Black Diamond Impact Crash Pad - 2007 BCS

Bought this awhile back as my first boulder pad, and I was really impressed with how well this handles some of the higher problems that me and my buddies have tried. A few weeks ago, my buddy bailed from a tough topout move ~20ft high, and landed shoulder first on the pad. I figured that we would be using the pad as a stretcher on the way out, but he was able to pop up without injury. Of course it requires a good spotter considering that it does not cover that much area, but we always need good spotters, right?

Well I originally purchased this pad as a secondary for my trip to Bishop and was aware of the no-frills, simple design (which I was completely fine with for the price). The pad performed well and kept me from bottoming out numerous times but the poor construction started to show after a few months. The top strap loop broke off while fastening it down so I had to fix it with gorilla tape, which fells even sturdier than the flimsy webbing before! The foam is also starting to break down and crease pretty badly down the center even though I store the pad unfolded.If i had known what I know now, I would have just ordered my organic pad sooner and splurged for better quality.

So I've got about 28 days of bouldering on my Impact now and while at first I was stoked. Now I wish I'd spent a bit more and gotten a better pad. At only 3.5" the pad is thinner than I need. I'm not that big (160lbs.) and its not like I'm falling from a 10 story building, but I do occasionally bottom out the pad through to the rocks beneath. Also the lack of a designed fold has now turned into a crease where the foam is breaking down and the pad won't lie flat anymore. My next pad will be 4 or 4.5" and have a hinge design. The pad does work okay, its just that there's better out there for the money like my friends Metolius pads.

This pad is great. I wish i had one a little bigger but i like this pad a lot.

this is a good pad. only problem i have is that the top strap is hard to fasten sometimes.