A couple of weeks back, I posed a question for readers. The question being “What was the main factor in choosing your current crashpad?”. After almost 100 votes and 25+ comments, Quality was the clear winner with 56% of the votes. Given the cheap nature of most climbers I expected Price to be more of a deciding factor, but it appears as though many of you are more concerned with your pad holding up in the long term. Here are the full poll results:
First of all, props to the 8% of you that are sponsored (allegedly). Second, if quality is the deciding factor, what pads are people finding offer the best quality? Here are some of the better comments that give a good idea of what pads people feel are high quality:
The few times I’ve used a [Madrock] Mad Pad, I’ve hated them. The foam sucks, the quality sucks and it’s kind of an awkward size. Go with an organic full pad. It’ll last longer and after you use it you won’t even remember the 50 or 60 dollar difference
Mike B.
I currently own an Organic and a Metolius pad. I previously owned a Flashed as well. The Flashed was alright but the foam got “tired” fast. The Metolius is stiff, featureless and feels cheap (well it is cheap to buy so one can expect…).
Organic is by far the best crashpad that I’ve owned. It’s durable and well made. Plus the owner is really nice to work with and very available to respond to various requests.
going on 4 years of heavy abuse [and carrying heavy loads and multiple pads strapped to it], my first organic is still kicking. the velcro is done, but they are using metal buckles now. of course, the foam is seeing some effects of age, but i’ve never had a pad last longer than 12 months before my first organic… 4 years and still going!
I would look at the Asana pads. I have been using mine for about four years and it is held up to some pretty rough abuse. There pads are at a great price and the quality is amazing.
Phil
i’ve had a voodoo pad for about 2 years now. it’s held up pretty well, but the organic pad i bought a year ago is far superior. there really is no comparison, i say organic all the way.
I agree. ORGANIC ORGANIC AND ORGANIC!!!!
I’ve had mad-pads, misty, and metolius and the only pad I would buy again is my Organic.
Everything else just seems to fall apart, pack out, or just plain carry poorly.
It’s worth the extra pennies for the extra YEARS you get out of it.
entropy
I really love my Metolius Behemoth. It’s lighter and less awkward to carry in talus fields and on steep trails than the big, thick pads that a lot of companies make. I also like it because it’s 4″ thick and covers a good deal of landing zone (almost twice what a normal sized pad covers) which is nice if you climb alone very much. The pad is solidly built (much better than the first generation Behemoths) and the foam feels like it will last for a good while.
I bought a small Asana pad recently and it has been used a lot. Very affordable, lightweight, and solid. The Organic pads are in my opinion overbuilt with lightweight shoulder straps. The pads can feel very heavy which is good except when carrying them a long way. I have an almost 10 year old Misty Mtn pad that has held up really well.
Matt C
OK……2 words…….Misty Mountain. I hav a standard misty that I have had for 8 years now and a misty magnum that I have had for 6 years. Both pads have seen extinsive use and are still going strong. Sure you need to replace th foam after a couple of years (you need to do this with any pad) but the straps and body of the pad are still as bomber today as they were when I bought them
yohans
FLASHED. The foam is a perfect balance between being lightweight yet firm. Organic is overly firm and hence, too heavy. Asana is light but so soft it will last you barely a few months.
Not surprisingly there are many different pads (Asana, Metolius, Organic, Misty Mountain) that people feel positive about, and some of the opinions are conflicting. Two people find that Asana pads work great and another finds them “so soft it will last you barely a few months”. Another commenter finds that Metolius pads work well while another finds that they “feel cheap”. Obviously everyone has different preferences in what they are looking for in a pad, and experiences with gear always differ.
The overall theme that is prevalent throughout many of the comments though is the affinity people have for Organic pads. One might think that the poll was some sort of paid infomercial for Organic given the overwhelming number of comments pimping their pads, but it is really just a testament to the quality of their gear. A quick perusal of a few posts on Rockclimbing.com in the past couple of weeks revealed a similar thread of responses to the same question I pose. People love their Organic pads.
It is interesting to note that many of the people who commented professed love for Organic pads, yet only 2 people chose Brand as the overriding factor in their pad purchasing decision. It seems as though many people equate quality with the Organic brand without even thinking about it.
As the fall bouldering comes to a close and the winter season begins, I hope that these posts give you some added information to use on your next pad purchase.
was there any mention of green hoodies? josh makes green hoodies with little pink aliens and they effing rule!
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Yea Narc!
That should be the next poll!
“Who makes the best green hoodies with little pink aliens on them that effing rule?”
-M@
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Mondo Mondo Mondo….. Wow how much is Josh paying all you people to say Organic or does it just sound hippie, so it’s cool. Maybe that’s the 8% that are sponsored. I had the choice betweem 3 different pads this week for the likely landing on my project and the Organic was the last pad on my mind. Save your money unless your the Whole Foods shopper and like paying for it up the ass, I hear they sell Organic there.
