To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Riding helmet / Western Hardhat Questions Not for HorsebackRiding
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 08:25:54 -0600
I think vented riding helmets are a safety hazard. I have
read a few reports of people injured by the vents directing
tree branches or sharp rocks to the skull. There is a fad
now for highly vented bicycle helmets now, and some bicycle
safety websites warn that in event of a fall the vents may
(like fixed hard brims on riding helmets) cause your head
to hang up on the impacting surface (ie, the ground) and as
a result cause severe injury to your neck and spinal cord.
I wear a white schooling helmet without vents and with a
snap-off visor; it is much cooler than darker color helmets.
In very hot sunny weather I sometimes also wear a cloth flap
that covers my neck; when wetted, this provides excellent
evaporative cooling.