Awhile back Team Wendy started showing a prototype Search and Rescue helmet. Looks like it’s going to happen. Imagine offering SAR personnel the advantages of modern helmets…NVG shrouds and rail systems.
Tags: Team Wendy
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Another great offering and well thought out product from TW.
Vic
Agreed.
I also can’t wait to see if they keep branching out into other sporting applications too – Mountain Bike Enduro helmets, TeamWendy would probably make the best ones out there if they chose to try for it.
Would be useful iF SAR personnel were issued $4,000 NVG and rail mounted hearing protection/comms instead of using $80 Black Diamond mountaineering helmets, $60 walkie talkies, and $100 binoculars.
The only NODs of any sort is the FLIR on the police chopper.
I don’t think team wendy knows the budgets of their target market.
There’s always grants, ballots, and legislators looking for a warm and fuzzy cause.
Was thinking the exact same thing Joe. Maybe with the winding down of hostilities; non-profit SAR groups can get gov’t grants of military surplus NODS, comm’s, etc.
You’d just have to have your group apply for it right? Like LEOs? I wonder if that’s even a possibility under currrent legislation.
I think they know very well.
Be something to considered by fire depts. as a technical rescue/ high angle rescue helmet… Great product!
Bingo! These are going to rock!
Oh damn, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Hopefully it will meet NFPA requirements or other helmet safety requirements for technical rescue.
Yes, they are working through that.
If nothing else, it’s great for mounting lights and strobes. NVG shroud or rail mounted head lights would be great.
that would be awesome im a wildland fire fighter
It would work well for the USCG. Our current non-ballistic helmets aren’t NVG compatible.
Ding ding ding
Are the current Exfil offerings not compatible with the USCG non-ballistic need?
If TW produced them in orange then yes they would.
Our current SOHAH helmets are compatible with NVG’s, I know because we fly with them daily. The only difference is the ANVIS mount.
Happy to see this, looks like a great option for SAR & first responders. I hope there will other options besides SOLAS Orange. A low profile style helmet like this would be great to wear in the back of the ambulance.
Really? Why?
How so? I can’t think of a single time I’ve wanted a helmet in the back of the rig. Well, maybe that one time to head-butt the unruly, belligerent drunk . . . .
Agreed. Maybe Mike is talking about road helmets? Honestly I have no problem with the hard hats we keep in the rig. I see no need to send all the money it would take to upgrade to these.
These would be a better option than the funky Bell helmet we were sent.
Yeah…. I’m on a SAR team and needing there is absolutely no practical reason for us to have NVG’s. A sweat FLIR system sure, but I’ll take a helmet mounted flashlight over NVG’s any day.
Well, there are people who want that. Guys who climb and drive boats are both interested. This helmet will be rated as a climbing helmet. It’s amazing that guys who don’t need something can’t comprehend there might be someone out there who can.
“…rated as a climbing helmet.” Well, that’s a worthless rating. Neither the UIAA nor the CE ratings for a climbing helmet are worth anything other than the fees of certification. Just my $0.02 from 10+ years working in the climbing industry. 😉
Cool looking helmet though!
Except, as you know, no one can buy it and use it unless it has those ratings.
I hope their price point for a “climbing helmet” is less than $110 or it’ll gather dust on the shelf at REI, but considering they want 300 for what is essentially a macho skateboard helmet, it’s not likely
Doesn’t a PT-Bravo provide at least 80% of the capability of this one at 1/4-1/3 the price?
Oh ye of no vision. What will your $110 climbing helmet cost once you buy a shroud and rails and attach them? And, what will it look like and how well will it work? I already know what it will look like and how it will work. We used to do this at the unit level and they sucked, so companies started manufacturing purpose built helmets for us.
and again, what SAR group has $3,000 NVGs and gucci comms. Save this stuff for the cool kids with fancy guns.
Joe, I think it is safe to say they probably do not have REI customers in their sights as a target consumer. While several like you continue to say “why more than an $80 Pro-Tec”, Ops-Core and Team Wendy have been moving tens of thousands of purpose built non-ballistic helmets. Also consider that many international customers – ie. European military – are not authorized to use non-industrial/mountaineering rated bump helmets. This new Team Wendy lid is probably going after that sweet spot as well.
oh, i think this is going to eat Petzl’s lunch in the industrial category, and be a serious run for the money for other industrial workers as well. Oil rigs have lots of roughnecks that happen to have lights that would fit this rig. Tunnel workers, wind mills, Team Wendy is going to the bank with this thing…IMHO, it’s very smart, well timed and well positioned in a not too crowded market.
My comment above was solely poo poo’ing the value of the aforementioned certification tests.
Unitl I read the info, I thought this was a Halloween Special pumpkin-head thing…
Perfect for mouting mission recording and illum devices instead of Velcro and elastic straps the key I think will be pricing for smaller agency’s away from the coastguard
While I’ve been unimpressed by the previous TW offerings (they’re not bad, I just didn’t feel like they brought anything new to the table) this can be great.
For people saying SAR teams don’t need NVG shrouds, I’ll remind you that several headlamps (i.e Princeton Tec MPLS Remix) or headcams (GoPro), to name just two, interface with standard USGI shrouds. Contours or VIP cameras mounted on the rail are also much sturdier than a stick-on or velcro’d mount.
With that said, considering the low budget of most SAR teams (a lot are even volunteers where members pay out of their own pocket…) I’m hoping the price will be sub-200. A good way would be to offer a Berry-compliant version for governement contracts that require it, as well as an Asia-made version for general public (or teams that don’t need Berry compliance) that can be sold cheaper.
An Asia-made version around $100 would undercut the $200 Ops-Core Basejump (which, it has to be said, has the superior Ops-Core rail) and stay competitive with popular helmets like the Petzl Elia/Elios that sell to teams for roughly $50, with the price difference being justified by the improed functionnality. I can’t see many people besides very specialised teams justify a $150+ helmet.
Oh and color wise, red and orange for SAR teams together with some random color (say white) for the few leisure users would be fantastic.
But that’s just me being a little bitch because I don’t like the hi-viz orange helmet when my chest platform and backpacks are Conterra red, it’s not an actual issue hahaha.
Good feedback