[Breaded_Gecko]

I'm a noob, gonna invest in my first mat.

My first wants are:
- big enough and lasting enough to protect an ever-falling noob
- small enough for public transport (bus and train) and ideally on bike...
- reasonably priced
- pref UK made

I've got my eye on the Pod mats... the Super Crash Pad is, so far, looking very very tasty, but on a bike or train, dunno?...going by previous threads, pods seem like a safe bet. Climbing factory's Ground hog also look good but do they last?

Any wise words before I break my arse and wallet.

[butters]

POD's are pretty damned awesome IMO - like all the POD gear I own it has that feeling being of bombproof about it! Personally I have a POD Super Crash Pad and can recommend it very highly indeed after blowing the top moves of Pebble Arete Left Hand on Tuesday. It was the only pad I had down but the end result was that I walked away from it a bit shaken but other than that fine.

Size wise you would probably get away with it on public transport most of the time but it might be a bit big on your bike unless you can guarantee a tail wind to assist you everywhere...  To be honest if these features are high on your list then you would probably be better off looking at the slightly smaller but equally good Crash Pad instead of the Super. As for UK made  - mine certainly is but I bought it about 12 months ago and I think production has since been moved overseas though shops might well have UK stock still.

No idea on the Climbing Factory's pad but the Moon pads are supposed to be excellent but though I can't recommend them personally as all my mates seem to be POD users. There will be plenty on here who can do otherwise though I suspect.

bluebrad

[St Hubbins]

I have the franklin drop zone, now made by black diamond. when there's a few of us padding something out i will try and land on mine as it seems to absorb better than the others.

I've not seen the alpkit ones, but they get mixed reviews.

Will you be on your own a lot?

[Breaded_Gecko]

thanks for the tip bluebrad...Pods still looking sweet. Was thinkin about the Moon Warrior but there's some talk about the foam getting too floppy too quick...

this inspired me re: bike:

Size wise you would probably get away with it on public transport most of the time but it might be a bit big on your bike unless you can guarantee a tail wind to assist you everywhere...  
bluebrad

tie to back of bike on trailer.



this is me with just about enough protection for burbage south.

[Breaded_Gecko]

I have the franklin drop zone, now made by black diamond. when there's a few of us padding something out i will try and land on mine as it seems to absorb better than the others.

I've not seen the alpkit ones, but they get mixed reviews.

Will you be on your own a lot?

the franklin dz was top of the list but i hear that black diamond have screwed up the foam quality, unfortunately.

indeed, re: alpkit. For the money, though, looks like a runner up.

alone sometimes, and sometimes by car with some other noobs. I work unsociable shifts... hang on, why the question?

[Richie Crouch]

I've been very impressed with The Snap Calzone pads that a couple of my mates use. Come in around a ton and have a waterproof base on them as well as being very suited to public transport and bikes! The foam quality is top notch.

[nik at work]

Get a DMM Highball and don't ride a bike.

[GCW]

Get an Highball and don't ride a bike.

Second that.

[St Hubbins]

alone sometimes, and sometimes by car with some other noobs. I work unsociable shifts... hang on, why the question?

[/quote]

Only because you'll need to weigh up the size of the mat you're after quite carefuly. If you climb alone a lot you may want a larger mat to give more ground protection, but will it be a pain on the bus/train? If you live near a decent gear store you would benefit going in and carrying it for ten minutes to get a feel for it, some can be heavy (older 'snap' mats seemed to contain lead  )

You could also consider the snap mini pad as an additional pad to fit inside a medium pad, as that will give you 2 areas. Only adds maybe 2kg to load too.

[Breaded_Gecko]

Get a DMM Highball and don't ride a bike.

why?

[Breaded_Gecko]

Get an Highball and don't ride a bike.

Second that.

why? why a highball? why not a bike? (apart from the obvious health an safety/wind factors)

[GCW]

Highballs are good.
Riding a bike with any decent sized mat is going to be 'fun', especially when lorries overtake you at higher speeds.

[nik at work]

Carrying any kind of mat on a bike is going to be exciting, carrying a large mat is going to be lethal.

If you really want to carry a mat on a bike get the smallest mat you can, just don't expect to survive highballing.
Or if you really want to highball get the biggest mat you can, just don't expect to survive cycling.

