Knee Pad Question

[SWAT A4]

I recently bought some kneed pads for airsoft, And they always slip down on my knee when I run, and when I kneel, my kneecap catches wrong part of the pad, and my knee usually slips off, and hurts me. It has two straps that are elastic with Velcro to tighten them, like most of the kneepads everyone else has. By the end of the day, my Knee's hurt worse than they used to before I had kneepads. My knee's turn red on the outside, and hurt on the inside too.... My dad suggested when I run, to just push them down on the side of my shins, But this is not normal is it? I know this is stupid to ask "how kneepads work" but it is really starting to hurt, and I want to wear them, because when they do work, they are really nice.... I watch soldiers in Iraq run with what appear to be the same thing I have, and they don't slip down.. I'm not really skinny or anything, they go pretty tight, but they just keep slipping. I can get them tight enough so it hurt when I bend my leg. The back of my leg turns red from the straps too.... That's painful as well.

any suggestions, comments, or similar problems welcome.

I'm not looking for "ouch, that sux" type of comments.

Thanks,
- Kev

[xaos]

You bought the wrong kind of kneepads. Velcro closures suck, for the exact reasons you've related. Look for a pair of Alta pads with *buckle* closures. They stay where they're supposed to, pretty much no matter what you do.

Alternatively, you could sew some extra stuff into your BDU's, like belt loops for your kneepads. That could help, so long as your BDUs fit you well.

[SWAT A4]

My BDU's are pretty baggy, I will think about the other kneepads, but I just bought these.... Oh well, I dont want to be cheap, I'd rather not be in pain. Thanks a lot Xaos.

- Kev

[Zorak]

Which pads did you buy?

Assuming they don't just absolutely suck, it sounds like you're not getting them in the right spot. You need to find a spot that meets two essential criteria - the pad hits the right spot when you kneel, and the straps go across your calf or knee in a place where they get some traction. It took me a while to get my Altas dialed in right, and before that, I was having a lot of the same problems you have. I found that for me, the secret was to wear them so that the bottom strap went across the very top of my calf, where it tapers into the knee. That lets the bulk of my calf muscle do most of the work of holding the pad up, while the top strap can be a little looser since all it has to do is keep the pad snug to the top of my knee. I also find that the working of my leg muscles naturally loosens any strap that cuts across them, so I periodically tighten up my knee pads. Altas with buckles are the easiest to dial in (IMO) and therefore I agree with Xaos' advice, and it's also possible that whatever pads you have are shaped wrong for you and for this activity and they need to be replaced, but don't abandon the ones you already paid for until you've given them a fair shot.

[SWAT A4]

Hatch Centurion Knee Pads

Centurion™ kneepads feature ½ inch high-density foam covered in durable Cordura™ nylon. Polyurethane thermoplastic non-slip caps fastened with color keyed grommets provide additional shock absorption and ensure long lasting wear. Dual hook and loop fastened 2" wide (5.1 cm) elastic straps with reinforced bar tacking provide a comfortable and secure fit for all sizes.




SO... are they just crappy kneepads? I have nothing else to say. I will mess around with them tonight, and try some of your ideas. Thank you!
- Kev


P.S. Zorak, I got an idea.... Get huge calf muscles to hold the knee pads up.. great advice! I have nothing else to say.

[xaos]

Hatch doesn't make crappy gear, so no, they're not just bad kneepads. Give Z's advice a try, play around with them some to try to find what's just right for you.

That said, Alta pads are the top of the heap, and they're not terribly expensive (usually 20 bucks a set). If the hatches don't work for you, I'd put 'em up on ebay, and pick up a set of Altas.

[SWAT A4]

ebay... ahh.. yes.

I payed 20$ for those pads, so it was just a bad choice of which I bought then. I should have ordered on line, There are not many surplus stores around chicago, not the best thing to have in a city. I have one about 15-20 mins away, and that's all they carried. I will give them one more try, but im going to codename thunder, and I don't want to be in pain there, 24 hours..