These days, bouldering is an extremely popular sport on its own, partially due to the low cost and low technical know-how needed. To Boulder, all you actually want could be a pair of climbing shoes, a chalk bag, and a bouldering pad. Usually, they need carrying straps just like a backpack. Climbers in teams could bring multiple crash pads, to either stack on top of each other or spread out along the base of a climb.
Foam Types: There are three main types of foam used in bouldering pads at the moment: closed-cell polyurethane foam, open-cell polyethylene foam, and recycled shredded ethylene-vinyl acetate foam (EVA).These days most crash pads are going to be made with heavy-duty 500+ denier materials, but if your crash pad is not, it will not hold up to long-term use. Avoid flimsy pads or something that encompasses a thin-feeling exterior cloth.
Folding Types: Usually crash pads constitute 3 completely different classes of folding: book-folding, taco-folding, or bias-cut.
Book-Folding Pads: These are created with 2 foam pads that fold one hundred eighty degrees. This allows for a higher sturdiness of the foam, but they need Velcro or straps in the middle to prevent the centre of the pad from folding up when a climber falls on the pad. For this reason many people like a taco-style folding pad.
Taco Folding Pads: These are made of one continuous foam pad. This creates no break in the foam but is slightly less compact, and over time the centre of the foam will break down from continuous folding and unfolding. The other advantage of a taco fold is that the gap within the pad that enables you additional space for storage.
Dimensions: Counting on the kinds of foam used, pads primarily constitute 3 rough sizes: accent pads with smaller dimensions, outsized pads for highball climbs and further protection, and the everyday use pad.
Oversize Pads: They are usually anything significantly bigger than standard, and can get up to around 7’x4’x5”. Folded thickness is usually twice the thickness of the foam, but with taco style folding pads you can get pads 12″ thick or thicker.
Straps and Suspension: The heavier the pad and the farther your approach, the beefier your pad’s suspension needs to be. Make sure to look for a pad with a heavy-duty waist belt. Metal buckles can hold up higher than nylon but are often harder to replace. The amenities you’d look for in a backpacking pack, like sternum straps, load lifter straps, and contoured shoulder pads are what you want to look for here as well. It’s also nice if the suspension is removable so as not to get damaged.
Replaceable Foam: Some pads have standardized foam, which can be a great option, as the foam will eventually degrade and will not offer the “catch” it originally had. If your pad has this option, make sure that you check the zipper or Velcro flap access to the foam regularly, as they are failure points. Some bouldering pads have distinctive options, sort of a carpeted top for scraping off your rock shoes, the power to turn into an armchair, and a few pads are even designed to act as the padded base of a tent for camping.
At places like Rae-Line, a market leader in designing and manufacturing of sports and safety padding solutions in Australia, you can get the best quality products for the best prices.