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The “mondo” and the rest of B.D. crash pads have(in my opinion)reduced foam quality in the last few years (each year getting worse with the rising cost of oil/ foam). I have done my research, looking into foam (quality and price) and 2 companies stand above the rest.
-Organic
-Flashed
every year at the trade show I run around tearing into the latest and greatest pads on the market. these 2 companies continue to use the highest quality foam (even if they lose a bit of the margin). I see a considerable amount of companies cutting corners in order to continue making a profit. such as MAD ROCK on the highest end of corner cutting and BD on the lowest.
one of the best ways to tell a good pad from a bad is.. see how many are stashed up in the park, I can tell you I saw very little Organic..but I did see a few mondo’s…hmmm.
oh and a mondo is a mondo is a mondo….my organic is my organic!
and I just got paid 300$ for that!
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BECAUSE OF THE COST OF FOAM
you should buy green hoodies, he makes a killing on those!
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most folks on “team organic” pay for their shit and we just support josh because he makes a superior product.
when black diamond took over franklin, they certainly reduced the grade of the foam… so it is softer and packs out quicker.
numerous stories of kids from the old backyard gym in larmaie bought new bd mondo pads and bottomed out the new pad… then, did practice falls on the old mondo and did not bottom out.
i heard that and other similar stories long before i decided to by my first organic pad.
i can see why folks who fall short distances to good landings would like softer padding, but it will do little good in the talus, over tree roots, or falling from high up.
the hippy reference is idiotic. i dump a bunch of methalene chloride in emerald lake every time i visit the park. also, i poop on rainbows.
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Ohh geez Jacob way to wet the bed!
I like the idea Organic a small company run completely out of a 1 stall garage in a Laramie ghetto can pay people to talk up stuff… judging by pure economics I bet they would start by paying themselves first like the CEOs of the BD!
There will always be bitter haters in the world for what ever reason and let them break their ankles.
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BD MONDO 365
ORGANIC Big pad 315
Who payed up the ass?
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I was one of the two “brand” votes, because I’ve been hearing great things about Organic pads (as well as digging the ones Justin and the East Bay crew-Lyn, Paul and co.- all use), so in that sense I was voting for a certain brand as the equivalent of quality. Plus I like all the pretty colors.
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Funny you should mention that Sockie… I was taking a stroll yesterday when I came across this rainbow you speak of and thought to myself “who would shit on this beautiful rainbow?” I can sleep easier knowing now that it was you.
P.S. it smelled like glorious roses. What did u eat?
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I’d just like to throw my opinion into the pool…In response to the Organic “bashing”, I have this to say: I may be a tree hugging, animal loving, Whole Foods shopping liberal, but when it comes falling I want a pad that will protect me, specifically my vulnerable (as it turns out) ankles. I have an Organic pad and I swear by it. It is worth every penny — and I did pay for it, so no agenda here — Organic is simply a great company producing a great product.
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@ sweaty: 1. a busshel of apples grown alongside lake ontario in sodus, ny; 2. the souls of 4 v13 boulderers; and 3. copious amounts of dryer sheets.
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Jacob said, “Wow how much is Josh paying all you people to say Organic or does it just sound hippie, so it’s cool.”
“Save your money unless your the Whole Foods shopper and like paying for it up the ass, I hear they sell Organic there.”
________
People made it clear in the poll they think Organic makes a superior pad, based on foam quality and durability. Why is that so hard for you to understand? And the personal attacks against “organic” minded people just show how ridiculous and empty your dumbass comments are.
Josh at Organic bends over backwards to help people in the climbing community out. Why do you care about what other people prefer? Do you get all bent out of shape when people tell you they wear Hanes underwear because of the superior cotton? Yeah, they must be hippies too huh?
Organic doesn’t affect you in the least. You gave your opinion, they gave theirs. Lets leave it at that and go climb.
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I had the first 2 but it was the dryer sheets that i couldnt quite figure out… nice touch
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I tried to purchase a crash pad from voodoo and got the run around. Seems they make pads on order and they are always back-logged. I spoke with Gina who was blunt more than honoring the fact that I gave them my money right away. So I never got to try voodoo out. Like my organic pad though.
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i’ve seen some moaning on message boards about the service/interaction with folks at voodoo, even to kids in their local area. i know it’s hard to run a small business, especially when climbers seem to want everything for a discount or for free since they’ve sent some chosspile v10 turd that their friends think is rad, but it’s unfortunate to hear these accounts nevertheless. it pretty much seals the deal that as long as josh makes pads, i’ll not need to look anywhere else.
mario power up to josh again.
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