I should probably add that the main reason i wear arm protection on rocky terrain is for fear of smashing my elbow, leaving me with a possibly life-long delilitating problem. Medical science really isn’t good at fixing joints all that well.
You could try this. Just my 2¢.
This happened Thanksgiving weekend (BIMW4): The missing chunk was remarkably close to the bone without actually exposing it. Elbow pads are probably a good idea. Pardon my nipple.
It only takes one accident to scar you for life. That’s why I wear all my gear, all the time. Hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, shin/knee, helmet.
I’ve found arm guards to be particularly helpful for steep downhill muni. When I do a flying UPD I just cross my arms in front of me and head for the nearest tree… it’s much better than tumbling downhill and the arm guards absorb a lot of the impact.
It should be noted that there is a reasonable health tradeoff with lots of gear; heat exhaustion can kill you. So it can depend on the conditions.
gloves, shin/kneepads, helmit, long sleves. No Armor.
Almost forgot…
where (hwâr, wâr)
adv.
- At or in what place: Where is the telephone?
- In what situation or position: Where would we be without your help?
- From what place or source: Where did you get this idea?
- To what place; toward what end: Where is this argument leading?
n. - The place or occasion: We know the when but not the where of it.
- What place, source, or cause: Where are you from?
wear (wâr) Pronunciation Key
v. wore (wôr, wōr), worn (wôrn, wōrn), wear·ing, wears
v. tr.
- To carry or have on the person as covering, adornment, or protection: wearing a jacket; must wear a seat belt.
- To carry or have habitually on the person, especially as an aid: wears glasses.
- To display in one’s appearance: always wears a smile.
- To bear, carry, or maintain in a particular manner: wears her hair long.
…and one can die from water poisoning… better leave the camelbak at home!
WTF? Ferchrissakes, Tom, go troll somewhere else.
Heat is a real problem in the summer. The more gear I wear, the hotter and more dehydrated I get. If I were going to ride the entire Slickrock Trail in the summer, I would have to trade off the likelihood that I’d injure my elbows against the likelihood that I’d overheat or run out of water with more enclosing gear on. It should be a real element of risk assessment.