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Knee Pads.


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  • #1314574
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    Does anyone use knee pads in their UL kit? I'm guessing a resounding NO (in fact, I'm expecting ridicule for even broaching the idea), but knee pads are a common part of a soldier's kit for obvious reasons, and I find myself on my knees quite a lot in camp. All of my cooking time is spent on my knees, as is much of my shelter setup. When relaxing I either kneel or lie down, as I seldom find decent back support for sitting. At this point I use my minimalist "sit pad" for kneeling, but darn it would be handy to have some of those lightweight closed cell foam kneepads clamped to my legs–or better yet, CC foam in a pocket over my knees, like some contractor's pants have. Just curious if anyone else has ever given a thought to kneepads, and where you came out on the idea.

    #2084044
    Daryl and Daryl
    BPL Member

    @lyrad1

    Locale: Pacific Northwest, USA, Earth

    I typically carry knee pads. A couple of 4" x 6" foam scraps do the job. Connecting them with a string helps keep track of them and I can hook the string to something to prevent them from blowing away. I usually stuff them under my tent so they are handy for getting in and out of the tent.

    Putting adhesive backed insignia cloth on one side prevents small sticks and tree needles from embedding themselves in the foam.

    #2084049
    Travis Higdon
    Spectator

    @life-goes-on

    Locale: PNW

    I usually bring one of these: http://gossamergear.com/sleeping/sitlight-sit-pad-group.html

    I use it as a frame for my pack, a sit pad, a knee pad, a pillow, an extension of my sleeping pad, a stand pad on snow, a stove wind break, and probably a few other things. Our last trip involved igloo camping, and I spent 5-6 hours on my knees on this thing. It was a total life saver. I'm not against the idea of knee pads, but it's hard to see many multi-use options. But if they're light enough, that may not be an issue.

    #2084050
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    I always sit. No back rest? Just cross your legs. If you get tired, lean forward a little bit.

    Sitting

    #2084054
    Ian
    BPL Member

    @10-7

    Some pants are dual layered in the knees and are designed to accept foam inserts to serve as kneepads. Carharts and 5.11s come to mind but there are others.

    Unless you are planning on doing some really tacticool stuff, I think you could easily MYOG something from a CCF pad.

    #2084204
    victoria maki
    BPL Member

    @energizer

    Locale: Northern Minnesota

    Delmar. I don't bring knee pads, but I have been using something for years that I can use multiple ways thus saving some weight. I take a zpad from thermarest, sit on the edge and trace my behind with a maker. (Make sure the fold is such that when you fold it the dirty side will be facing in). Precede to cut on the marker line. You now have a kneeing pad, a sit pad, a pad to put in front of your tent and a cushy pad that I place in front of my backpack under the belt to help my hip bones. Really light weight for all the uses…..
    P.S. I like your picture. My husbands favorite movie…

    #2084248
    John Martin
    BPL Member

    @snapyjohn

    Locale: Pacific NW

    I just purchased a pair of tactile pro pants and they have a pocket for knee pads which are great on the knees. Not light but you can add a pocket to you light pants. http://www.lapolicegear.com/511-tactical-tac-lite-pro-pants.html

    #2084256
    Daryl and Daryl
    BPL Member

    @lyrad1

    Locale: Pacific Northwest, USA, Earth

    Nick,

    I'm envious. Neither I nor anyone else in my family has ever (even as kids) been flexible enough to sit like you are sitting in the photo. I can't even get my upper torso vertical let alone forward enough to become balanced.

    When I was in the Marine Corp the shooting range instructor insisted that he could bend me into a balanced sitting position from which I could fire a rifle. I sat on the ground as best I could (leaning backwards and bracing myself with my arms). He then sat on my shoulders and bounced his full weight on me, trying to get me forward enough to stay balanced in that position. He failed.

    #2084282
    Rudy R
    BPL Member

    @rudyr1999

    I found some incredibly lite knee pads at Walmart. Contoured foam with elastic/Velcro.

