Fresh lid

If you’re looking to buy a hardshell helmet these days, pass on the
yesterday’s-news, salad-bowl models. There are now several better-fitting, more ergonomic models, including Kong’s new Spider helmet.
The Spider’s centerpiece is its fit-adjustment “Run System,” which changes the fit via a dial located on the back of the helmet’s suspension. Some dial-based adjustment systems I’ve used have left me with a nagging pressure point right on the back of my head; the Spider, however, did an excellent job of distributing pressure throughout the band. The retention strap system did take a bit of fiddling to adjust, but I was able to get a good fit in the end. Most importantly, the Spider sat very well on my noggin while I was climbing; not once did I have to tilt it fore-aft
or side-to-side. Instead, it mirrored the natural movements of my head.
The Spider’s polystyrene inner cap was comfortably and trimly padded. The helmet’s headlamp-retention system was simple and easy to use, always a bonus when you’re trying to fiddle on your headtorch with frozen paws. A well-protected ventilation system tops off the feature list.
—Matt Stanley