Given that my background is in the motorycycle industry, and I count myself as one of the statistics that make up the “Helmets Save Lives” campaign, I’m always interested in ways to protect my melon. Unfortunately, the gun industry doesn’t lend itself to the noggin protection game very easily. In fact, most helmets exist more to hang lights, and night vision equipment off of than anything else. Given their position in the market, I made a special trip over to the Team Wendy booth . . .
Team Wendy offers several helmets for the discerning buyer. They have everything from the pedestrian Exfil SAR Backcountry ($180) to the Exfil Ballistic which will set you back nearly a grand when the dust settles.
As a person who only owns one pair of FDE pants, I’m not exactly the target market. Given the number of people I saw with LEO and .mil markings on their badges, I’d venture to guess that Team Wendy isn’t that concerned about that either.
As a hunter, I’m most attracted to the ~$300 SAR Tactical which allows plenty of protection for my squishy grey matter, but also the ability to mount a set of night vision goggles, a light, and some hearing protection. As I venture further down the path towards hunting with night vision for pigs, a helmet based system for holding the NVGs and my ear protection while also protecting me from errant branches, and falls seems like a decent way to go.
Hmmm…. I’m not sure if my motorcycle helmet saved my life, but it likely saved an eyeball or two. I certainly would have had numerous facial abrasions from sliding through the grass on my face at 50mph. But if it doesn’t stop a bullet, and I’m not on a PD riot line, I’m not sure I’d be in the market for a ‘tactical helmet’.
Try sliding face first on asphalt at 70 mph. I would like to thank Shoei for building such fine full face flip-up helmets. This was courtesy of a jack wagon trying to kill me in Kommieforniastan 15 years ago.
Yea, I’m lucky to have survived, but my injuries were all below the waist. Got caught in a thunderstorm. Actually had to pull over on the shoulder for a bit. Soon as it let up enough to see where I was going I took off. Then coming up on a hill I saw two sets of headlights separate. Blind old bat had no idea where the road was and swerved right in front of me. Turned out she was only doing 35mph. I chopped the throttle and swerved (pretty sure I didn’t brake at all) and I just managed to clear my front wheel. She took out the rest of the bike and me. Combined closing speed ~85mph. I was told that the bike and I did a double horizontal summersault together, then another double summersault after we separated, then another double summersault in the grass after we landed. She hit my knee so hard it bent her front wheel completely horizontal. From my perspective the world wasn’t twirling around like it was but it seemed like I just flew straight through the air for a while, lost the bike and then slid through the grass for a while. Anyway, if I hadn’t cleared my front wheel I’d have fired my cheap Nolan helmet right through her windshield and we’d both be dead. Of course, this was 1993 and she was 73 years old at the time, so she’s probably dead now anyway. I’m still alive though…
I used to amatuer road race, I often joked that nothing gets your heart racing like a good crash! 4 crashes over 50mph, helmet only took a good hit on the one highside that also broke my collarbone… I keep the helmet on display in the garage…
Crye AirFrame>the rest
… and in this case, cheaper too… Not something you hear often about Crye.
If you needed a tactical helmet, your department would have issued you one. Or you just live in a fantasy world.
Some would say that if you don’t believe you might need a tactical helmet, you live in a fantasy world.
The adage; “train as you fight” comes to mind. There a some here that believe that owning and knowing how to operate a tactical weapon (AR / AK ) is essential to preparation for SHTF or personal defense. Does owning body armor or a helmet make someone a mall ninja, living in a fantasy world?
I do have an issued ballistic tactical helmet for my job. That does not mean that when I am no longer in my line of work that I will no longer benefit from having that piece of gear. Additionally, as the article stated; “…a helmet based system for holding the NVGs and my ear protection…” seems like a smart investment. Ever wear NVGs with a head harness?
Just like having a plate carrier, or training with both AR and AK rifle platforms, eh? Are tactical lights okay in your world or is that also fantasy-camp?
Leighton, or you like to hunt pigs at night. Hunting pigs in the day gets maybe 5 pigs if you are hunting in a small group. Do it at night with NVGs and suppressed ARs and you can take out 4 times that.
Try as I might, I haven’t found a better system for wearing NVGs than attached to a helmet. I would absolutely love a better solution. Until I can find it, a light weight bump helmet is it.
That’s right. Just like you mere civilians have no “need” for an AR.
