How many of us die hard sledders wear vest protection?

[yamadoo]

I am not a sanctioned racer and had never even considered purchasing and wearing protection. Now I have read another many page thread and just wonder if I am missing some thing?


I do not know how to post this as a Poll so if some one creates the poll or edits this that is fine with me.


No Tek vest or Hockey Pads ---- but should I



Yamadoo

 

[Viper_Dave]

Yamadoo, I am a 47 yr. old husband and father of 9. I have ridden many years and have had very few .. ah, incidents LOL. I started looking at this 2 yrs. ago, and told my wife about the Tekvest. She got me a Klim Tekvest last year as a Christmas gift. She feels better and I do as well! We all fail to realize how the most innocuos thing can possibly injure us. I posted in the other thread about my 1st test of my vest. Low speed contact with a fairly large tree branch. Shudder to think how badly I COULD have been injured. After it happened, I was laughing at how little the impact affected me. Later I realized that without my vest, I WOULD have been injured. I think if you have loved one's at home, it's worth whatever it costs to return home safely.

 

[BlueByYou2000]

I wont ride without my Tek Vest. Best money you can spend on sledding.

 

[1CrazySledder]

I have had many close calls. Last season being the straw that broke the camels back. Wrecked my RTX. During the wreck, the tunnel of the sled came back around and hit me in the lower back pretty damn hard. Just missed my spine by an inch. I was in such pain, I still went on the TY Demo ride, but had to have some pain pills to get me through. ( I was feeling perty dern good then ) Had I wore protection of any kind, I probably wouldn't have been hurt as bad. At Hay Days this year, I picked up a nice BeeWear vest that protects the front, kidneys, complete back, shoulders. I doubt I will ever ride without it. I'm told once you wear them a few times, you will not even notice that you have it on, but will feel it when its not.

I would get one. As said above, I'm sure your loved ones would like to see you again.

--Vince

 

[BigDog05]

1CrazySledder wrote:
I'm told once you wear them a few times, you will not even notice that you have it on, but will feel it when its not.

Started wearing a Tek Vest last season. Its feels like something is missing if I don't wear it.

 

[rapeape]

I run a Tek Vest. I'd feel naked without it.

 

[SIMMER]

They are great....I have ridden with one for 3 seasons now. Won't run without one. Like a seatbelt on sleds.

PS. TekVest or something else designed for our sport would be all I'd wear. Leave the hockey equipment for the rink. :ORC

Here's a pic of my wife modelling the one I bought....

 

[flesh]

I have had one for about 4 years now and like many of you have said it feels weard NOT having it on....won't ride without it now!!

 

[The Snow D.O.]

I like to ride aggressively and somtimes my skill level can't get my a&& out of situations my need for that rush gets me into. I also get tired by the end of the day and sometimes I just can't recover as quickly as I would otherwise be able to.

The primary reason that I wear my vest is that there are minor traumas that you are susceptible to that can be life threatening and wearing some form of protection can literally save your life. For example: an impact trauma to the chest at exactly the right time of the cardiac cycle can stop the heart like flipping off the switch of your bathroom light .....Game Over, unless you have a defibrillator nearby. Admittedly, this does not happen very frequently but it is a perfect example of a level of trauma that could be completely prevented just by wearing a vest. ( This happened to a highschool lacrosse player who was struck in the chest by a shot during a game ==> DEAD) There are a lot of other examples I could give especially involving injuries to blood vessels that can cause a person to bleed out and a lot of these could be prevented by wearing some form of protection.

I couldn't bear the thougth of not getting home to see my wife and kids because of a "minor" trauma and some really bad luck that could have been prevented simply by putting on a vest. Now I feel naked without it.

Todd

 

[Honk]

Sno D.O. Very Well said!!

 

[yamadog1]

vest

i have been riding for 32 yrs had a few close calls, i ride in the u.p.
where i live, most of the time i ride alone so at 60 yrs old i bought
my first vest this year, hope i never find out how good they work.

 

[Daranello]

I wont ride without my Tek Vest. Best money you can spend on sledding.

Same here

 

[Swiss Sledder]

Fixed your post so that it contains a poll.

I also won't ride without my TekVest.

 

[touched]

I've had a tek-vest for the past 4 years, it keeps you warm and adds protection. How can you go wrong,same as a helment IMO.

 

[bojans]

I had never thought of wearing a tek-vest until the final trip of last year. Riding down a twisty portion of trail around 50 mph and had a deer (thank god it was a small doe) jump over the front of my sled. The hind quarter caught me in the chest and pulled me off the sled. I was more scared than hurt but I am now in the market for a tek-vest...