    #2084316
    MFR
    Spectator

    @bigriverangler

    Locale: West

    Interesting discussion. I've been thinking about a pair of kneepads–not for camping but backcountry fishing. I want to be more stealthy when stalking trout.

    #2084320
    Eric Blumensaadt
    BPL Member

    @danepacker

    Locale: Mojave Desert

    5.11 brand "FBI" pants have double knees with an inside "pocket" for 5.11's 1/8" neoprene pads.

    This setup is great for scrambling and tele-skiing.

    #2084329
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    > I'm envious. Neither I nor anyone else in my family has ever (even as kids) been flexible enough to sit like you are sitting in the photo. I can't even get my upper torso vertical let alone forward enough to become balanced.

    Same here. Sitting forward like that would be uncomfortable for me within 10 minutes. And that's despite a full stretch routine I do daily. That's why I find myself on my knees so much of the time in camp.

    Count your blessings Nick.

    #2084344
    bradmacmt
    BPL Member

    @bradmacmt

    Locale: montana

    OK, since no one made a seriously snarky comment, I'll be the first…

    Kneepads, aka San Francisco Slippers.

    :)

    #2084419
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    These Bucket Boss Knee Keeper 2 pads are advertised at 3.2 ounces (ship weight). I've used them at work and they're decent for a thin pad. Wonder how they'll do on the trail.

    #2084429
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    >"Some pants are dual layered in the knees and are designed to accept foam inserts to serve as kneepads. "

    I've MYOGed my caving overalls into that. Then cut ensolite sections to fit, about 5" wide x 9" tall. It is surprising how far down the pad location is when you are standing. i.e. mock it up with duct tape before sewing in the pockets.

    When I was hanging sheet rock, I didn't like having a traditional tool-belt, handy though it was, because of the bulk and due to snagging things. I took back pockets and sections of the pants legs off of retired Levis and stitched them onto my current pair – a double layer below the knees for knee pads and an entire pocket on the right side of my right thigh, subdivided to hold my pencil, razor knife and Phillips all snugly enough but projecting enough to "quick draw".

    #2107235
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    Toted my 2.2 oz (for the pair) Bucket Boss Knee Keeper 2 kneepads on the last trip. Used them a lot, liked them. I find it much easier to do camp chores, virtually all of which are on the ground, if I'm kneeling. I know it's a luxury, but this is 2.2 oz I'm willing to keep in the pack for camp setup. A chair would be nicer but these are more versatile.

    http://tinyurl.com/nert669

    Now I'm trying to conjure other uses for the pads, to reduce my cognitive dissonance.

    Strap-to-your-head pillow? No, that's silly…

    If I could find a way to strap one to each butt cheek, I'd have a nice portable sit-pad…

    If I were a woman, these would make a dandy bikini top…

    AHA, wrap them around my dinner as a cozy. That's the ticket.

    #2107288
    Barry P
    BPL Member

    @barryp

    Locale: Eastern Idaho (moved from Midwest)

    “Does anyone use knee pads in their UL kit?”

    Yep. It’s about 12”x14” from a cut CCF pad. It’s my most used piece of gear:
    1. Saves the knees when kneeling. There’s some mean ground out there.
    2. Keeps pants clean when entering the tent. And keeps the tent clean so dirt won’t be dragged in.
    3. Great tent door mat.
    4. As a door mat and when getting out of my tent, I stick my clean feet out the tent door and put them on the pad and wiggle my toes. My sandals have been sitting outside all night and usually have been washed off in the rain. I then put on my sandals outside my tent.
    5. Another note on kneeling and keeping the pants clean: The pants last longer because of no knee holes.
    6. Other hikers ask “What’s that blue thing on your pack?” I reply “It’s my sleeping pad”. They answer “You are hard core!” I don’t tell them about my neoair inside my pack. I just bask in the wild-man compliment.
    7. At every stop, I whip out the pad and sit on it. It’s so much softer than a tree stump or rock. Plus, it keeps your back side clean. And thus your pants last longer. Without the pad, people will think the dirt streaks are doo doo problems.
    8. As mentioned from the OP, it’s a great help for cooking since cooking is on the ground.
    9. And I do use it as a soft and protective hand placement on a fallen tree when I go #2.
    10. In the winter, it’s a great sit insulator.
    11. I put it under my feet at night.

