Mounted search and rescue

["IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

The reason for not painting helmets or even tools is that the paint tends to
cover damage.  We used to paint all our hand tools with color codes but the
new composite handles can't be visually inspected if painted. Water rescue
and climbing shell type helmets are usually a vinyl base-- soft and
flexible. Fire helmet shells are fiberglass or a high heat composite or
leather. The adhesives used for self adhering reflectors on fire helmets and
the material itself is designed for the environment it is used in. In a
riding helmet the shell is just a cover, the foam does all the work by
crushing.  There are special protective coatings for leather helmets to help
them resist high heat.  

The plastic shell of a riding helmet is immune to just about everything. The
manufacturer provides a shell composition and the most delicate part of the
assembly is the foam, which you don't touch.  

Most manufacturers do not recommend using stuff that needs a separate glue. 
Using an epoxy type glue on a shell made of epoxy could cause damage but a
chemist would have to confirm that.  Many plastic adhesives do work by
welding the materials together but we are not using PVC pipe glue here. 
Use a supplier who supplies the proper materials to other emergency services
or construction crews. Many are catalog outfits and fairly cheap compared to
horse sources.  

Irv Lichtenstein