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donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Mar 5, 2013 - 07:18pm PT

Old dudes in shorts with white, skinny legs look about as ridiculous wearing knee pads as do a pod of twenty somethings marching off to the boulders with pads overhead.

Knee pads....bouldering pads, they both seem to do the job.

SteveW

Trad climber

The state of confusion

Mar 5, 2013 - 09:15pm PT

Who you callin' old?

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Mar 6, 2013 - 02:11am PT

Talkin' to me?
First climb after right meniscus removal & ACL replacement, 1979. I've always considered the surgery was necessitated by activity in chimneys and in OWs, but had a two week layoff from HS swimming for knee pain.

I used to use a neoprene sleeve on the knee after this when I played racquetball, but no pads. The knee pads I had for climbing walls were covered in duct tape. The immediate pain following knee surgery was the most intense pain I've ever known.

philo

Trad climber

Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?

Mar 6, 2013 - 08:59am PT

Some of us have good reason to wear knee pads.

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Mar 6, 2013 - 10:01am PT

I'm too young to presume to know the minds of "old guys," but knee pads come in handy sometime!

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Mar 6, 2013 - 10:04am PT

Oh, feel free to presume away. It's nothing, really, having constant pain despite surgery to correct it, I assure you. It's all in the mind, innit?

And cats love mice.

philo

Trad climber

Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?

Mar 6, 2013 - 11:03am PT

I'm too young to presume to know the minds of "old guys,"

LOL!

A few years back I was leading some pitch in Indian Creek and heard some other climbers at the base snidely commenting on my knee pads. My partner turns to them and says "Hey, he isn't using chalk, isn't wearing tape gloves, and is leading on hexes and Tri-Cams. Oh and he has an artificial knee so cut the old dude some slack".

Knee pads and hiking poles rule!
And Geezers (like Jaybro) still gettin' after it ROCK!

couchmaster

climber

pdx

Mar 6, 2013 - 11:53am PT

Previous thread bump with updated info for Bruce. http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=590107&tn=0#msg2086518

Moof

Big Wall climber

Orygun

Mar 6, 2013 - 03:12pm PT

I don't understand what's 'awful' about the things old people have to do to get partners... please explain?

DMT

It involves knee pads...

scuffy b

climber

heading slowly NNW

Mar 6, 2013 - 04:32pm PT

you mean you have to put on knee pads to get your point across?

splitter

Trad climber

Cali Hodad, surfing the galactic plane ~:~

Mar 6, 2013 - 09:12pm PT

What's up with old doods...

Keep in mind that this is the same group/generation that pranced around in lycra tights for a season or two (so nothing should surprise you). With that said (like someone else mentioned) they have their place/purpose. It is rather odd though (imo) when someone wears them 24/7, as if it was part of their identity, or something. But, so what ... get over it. We were/are a generation of All American F*#k Ups, Dirtbags Extraordinaire (well, some of us) that figured a lot of sh#t out the hard way (some paid with their lives) paved the way so this generation would learn from our mistakes and, hopefully, benefit from our achievements. So, cut us a little slack! Regardless, we are survivors, and we don't really give a sh#t what ya think...

edit: in the 60's, 70's & 80's, most people were lucky to have one pair of shoes (street shoes) usually sneekers or hiking boots (and one pair of climbing shoes that you wore to the bone/rand). Anything else was considered excess, and no one could afford it anyway. This current generation has gone totally material. There are benefits to it, but also many downfalls. end of rant! :)

some mentions were made about kneepads being beneficial for, walls/nailing, chimneys & ice. I would also add that on long face climbs they are good for kneeling against the rock (scoping the route, belaying, etc). ... wudevah.

zBrown

Ice climber

chingadero de chula vista

Mar 6, 2013 - 10:54pm PT

Has anyone asked Terrible Herbst?

Tony is so knee pad passe.

phylp

Trad climber

Millbrae, CA

Mar 6, 2013 - 11:54pm PT

I love my knee pads!
But they're not the thick roofing contractor things. They're the thin ones that are more like support hose for the knee. I like wearing them with Lycra tights.

Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber

Old and Broken Down in Appalachia

Mar 7, 2013 - 12:05am PT

I have seen a bunch of old school old dudes wearing knee pads while climbing....sup wit dat?

Obviously asked by some ignorant young punk who has never ventured off the couch.

Mark Force

Trad climber

Cave Creek, AZ

Mar 7, 2013 - 12:05am PT

A few years back I was leading some pitch in Indian Creek and heard some other climbers at the base snidely commenting on my knee pads. My partner turns to them and says "Hey, he isn't using chalk, isn't wearing tape gloves, and is leading on hexes and Tri-Cams. Oh and he has an artificial knee so cut the old dude some slack".

You're my hero. Go Philo!

maldaly

Trad climber

Boulder, CO

Mar 7, 2013 - 12:52am PT

And for us old dudes who haven't replaced out knees, realize that we've spent 50 -plus years replacing the skin between our knees and ankles with tissue paper. This long cultivation process is worth protecting thus, the knee pads.

So BACK OFF.