safety gear what do you do?

Safety Gear is important, no question.

But you can spend as much on a helmet as some guys run the challenge for.

There is some truth in you get what you pay for and there is a bunch of truth in expensive doesn't mean good.

So what brands do you turn to that last, keep you safe and don't break the bank.

Seats, harness, gloves, suits, helmets, shoes it's all fair game

They all pass the same tests. I use G-Force and Simpson for the most part.

For a long time, I went mail order with Bell helmets. They've been good. My dad recently got a G-Force though, and I think it is every bit as nice. It actually fits me better. The last time I bought one for myself I did it at the track through US Race Gear and bought the best fitting open face, which was at the time the Bell.

For belts, I run G-Force FIA belts. I figure FIA means they are pretty good and I like their cam lock setup. I've been in cars with nearly every brand. I don't like the latch link type at all, so I'd say as long as its an FIA cam style I'm happy. I honestly go for the FIA belts because they have a longer life in terms of expiration.

For Gloves I've had many from many brands. My favorite were the really expensive Oakley gauntlet gloves, but they didn't really last very long. The mid range G-Force have lasted through many seasons though. I think the key there is having the full palm of hard wearing material vs the patches. Seems like comfort vs longevity.

I have Pyrotect shoes. They don't suck, but aren't great either. Next time around I'll probably go with Puma or Piloti as they are better for walking around in. I autocross in Sperry Top Siders.

Best bet is find what you need and then go for comfort and fit from there. My helmets only last 5 years, so I try to get closeouts when the Snell ratings expire. It also allows you to go with a fancier helmet for less money.

I don't know why, but the Zamp brand seems sketchy to me just because the price is so low. I know they have to pass the same Snell test, but I never see them at the track.

My helmets are Bell and Pelter. Bell because they fit me well and Pelter because of the intercom integration.

They may all pass the minimum standards, but have a look at the TPP ratings for different fire suits. The SFI 32A/5 rating requires a minimum TPP of 19, but the Ultrashield suit is rated at 26. Figure that's about 3-4 extra seconds before you get burned.

I've used a bunch of different belts, but generally I prefer the feel of FIA webbing and I like the extra three years of legality. The G-Force Pro FIA are a great deal.

Basically I look at what I'm getting for the extra money and determine if it's worth it. In helmets, mostly what you're paying for in the higher end ones is reducing the weight by a pound or two. To me, that's not worth it. OTOH, with race suits, the more expensive ones breathe better. That keeps me cooler on a warm day, and that is worth it.

Seat - we use a Corbeau FX1 Pro although I hope to upgrade to a containment seat.

Harness - We use a Corbeau 5 point camlock. I like it better than the Gforce Camlock because it seems to adjust easier/quicker. I hate the latch and link style, regardless of manufacturer.

Gloves - I have some Alpinestar gloves I bought from the clearance section of Speedway. they fit pretty well and are higher quality that the Pyrotec ones I bought as spares to rotate in duty in case I fill the Alpines with sweat. My wife has a couple pairs of (I think) Bell. We got them dirt cheap on ebay because they are smalls.

Suits - we have used NASCAR suits from raceimage. Mine is a nice Simpson and my wife's is a Sparco. Used NASCAR suits are the best value out there.

Helmets - I have a Bell M4 because it is the only full face helmet I could find in a size 8. My wife also has a Bell.

Shoes - I have Alpinestars, also from clearance at Speedway motors. They are too narrow for my big wide hillbilly feet so I will try something else for the next pair. My wife has cheapie Racequips. They are wearing kinda quick so I cant say I would recommend them.

One more mention... Socks. Everybody on the team has at least 2 pairs of the cheapest Nomex socks from Summit or similar.

I tried foam rubber & duct tape for helmet but it wouldn't pass tech.

