Camera Helmets For Base???

**sabre210** · August 2nd, 2004, 09:57 AM

I think the time might have arrived for me to look at buying a decent camera helmet and stop using the homemade mount i've been using, mainly for safety reasons. The problem is i don't have a clue regarding helmets on the market which could be suitable for BASE.

Ideally I'd like full face protection but with removable visor, enclosed side mount and top mount options.

What would you more experienced jumpers recommend, or alert me to.

Any advice would be appreciated.

ian

**BASE_689** · August 2nd, 2004, 11:35 AM

Stated in advance that I am not expert in skydiving/BASE camera helmets, but I made a small research on the net, some time ago, about "camera helmets", and by "camera helmet" I mean a TRUE CAMERA HELMET.
A TRUE CAMERA HELMET for me is a helmet ALREADY ready for accepting a camera (without mounting a standard/custom bracket on its side), you open "something" you stick your camera inside, you close "something" and off you go filming!!!!
I made the research quite academically, not being interested in a camera helmet basically, because I, since nearly the beginning of my BASE carreer, have been jumping with a closed face FD (removed the visor...). When I bought myself a videocamera by the end of 2003, I bought also a remote bullet camera, and so whenever I do BASE video, I assemble with duct tape onto my FD a custom-made-out-of-fiberglass-holder and my bullet remote camera.
Coming back to the "true camera helmet", I succeeded in counting quite a few ready-to-go-camera-helmets, nearly all of them being open face type, with chin cup (5 or 6, no more...).
The only, in the best of my knowledge, "true camera helmet" that is also a full face helmet is the HumDinger made by Competition Helmets in Australia, http://www.competitionhelmets.com/comphelm1.htm
It's jolly fùcking expensive, 700 USD, but as far as it is possible to see from their website, it's also fuking good, in terms of "not-snaggability" and safety: the enclosure for camera is round and smooth, moreover, it hasn't got any "door" at all: you stick your camera in place entering from inside the helmet (and closing possibly an internal "door").
And, finally, it is a full face helmet, having its rear part to open and lift to allow to wear it and then you close it back in position.
I hope I gave you some food for your brain.
And if it seems jolly expensive, then try to buy a second hand FD or so and buy yourself a remote bullet camera. Lot of UK jumpers use a bullet remote camera, just get in touch with them to know how their setup is.