Any mat is public transportable, it's more a question of how much you're willing to annoy your fellow travellers.

Choices shmoices....

[AndiT]

These are what I use: www.climbingfactory.co.uk

They tick all your boxes and have brilliant foam and coverings, plus they're very local and 'green'.

[Breaded_Gecko]

Here's some mat links resulting from my research... and from my anal retentive/control-freak streak:

POD Super Crash Pad or Crash Pad £125-30 / £100
Website: http://www.podsacs.com/product_super_crash_pad.html

DMM Highball £130-140
Website: http://www.dmmclimbing.com/productsDetails.asp?id=11&id2=129
Reviews: http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=1144

Snap Calzone £110
Website: http://www.snapclimbing.co.uk/products.php?id=2
Reviews: http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=698

Climbing Factory Ground Hog £120
Website: http://www.climbingfactory.co.uk/products.html
Reviews:

Alpkit Phud £70
Website: http://www.alpkit.com/phud/
Reviews:

Moon Warrior £130
Website: http://www.moonclimbing.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ID=185&Homepage=Y
Reviews: http://blog.rockrun.com/2008/05/review-moon-warrior-best-of-best.html
http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=692


Other Mats that Seem Worthy of Mention
Pad: http://www.pad.cz/eshop/index.php?cPath=1
Flashed: http://www.flashed.com/mats/index.html


Numerous Other UKB Threads on the Topic of Bouldering Mats
2008, 3 pages: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,9156.0.html
2006, 3 pages: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6364.0.html
2005: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,4347.0.html
Poll 2003: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,1180.0.html
2003: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,653.0.html
2007: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6717.0.html
2004, 2 pages: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,2572.0.html
2005: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,4844.0.html
Cheap: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,5965.0.html
Size: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,2188.0.html
Quantity: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,5966.0.html
On Planes: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,9726.0.html  http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,7038.0.html  http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,7555.0.html

[Breaded_Gecko]

Thanks for the tips and concern about my welfare on bike-bouldering...

I think i'm going to prioritise the mat size. This is my body, after all, of which I get one and only one, falling repeatedly from potentially crippling heights. The bike gets its due on other days. Best conserve my energy for the rock, too.

I figure this is just coming down to personal taste. The Pods are certainly getting the most strokes... The DMM Highball review looks sweet re: three layer foam... But should I be ethically minded and support a small company like Climbing Factory? And there's the funky taco Snaps... Tricky.

Might be going halves on the final choice with a mate.

Can't wait! V1s here i come... when i stop procrastinating.

[Johnny Brown]

for their size, the dmm pads are heavy due to the thickness and three layer foam. i'm not convinced it gives a softer landing, but adds weight, and makes stacking awkward. well made though, so likely to last.

i've got a pod. or three.

[philo]

if i was you i would check on this forum, UKC etc for sale items.
people sometimes buy them and not need them or need a quick sale.
you never know what you might stumble upon!

my 20p,
alpkit mats seem generally OK, ive got two, the larger and the small.
the small is alright to put on any other mat, its not too heavy and quite firm (but it is really quite small)

the larger pad, is good foam, its lasted a long time and some high drops, it seems to be strong and hasnt worn in the middle or anything. However, i wouldnt buy one again unless you get a new strap,
the strap is truely aweful. its annoying and if you want to wear it as a backpack, make sure you have 10 minutes to faff on with the straps as its held in the middle by flimsy velcro that you know fine well once you have one arm in its going to pull the whole strap completely through.
ive had to sew my strap to the mat as i was at me tether with it.
its just not strong enough, the only real weakness from my point of view

[Ena]

Good advice about second hand, but do make sure it's in good nick. For my twopenn'th, I'm sure you can't go wrong with a pod super by reputation and feel, but I've not used one. I was going to get one but got a secondhand snap burrito for £65! Monster pad but not for buses.

My brother (BVT) has a moon warrior and so far (one year old) it's been fantastic, really good medium size pad with a good carrying system and space for loads of kit inside. Also cheap from these folk: http://www.walkhigh.co.uk/acatalog/Bouldering_gear.html I think the foam issues may be from old designs, this is great. He uses it with a tiny old moon pad which fits inside and helps with sitters and difficult landings, a good combo.