    Here are us using our kneeling pads for a late night supper:

    late night supper

    Here’s me. You can almost see my manly pad off my left shoulder:

    manly sleep pad

    This little boy did a 3-day 30 miler in the Tetons with us. He had a pad but chose to take a nap on his food bag during a rest stop instead:

    sleeping

    My organized tent with my door mat:

    tent door mat

    I circled some of the other hikers that carry kneel pads with us:

    other hiking buddies using mat

    Another door mat in front of my brother’s tent:

    brothers door mat

    My breakfast. Who wants to kneel on those rocks? It looks like I’m the Ziploc king here:

    ziploc king

    Happy kneeling:
    -Barry

    #2107321
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    We don't use knee pads (except at home, gardening), but we do carry 'sit-mats'. Comfortable on rock of course, but a god-send in damp rainforest! Insrtead of a cold wet bum from sitting on a wet log, we have 'warm bums'. Works well when the log is covered in snow too.

    I will add that we rarely kneel in camp; we sit.

    Cheers

    #2107324
    Gordon Gray
    BPL Member

    @gordong

    Locale: Front Range, CO

    Good pics Barry.

    I too am unable to sit 'indian style'. Hmmm, wonder if I should create a pad for my knees too?

    deleted section.
    Roger Caffin

    #2107516
    Max Dilthey
    Spectator

    @mdilthey

    Locale: MaxTheCyclist.com

    Delmar,

    Don't let gender keep you from enjoying that bikini top.

    -Max

    #2107520
    Mitchell Ebbott
    Spectator

    @mebbott-2

    Locale: SoCal

    I bring a fairly sizable (18"x11") piece of blue foam to use as a sit pad and kneeling pad, and I bring a little piece of elastic band so I can roll it up and use it as a pillow at night. If I'm not wearing my down jacket to sleep I'll add that into the mix too, but the rolled-up sit pad works pretty well for me.

    #2107526
    Marko Botsaris
    BPL Member

    @millonas

    Locale: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

    I've always just used my folded up ground sheet for this. This works for everything except for the tent entries which I manage with the classic shoes-out-butt-in maneuver. Currently my "ground sheet" is a 4-way multi-use (ground sheet, rain gear, pack cover, sit pad) so not bad.

    I could never manage to sit on my heels Japanese style – I always just sit cross legged (like in Nick's picture). For extra luxury I have occasionally taken an inflatable zafu (a.k.a. beach ball) and used that to raise my butt in the cross-legged position. That is quite comfortable but not too multi-use. I suppose a platypus might work as a butt pillow, but those are pretty important bits of gear, and I would be embarrassed if I popped one.

    I'm getting to the age where I prefer to recline like Augustus Caesar whenever feasible…preferably with someone feeding me grapes.

    #2107532
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    "I'm getting to the age where I prefer to recline like Augustus Caesar whenever feasible."

    Nick Gatel does bear a striking resemblance to him.

    –B.G.–

    #2107601
    Daniel D
    Spectator

    @dandru

    Locale: Down Under

    Life is about compromise and adjusting to the environment.

    The last trip I was using the windshirt, before that it was a sit mat but the next trip it might be a chair. I'm going on a trip into a desert environment and need to be in the shade by 1 pm so I envisage a lot of sitting.

    https://www.helinox.com.au/ground-chair-ultralight-portable-chair.php

    #2107615
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    Recommend a white one, if it's that hot. Good lookin' chair BTW. I think you'll be cruising the downhill side of "compromise" with that item.

    Regards the kneel pad; I've used them and they're a big improvement over nothing. I consider the attach-to-knee pads that much improvement over a sit pad, but not nearly as multi purpose.

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