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Crawldaddies Knee Pads

rated 3.0 of 5 stars
photo: Crawldaddies Knee Pads climbing accessory

Crawldaddies Knee Pads are some of the best cottage industry caving gear on the market. Made by a caver, for cavers, CD Knee Pads are rugged, comfortable, and worth every penny. I mistakenly purchased the short knee pads, and while I wish I had bought the longer version to better protect my shins, I have been entirely satisfied with the quality and durability of the short pads.

Pros

  • Durable (anticipated 3-4 years of use)
  • Comfortable
  • Longer than standard knee pads
  • Easy to put on/take off

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Recommended pre-treatment (see review)

For far too many years, I relied on standard volleyball knee pads for my caving adventures. While these cheap pads spare my knees from bruises, they are difficult to get on over a pair of jeans, and they only last a few trips underground. Additionally, the back of my knees ache after several hours of walking, crawling, and squeezing through passages.


Keller-Cave-1-.jpg
My kids and me in sucky volleyball knee pads.

About a year ago, I purchased Crawldaddies Knee Pads (http://crawldaddies.com/index.html) at the Fall Cave-In on Look Out Mountain, Georgia. They can be purchased on line at Inner Mountain Outfitters.

One of Crawldaddie's competitors, "Dirty Dave," told me the single best way to extend the life of my knee pads by a full year was to cover them with a thin coating of E6000 Multipurpose Adhesive. Given that I intended to use these they same day I bought them, I wish they were pre-treated. But this “con” is a minor one.

In my rush to get caving that afternoon, I stupidly purchased the “short” knee pads. These are still much longer than traditional volleyball pads, but as I discovered at the top of Mystery Falls Cave, they do not cover the shins as I hoped they would.

Cave-In.jpgLong pads would have been a shin saver. Oh well.

Fit and Comfort:

The padded portion measures a full 12" long, completely covering the knee from the top to down below the dreaded “funny bone.” (Note, in the picture below the pad on the right has just been treated with E6000.)


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On the back of the pad are two sections of neoprene. The gap between the two sections prevents jeans from rubbing directly behind the knee, reducing the dreaded chaffing that occurs there with regular volleyball pads. Two Velcro straps secure the neoprene to hold each section in place.

A third Velcro strap is at the top of the pad, high above the knee and around the lower thigh. This is the primary strap that keeps the pad from slipping down the leg as a caver crawls through tight passages (another common problem with cheap knee pads). It also keeps rocks and grit from getting in between the pad and the leg. This strap does not require the neoprene cushion, as it is not a pressure point, like the lower straps surrounding the knee.

Altogether, the neoprene and straps fit comfortably and prevent the pad from moving while in use. They also make it much easier to slip the pads over jeans and coveralls.


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Dirty-Daves-4-.jpg

Quality and Durability

I have found these pads to be extremely well made. The stitching is flawless. The materials are top notch. Even without the E6000 coating, CD expect their pads to last the average caver 2-3 years. I don't cave nearly as much as I would like. So I plan on getting even more life out of them. Time will tell. [2017 update: After 2 years these knee pads are still going strong without showing much wear and tear!]

Dirty-Daves-3-.jpg
Dirty-Daves-11-.jpg

In the meantime, I am putting them to the fullest of testing...

Sinking-Cove-2-.jpg

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $44

The newer Crawldaddy equipment is fake cave gear.

Pros

  • There is nothing good about these new Crawldaddy knee pads. Get yourself a pair from 2016 or previous.

Cons

  • The material is garbage and falls apart. The straps fall off immediately because they are no longer secured like the previous model.

These Crawl Daddy's are garbage. I had a pair of Crawdaddies from 2016 last three years and these lasted three trips. And their elbow pads are junk as well.

Built by cavers for cavers is no longer true. Built to fool cavers. Most likely now made in China just like Salamander. There is no cottage industry. Look for Dirty Daves or Howitzers. 

Background

I use knee pads at least once a week for caving.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $70-ish

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Price MSRP: $67.50
Reviewers Paid: $44.00
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