If cost is really an issue, alpkit phuds are good (I have an old one) and the newest ones have much better fabric - the weak point of the old version. But it's a simple design, and the moon is far better for an extra £46.

[Breaded_Gecko]

right, job done! I am a proud pad owner-to-be.

bought a Pod Super Crash Pad from Climbers Shop for £125... I have since cancelled Xmas. Actually, it may save me forking out £7 odd for the gym. Gonna test it out some time in the next week at Burbage... These things are for having picnics on aren't they?

Decided to leave the bike out of the equation. Although, I did actually consider getting a trailer at one point. Then I wondered how that would bode on my travels through Moss Side... can't believe some parents drag their kids around to school on those things! I might still wear my cycling helmet at the rocks for the coolness factor.

Can't fucking wait, as you can imagine.

[SA Chris]

If you are biking it, I reckon a bit of home mod would be a good idea, something like;



Although with a mat obviously, and without the Shaka.

Would keep you dry in the rain too.

[Breaded_Gecko]

i want one. genius bit of welding and ingenuity, that. wind shouldn't be a problem, unless its an upwind in which case he'll take off...

possibly a bit top heavy with the conversion holding up a Pod above a Dawes roadbike. but tempting to take up surfin just for the bike mod! he rocks and he knows it.... even though he is a bit hitler youth.

[220bpm]

the franklin dz was top of the list but i hear that black diamond have screwed up the foam quality, unfortunately.

Shit, didn't hear about that. Hope they get it sorted out, if I ever need to replace my DZ it'll be getting replaced with another DZ. Top mats.

[chriss]

I have a Franklin DZ, good foam,but the fucking thing has fallen to bit's on me. I thought the BD ones were supposed to be crap!
Anyway lucky I'm good with a needle & thread, I won't be getting another DZ when this one Finlay dies.

[soapy]

he's still among us..

[Houdini]

I wouldn't seen dead w/ a POD.  I prefer Debs, who runs the bar at Todmorden Working Man's Club.  She's soft as fuck, absorbs any impact  and does a wicked mixed grill.

[nik at work]

Now that's why I moved to Tod...

[GCW]

Yeah, but a sexy Tod lass like that is bound to be a lesbian.

[nik at work]

But who amongst us is not really a lesbian at heart?

[Breaded_Gecko]

I wouldn't seen dead w/ a POD.  I prefer Debs, who runs the bar at Todmorden Working Man's Club.  She's soft as fuck, absorbs any impact  and does a wicked mixed grill.

whatever floats your boat.

or sinks it, in this case.

[Ash_2005]

Hi,

I'm a noob too, and am looking for a bit of advice on a mat. How has your pod worked out? i'd been looking at the pod so crash mat so i'd be interested to know how yours is working out.

I've a couple of questions:

1. Is the pod crash mat going to be big enough for us to start out with?
2. I'd set a limit of a 100 squid is that reasonable?
3. Are there any other features other than size that are worth looking out for?

I await enlightenment

[(woz)]

Could someone please explain what the fuss is over pod mats to me? I'm all for supporting local businesses etc, but mine was a bag of wank, and fell apart/went soft after a a couple of months. Even my Alpkit mat has lasted longer, despite being made out of rice paper.
Was it just a duff one? Do I need to go on a diet?

[butters]

If I was buying a mat today then I would probably be looking at one of the Moon mats if it came down to both being available for the same price. I stand by my love of the POD that I own as it has been a bloody good mat but the extra inch or so of foam that the Moon has is looking increasingly tempting when considering the state of my knees.

Size wise - they all look small when you get high enough above them but the taco style ones I mentioned in my previous post are about as big as you want to go IMO - once you get above that size then it seems that it is more of an effort in logistics to get the bloody thing to the crag than is reasonable for a day out! 

bluebrad

[Norton Sharley]

Could someone please explain what the fuss is over pod mats to me? I'm all for supporting local businesses etc, but mine was a bag of wank, and fell apart/went soft after a a couple of months. Even my Alpkit mat has lasted longer, despite being made out of rice paper.
Was it just a duff one? Do I need to go on a diet?

  POD pads go soft quick and the strap velcro doesn't stick so the pad is constantly coming undone off your back.  Shame really.

[fatboySlimfast]

Dont Alpkit own Pod? POD himself is living it large in Spain now?