 need about 2.5 yards of 60"

Webbing/buckles/thread: $5

So you can save some money over the store bought ones, but you cant count your labor into it.

As far as the construction details, just spend an hour or so looking at some commercially made ones and you'll figure it out.

Send me an email if you have any more questions.

cheers!

Shawn

sdhigbee@iastate.edu

[nlunstrum]

Thanks for the info Shawn!

N.

[Dru]

the foam, the foam, the foam, and the foam. then the carrying straps. that is what makes the pad. unbreakable buckles help too.

when i worked at arcteryx we had loads of foam kicking around and i was gonna make a pad...but the materials (at wholesale cost) were gonna cost me ~$100 CDN, and on pro deal I got a Metolius L pad for $105 CDN, so I figured the 10 hours of sewing it was gonna take wasn't worth saving $5 for.

[specialed]

There's a simple, efficient way to go about constructing a crashpad that always works for me. Talk your girlfriend into doing it for you. That way you don't have to actually measure shit or sew, etc. You just hang out, drink a few beers, offer encouragement. That way you don't actually have to do any real "work" and the job gets done better that you'd do it anyway.

[Dru]

Just steal an old mattress from a dump and hire a team of Sherpas to tote it around for you. Those mysterious stains will provide incentive not to fall off.

[erik]

i would say sack it up and foregore th bouldering all together and climb the big stone...that way there is no question if the crash pad works or not.

plus who wants to lug around some huge pad just so they can climb ten feet......?

[Dru]

You gotta combine the portaledge and crash pad to make a crash pad you drag up the wall behind you for ropeless aid climbing.