knee pads

[Adam Tyler]

Hi everybody! I am in need of new knee pads so I thought I would see what you all recommend. I have some swat friends that say the alta tactical pads are great and easy to forget they are on.

 

http://www.altaindustries.com/tactical.shtml

 

I have also been looking at the Arc'teryx knee caps, because they look light and not hot.

 

http://www.arcteryx.com/product.aspx?Knee-Caps

 

what do you wear? hard caps or foam only?

 

thanks for the info

[Robert Starling SOC]

Hi Adam, I use three different sets of knee pads depending on what the nature of the shot and terrain are. My favorites due to comfort, lightweight and cost are the Crocs Knee Pads; made of the same soft spongy rubber that their shoes are made of. Like their shoes you can get them in different colors; think blue for jeans and black for your stage blacks. I use these a lot for standard everyday operating on grass, carpet and smooth surfaces . I don't use them if I'm running or moving fast enough that they'd shred off if I fell. They are also great for handheld work where you need to kneel etc.. They only weigh maybe two ounces and cost about $15 a pair.

 

I have two sets of hard knee pads; one set is your standard Home Depot plastic / cordura version and the other are larger full plastic outers that cover well above the knee down a few inches below with interior padding. These are my running on concrete / asphalt and operating in rough gravel / rocky desert landscape respectively knee pads.

 

At times I'll wear all three pairs at once to lessen the pain when dealing with Production over rates, kit rental, insurance certs and getting paid. ;-}

[Lukas Franz]

Hi Adam, I prefer biker knee pads that are used for freeride/downhill. Very good protection, very smooth and comfortable. You can get it even with shinpad if you like. And I'm shure it's cheaper than tactical wear.

[Rich Cottrell]

Not that I put them on as often as I should, but I bought a set of sk8 board knee pads with the plastic caps. They can be put on over your pants and they are made to take big spills.

 

I know they look big, but I figured if they can protect a skateboarder's knees from a big half pipe crash, then if i take a spill on stairs they should do me well.

rich

[Jess Haas SOC]

I use a pair of skateboarders kneepads that I bought at goodwill for a buck or two. They almost always have that kind of stuff from people who decide to take up inline skating or skateboarding, fall once and then give it up. I have seen many brand new $200+ pairs of inline skates selling for around $10 at goodwill or similar places.

 

~Jess

Edited December 27, 2008 by Jess Haas

[Peter Abraham]

I bought hard-shell kneepads about 15 years ago at a skating store. Foam on the inside, hard plastic on the outside, they do cover the entire kneecap area but nothing more.

 

Good idea from Robert, to use different types for different work. I would sometimes use the hard-shell pads for kneeling during hand-held and it was not ideal.

 

They were there to protect the knees and career. Spend $ 25.00 or $ 200.00, but get some and always have them in the kit.

 

Peter Abraham

[Janice Arthur]

Hi all;

 

Choose which ever you want but just be warned, practice falling on them without the gear a few times before you wear them on a shoot.

 

I played a lot of volleyball and those pads are/were made with a fabric surface. They don't slide, (they also don't protect your knees a lot).

 

I then got some skater pads (big plastic fronts) and found out to my huge surprise they slide like mad. I hit the ground, without the rig, and kept going enough force to hit my face on the ground. I have a badly cracked front tooth to prove it.

 

They work but are scary.

 

I like the Goodwill idea.

 

JA