I buy close outs; my suit shoes and gloves are Sparco. I got the suit on one of Speedways close outs. For helmets I've used both Bell and G-force. I want an Arai and hope to find a close out on one as they are not cheap but they interiors are very nice. On seats for sedans I use the aluminum NASCAR / Midget seats but pour a seat inside the shell. For single seaters I always end up pouring a seat as I'm 5'7" 140lbs. For belts I actually like the latch style over cam locks, here in the desert the fine silt seems to make the mechanisms sticky. As for brand again I look for specials, the rating is all that matters to me.

Tom

G Force helmet, suit shoes and gloves. The price is right and the quality is good. Ultrashied seat and G force camlock harness.

When it comes to helmets, I think the biggest benefit to the higher-end helmets is lighter weight, which can make a difference not just in fatigue but in safety. Since my first race as a teen, I always wore a Bell because they were a good brand and comfortable on me, but the last one I bought online, same size as before, did not fit the same and was very uncomfortable. I sent it back and got a G-Force.

I use an open face helmet for autocross but always a full-face for racing.

I liked the Zamp helmet better than the Bell helmet, at least in terms of feel and fit.

I wore Bell helmets for a long time. A few years ago I picked up a Stilo and it's phenomenal. Very comfy, much better noise isolation, built in coms, I love it. I use it with the HANS, it came with integral anchors, so no need to mess around installing them.

I use Recaro SPG XL seats, they're one of the few seats I fit in because I have a long torso. Most other seats the shoulder harness holes are too low for me.

Like Tom1200, I've bought a lot of my stuff during the off-season close-outs for big discounts. Sparco 3.2/A5 suit, simpson gloves and shoes. My helmet is cheap (the original Lemons-discounted Pyrotect), heavy, SA2005 old and probably needs to be replaced next year anyway. The most expensive piece of gear I have is a HANS III.

G force stuff all around including cam lock belts. Bought a lightly used HANS. I am kinda in the market for a lighter weight suit if I can find a deal. And am I the only nut job who races with an open face helmet?

The helmet needs to fit you well and not fall apart with regular use (meaning, it ain't getting cleaned for at least 3 days after an event--let's be honest). Bell has been great for me even without removable padding; it just doesn't die or piss me off. Don't overtorque the visor bolts though!

The seat needs to fit you well and not be flammable. If it's FIA, you know it's tested properly. If it's aluminum, it should still be fine with a good (read: not going to impale you) back brace. I'd focus your effort on making darn sure whatever seat you have (and harnesses especially) are secured, have backing plates where appropriate, and won't move in a crash (adjustable sliders?).

I know nothing about other racing equipment other than don't skimp on the fire protection. If you can't get out of your car because it's crunchy or you're fat, that $500+ spent on a multinozzle bottle will make you very happy. Have a regular bottle somewhere in your car too so you can use it on the street or on another car. ALWAYS ARM YOUR BOTTLE.

If your car doesn't have glass, I hear surgical tubing is awesome to make harnesses fly off like panties in a Bond movie. If your car has a passenger window, I hear it's a great way to shatter it too!

I could wear my Stilo for 24 hours straight if I had to. Yes it was expensive, but I don't regret it in the least.

I am a big guy (like 6'4", 330 and I have a XXL head, so I can't get real picky as many companies do not have stuff that will fit me.)

I have the following, so far:

Seat - OMP TRS Wide FIA rated. It's the only one that I have ever found that will fit me other than going Racetech ($$$$'s). Bought it used from a guy in Buffalo $180 USD.

Fire Suit - G-Force Single Layer XXXL. So far I have only run a rallysprint in it and a single-layer is legal for that. I will have to add nomex undies to run in full Rally.

Helmet - G-Force XXL Open Face. Trying to add an intercom and HANS posts.

As a tall guy (6'2" with a 34" inseam and 190 lbs) , the OMP Sport OS20 suit fits well. It isn't suffocating to wear and its multi layer nomex which makes me feel much better than the single layer proban suit I used briefly. I got it from a guy that never took it out of the packaging for $100 less than retail too.

