Cheap caving helmet?

[crickleymal]

From Thursday Lidl are selling skiing/snowboarding helmets for ?20 which apparently meet some sort of standard. They look like they could make a cheap caving helmet so long as you don't mind your ears being covered and a little bit of ingenuity to attach the light.

 

[Badlad]

Helmet standards - now there's a subject 

However, common sense suggests that the head is worthy of the very best protection possible whilst still being practical for the activity.  It might be better to cut costs on other aspects of caving, (oversuits, amount of beer drunk, thermals, lighting, etc) rather than head protection. 

 

[paul]

Reminds me of the old ad seen in the US (about motorcycle helmets but same principle):

"If you have a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet. If your head is worth more, buy a Bell."

 

[rhychydwr1]

Just paid ?2.00 for a new builders' helmet from a car boot.  Even includes a visor.

 

[topcat]

Quite a bit of caving doesn't require much head protection: its just a case of protection from banging your head on the roof and somewhere to mount your light.
Quite a bit of caving requires maximum protection: fall protection, stone fall from great heights, as well as the above self inflicted bangs on the roof.

The trick is to not get the two situations confused!  Given that many caves have both environments I wear maximum protection at all times, but really you could make an informed choice to compromise if your caving only takes place in the horizontal.

Comfort is pretty important too.  My WW paddle helmet is a Ellios from climbing/caving because I can't find a comfortable paddle specific helmet.  I often use a cycle helmet for rock-hopping when sea kayaking.  Both are probably being used outwith their test standards but it seems reasonable to me given the comparative useage.