Drilling holes in a helmet

Jack Hare

New member
I've currently got an Ecrin Roc with a bracket for a CEAG speleotechnics lamp (with a custom insert from Bisun). I'm looking at getting a Phaeton Dual to replace the Bisun, and the Phaeton uses a go-pro mount. Presumably this means drilling more holes in the helmet, and I'm a bit worried this will weaken it. I'm loath to buy a new helmet because nothing seems to come close to the Ecrin Roc, and buying a 'pre-owned' Roc off ebay seems like a bad idea. Anyone got any advice? Should I just get a new helmet for the new lamp, or are helmets strong enough to survive two extra holes in the front?
 

paul

Moderator
There have been posts in the past about drilling holes in helmets. Have a google using this:  helmet holes site:https://ukcaving.com/board/ in your browser's URL box.
 

Joe90

Member
I'm not condoning drilling lots of holes, but remove all the fittings from a Petzl Explorer and its full of the things.

Sent from my HUAWEI TIT-AL00 using Tapatalk

 

Joe90

Member
I use the Dual for both wet and dry caving. It is brilliant, only flaw being the lack of a power indicator on demand.

Sent from my HUAWEI TIT-AL00 using Tapatalk

 

PeteHall

Moderator
If you hit your head hard enough that a few extra holes in an ecrin roc cause it to fail, you'll be in a whole world of other trouble anyway, so if I were you, I'd drill away  (y)
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
Pete has it right. 99.9% of the time the helmet is only there to stop you banging your head. Bob Lewis was famous for not wearing one and he survived all sorts of scrapes.
 

tamarmole

Active member
When I retired my last helmet, a Caving Supplies Protex, it had seventeen "unofficial" holes drilled in it; I didn't die.

More important is to ensure that any items, like brackets, you add to a helmet don't leave sticky - outy things on the inside of the helmet.
 

Kenilworth

New member
tamarmole said:
When I retired my last helmet, a Caving Supplies Protex, it had seventeen "unofficial" holes drilled in it; I didn't die.

More important is to ensure that any items, like brackets, you add to a helmet don't leave sticky - outy things on the inside of the helmet.

If you want anecdotes to inform your decision... I don't often wear a helmet either, and very seldom die.
You use your helmet for several things; to mount bulky lamps to your head, to protect from bumps, to provide possible protection from wildly unlikely disaster. I choose to protect myself from bumps by watching where I'm going. I do not try to protect myself from wildly unlikely disaster. If I feel that disaster is a real threat, usually in the form of rockfall in vertical situations, I wear my helmet, which is full of holes.
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
I will never forget a few years back on a trip to Bonaire seeing Snorkelling/caving trips advertised.  This confirmed my feeling there must be blue hole type caves on the island so signed up. We were give hand torches and no helmets. Bear in mind the average tourist there is a large American. When I asked the guide about helmets (bearing in mind there were a couple of slippery stal climbs and low roofs) she told me nobody had had a problem yet.  3 years later everybody got helmets apparently! I wonder who banged their head?
 

andrewmcleod

Well-known member
On an early caving trip I slipped trying to step across a large hole in Prid, falling into the hole, and walloped the side of my helmet really quite hard on the wall. My brain definitely bounced around a bit and I felt the aftereffects for the rest of the evening. I suspect it would have been a rather messy affair without the helmet.
 

Mattrees

Member
It's important to remove the helmet before drilling any holes.

hqdefault.jpg
 
Top