If had a pair of two layer K1 nomex gloves for years that have done well. I got them and my underwear layers (shirt/pants/socks) on sale from a few places.

My HJC AR-10II has been comfy and durable for the 3 years I've had it. I'm sure there are lighter options but its not unbearably heavy even after 45-60 minutes of karting with some friends.

Kylini wrote: I hear surgical tubing is awesome to make harnesses fly off like panties in a Bond movie.

I don't care if my wife does smack me for it I am trying this one tonight...

I think for clothing, go with comfort. I have a couple cheap Bell helmets that fit great and I'm happy with. That said, my next one will be a Stilo (for stage rally) since I like the comms setup and they're supposedly light and comfy. OTOH, my mid-line G-Force race suit never fit very well (and looked like a baggy clown suit) and I just upgraded to a clearance Alpinestars suit that fits much better (and looks better). I originally had cheap Sparco shoes that never fit well and bit the bullet last year for Alpinestars shoes that fit great. Gloves all cost fairly similar and I went from GForce to A-Stars for those too.

Keep in mind, I got the A-stars stuff because it fits well. I have black shoes, red suit, and blue gloves so definitely didn't do it for fashion, lol.

For harnesses, I agree - good camlock and I don't much care about brand. Though for HANS I prefer a HANS harness (though a lot of guys I know use a full 3" for HANS, which IMO doesn't seat well).

Underwear, socks, IIRC it's just whatever Sparco stuff I found on sale at some point, nothing fancy.

Seat - I have a couple Sparco Evos (FIA-rated, so good for Rally basically for a long time), but only reason I have them is because they were a killer deal on CL ($400 for the pair with extra covers and in great condition). For seats, I think that CL is the way to go if you know what fits you well and can find a lucky deal.

Jeff wrote: G force stuff all around including cam lock belts. Bought a lightly used HANS. I am kinda in the market for a lighter weight suit if I can find a deal. And am I the only nut job who races with an open face helmet?

I use an open face for rallycross/rally. But for road racing, IIRC a full-face is required in most series. Which is really the only reason I have one.

When I was actively racing I used Simpson for just about everything.

I was a high school senior in 1965. Bell ads published that year are still selling me Bell helmets.

Having to constantly replace aged-out equipment motivates me to go cheap. I've used Bell M3 (now M4) and currently have a Simpson (forgot the model name). I like the Simpson much better than the Bell, but it was a more expensive model that was heavily discounted because it was a 2005 when the 2010's came out. It is a lot lighter than the Bell. At first I cursed the tight cheek pads, but as I got used to them I realized they held the helmet on my head much better-- no aero lift at high speeds. Now I've got to replace it, even though it is still in excellent condition. I was out of racing for about 3 years so it didn't see a lot of use.

I'm not sure what to get next. G Force has a cheap carbon fiber helmet, but it weighs the same as the standard helmets, so what's the point? It also only comes in black, which is death in the heat here. Anybody got the Simpson Bandit? Looks like small eye port, especially for someone with glasses.

Harnesses are G Force Pro-- very nice for the money. My wife insisted on some Shrocks in her car at one point-- twice as expensive and I honestly didn't see they were any better. HANS is a lightly used older Sport model. Thought about Necksgen, but didn't like the looks of the test videos-- I think they compromised the design after being sued by HANS. Saw a friend's Z-Tech today and was very impressed. Adjustable for size, rake, etc. and only $350. I'd probably go that way if I didn't already have the HANS.

Pyrotect 2 layer suit on sale. Light and breathable. I have to wear the Nomex underwear under it on chilly days because the wind cuts through it, which shows how well ventilated it is.

Sparco gloves- decent quality. G Force high-tops, meh. Got high tops because the suit rides up a bit and otherwise might expose some ankle with low or medium cut shoes. Goes to show the crap shoot that mail order outfitting can be.

Kirkey seat. Not particularly comfortable, but I don't do enduros, so it doesn't matter much.