I’m not saying they should be banned, come on! I can see how a tactical helmet would be useful if you were on operations in a grove of coconut trees, and jihadist monkeys started dislodging coconuts overhead.
On the other hand………………….
I cut a lot of trees down. Having a helmet on that provides both hearing protection and eye protection and that, in an emergency, could double as tactical helmet is not a bad thing.
Yeah, and these are not a whole lot more expensive than the headgear Stihl sells, and probably a lot more comfortable.
We’re clearly approaching peak tacticool.
Where’s your helmet? – Never wear one… It’s a distraction.
Loud pipes save lives!
Ban silencers!
Yep. Mine have saved my assignment more than a couple times.
That should say saved my ass, stupid auto correct .
I guess there are some lines of work where ass is your assignment…
Team Wendy isn’t the name I’d use for marketing in Texas, unless these are hockey helmets for the short bus crowd…I mean for the Turn TX Blue and Annie’s List types.
Pretty sure if you have a helmet on any cop encounter is going to automatically get you very very ventilated.
Quite rambowackerish though but a GRAND? That’s priced to a gov’t PO bid threshold rather than honest value.or cost +.
I was once pulled over in an MGB for doing 60 in a 45 zone while wearing my buddy’s father’s pilot helmet from his days flying helicopters.
The officer didn’t get out of the car, he just called out over his PA: “can you boys get out of the car and step back here so I can have a word with you?” I took off the helmet and dropped it in the driver’s seat.
He said: “son….bring the headgear”.
Looks cool but I wonder how it does against artillery shrapnel (specifically airburst mortars) with all that ventilation… Protection from fragments (not bullets) is why the military wears those things to begin with. Maybe targeted at LE more than military?
I’ve seen pictures that are supposedly of SOF wearing similar stuff.
There is a difference in the mentality for why the SOF wears their helmets, and why the line soldiers wear theirs. Line soldiers (like I was) need a helmet to protect against primarily shrapnel. SOF wear their helmets because there is a chance they’ll bump their heads. That may sound silly, but it’s a serious thing knocking your skull into concrete taking cover. So the helmets the SOF wear are primarily “bump” helmets- Watch Black Hawk Down. Those are repurposed skateboard helmets they’re wearing. At the ranges they make contact (at least in an quick extraction OP) no helmet will stop a bullet, so wearing one for ballistic protection is basically overkill. Us line soldiers had to worry about being in the field more, so mortars and artillery were our primary concern, thus the size and thickness (and basic ballistic protection) of our PASGT and such. PASGT… Am I dating myself?
You are extremely dating yourself. SOF stopped the whole skateboard/bump helmet for combat a while ago. Its why they issue ballistic helmets these days. And ballistic helmets are capable of stopping AK rounds at short range. They aren’t a guarantee, its why they can’t be rated for them yet. But they have saved a lot of guys domes from AK fire at close range.
Tyler, I think you are gonna need a couple of these for your tactical hunting golf cart there on your ranch.
Especially if you let that operating operator, Nick, operate it in the future.
(Heh heh heh…sorry for the cheap shot Nick, just beating tyler to it for ya!)
dont forget the NVGs!
and you can operate safely before first shoot.
Seriously, this is a great product, that this OFWG should look at,
especially if I am going to occasionally forget just how OFWG I am, and try bouldering whilst pig hunting again.
Last time I did that I fall down go boom with the trusty ol’ win 70/270 strapped on my back scouting for bedding spots in the up-and-down country here in So Cal; slipped and did a couple shoulder rolls down, grabbing bits of manzanita along the way, until winding up in the poison oak at the bottom.
Bruised my pride but it could have been worse…and having a little more secure headlight mount than my cheapo Home Depot “made in china” floppy strap mounted over the camo ball cap, would be nice, too.
Say, there Wendy- if you are looking for a citizen tester…do they come in X LG blockhead?
am I the only one to check this out for the expected photo of Tyler’s questionable wardrobe choices? very disappointed
I wonder if they ever thought of making something to cross over; DOT rated, full face (or modular), but designed to be worn while moving around, good adjustable airflow so that it can work for slow and fast speed (what a blessing that would be at stop lights!), and with built in e-muffs (might as well throw bluetooth into that too). Maybe some tear away mounting points for NVGs and whatnot.
Comments are closed.