First you get down on your knees...

d_morff

A friend once quipped "I didnt know you had knee problems" while watching me kit up for a skirmish. I didnt then and I dont now, nor do I want them in the future.

I find myself kneeling an awful lot while skirmishing, on either one or both of my knees. Its a good firing position. Its low, stable yet still lets you see over obstacles. It is however, hell for your knees.

Knees are a hard surface of the body, meaning anything they come in contact with either has to yield to them or it'll sting like parade of angry wasps. Kneepads will save you much of this anguish.

I've used kneepads for almost all my airsofting career (I started in the UK in 2002, but havent done much since moving back to Ireland in 2008). There have been a few times I've run without them, and missed them every time.

Kneeling on a BB or sharp stone can really mess up your day, and if you're an urban skirmisher, these little objects may not have teh luxury of being able to sink into soil when you apply pressure, leaving your knee to absorb them.

Kneepads are cheap (€20 or less for a set) and can save you a world of hurt both at events and after (bruised knees are less than pleasant to walk on). I recon they are the second most important part of non-weapon kit after something to protect your eyes, followed swiftly by a hydration system of some kind.

Hope you all find this useful.

Firekitten

Great post (Though I had meant add it to the gear topic to save space)

Your reasons are sound and completely valid, and I personally agree, though, as im sure you find, most kneepads can suck somewhat. Especially the sub £20 type.

best I ever found, oddly, cost only £25.... They were from Ehobby, and made by King Arms. They have a neoprene lining that stops them slipping around, and can be worn with that instead of straps, to reduce bunching and chaffing. Lovely kneepads, though admitedly abandoned by me nearly all the time for other reasons (Crawling a lot plus kneepads = bad, though I have sewn in ones on my ghillie).

Kneepads also help stabalise you. Direct pressure from your knee to a hard surface, without an object hurting you, is a hard contact, which allows for shaking to occur, throwing your aim potentially, so they have dual purpose


Thanks to D_Morff for his excelent post

TheDoc

yeah my new loadout doesnt have kneepads and to be honest I didnt really factor it at all until Sunday post Red Barn and I've cuts all over my knees and it was a pain being crouched during the day.

I've dodgy knees as it is, need to pickup a set of those Blackhawk ones they look good, I cant stand kneepads with straps they are muck.

Any irish retailers do the blackhawk ones , nephrene i think or something like that.

If not its bad to the webs

evilrobotshane

Those Blackhawk ones are absolutely crap. Not only are they massively uncomfortable, but mine are falling right the hell apart after less than a year's airsoft use. Blackhawk my black ass.

d_morff

I got a set of the Blackhawk ones in 2002 and they're still goign strong. battered to hell and back, but useable. Friends of mine in the UK tell me that unbranded sets they got around the same time as me fell appart after a year or two so its def worth spending a few more bucks at the outset.

I have the plastic ones, strapped around the back of the leg, hence the chaffing. Prefer that than a bust knee though.

Puding

i would recommend Hatch XTAK Knee Pads , only knee pads i've got on with so far

http://www.tactical-kit.co.uk/hatch-xtak-knee-pads-382-p.asp

Firekitten

evilrobotshane wrote: »

Those Blackhawk ones are absolutely crap. Not only are they massively uncomfortable, but mine are falling right the hell apart after less than a year's airsoft use. Blackhawk my black ass.

I had a pair of blackhawk nomex aviator gloves... they died after 4 months.
My King arms Nomex aviator gloves, lasted 4 years, INCLUDING Military service.... *rolls eyes*

Lemming

Puding wrote: »

i would recommend Hatch XTAK Knee Pads , only knee pads i've got on with so far

http://www.tactical-kit.co.uk/hatch-xtak-knee-pads-382-p.asp

I have a pair of those although they don't get much use. When I used them they were good BUT they had an annoying tendancy for the straps to ride into the back of the knee joint. Some guide loops on trousers should take care of that problem though. I've just never gotten around to it.

Firekitten

You mean, you havent got around to getting me to do it...:rolleyes:

Spooky-Vinny

Never buy P&J kneepads! They broke on me the second time i flippen tried them on!
I do enjoy using kneepads but i always have the problem of the straps hurting the back of my leg, by the fold/joint part(opposite side of the knee :rolleyes:)!
what i noticed on ALOT(if not all) of photos with military personnel wearing knee-pads, when they kneel, they kneel at a 90degree angle! but those without take a lower kneel! The reasan why I would kneel at a 90degree angle when using my kneepads is because it hurts me when i kneel lower! is that the same for everyone?
can anyone recommend a solution or a pair of pads?

Thankin' you ^^
-SpOoKy xXx

richieffff

I went all on my kneepads €3.50 I think in Alidi

Worn them 3 times now they do slide down occasionally but they have saved my knees so many times!

Might try the cord through them to keep them up too thanks for the tip

Lemming

Firekitten wrote: »

You mean, you havent got around to getting me to do it...:rolleyes:

Would you mind? That's be great thanks :pac:



/runs

Firekitten

Spooky-Vinny wrote: »

what i noticed on ALOT(if not all) of photos with military personnel wearing knee-pads, when they kneel, they kneel at a 90degree angle! but those without take a lower kneel! The reasan why I would kneel at a 90degree angle when using my kneepads is because it hurts me when i kneel lower! is that the same for everyone?


Thankin' you ^^
-SpOoKy xXx

firing positions when kneeling are roughly similar, but ends in personal preference, and what individuals find gives them the strongest fire base.

Kneeling at 90 degrees, as you put it, is a quick kneel. You do it when you run, drop, run.

Lower is a more protracted kneel, easier on the joints.


Lemming: No, learn to sew.

Spooky-Vinny

Firekitten wrote: »

firing positions when kneeling are roughly similar, but ends in personal preference, and what individuals find gives them the strongest fire base.

Kneeling at 90 degrees, as you put it, is a quick kneel. You do it when you run, drop, run.

Lower is a more protracted kneel, easier on the joints.

but not even in shooting terms! in terms of comfert in general as i'v observed in military personnel posing for a squad photo etc.

Does it hurt anyone else? or is it just me? lol :P
any recomends?
xXx