Black Diamond Tracer Helmet - 2007 BCS

Just what I wanted in a helmet, meaning enough of a hemisphere-shaped accessory to convince my climbing buddies to let me on the rope.

My size Large weighs 10.6 oz, if anyone cares.

According to the sizing chart, the Large should fit 23in+. I have a 23inch dome, and am glad a got the large. It barely fits (at it's widest) over my skull and a light beanie. I cannot crank it all the way down over my bare head. So, I'm guessing if you are on the edge of a size, you should size up!

I don't need any other helmet- this is light and fits my head. The hole at the back fits a pony tail great so I don't have to deal with my hair flying in my face when I climb. I don't think this is intentional, but it is a nice feature. The straps take a bit of working to get this helmet to fit your head perfectly, but so far, it is the only helmet that does not immediately go cock-eyed on me.
It make me bring a helmet when I normally would not.

Great rock climbing helmet, super light and fits tight. It's ok for ice in my opinion, as soon as you put a hat on under it the helmet starts to ride high on my head. I wont take another one of these on a big trip either, just the plane ride crushed one and on another trip the constant punishment from being tossed around in the backpack trashed it. Overall though, it is my helmet of choice for any non-alpine venus, but if you need a helmet to last for years keep looking.

Very light, comfortable, out of the way helmet. Great on Ice.

This helmet is pretty sweet, I can't see how you could ask much more of climbing helmet design. The suspension system is totally dialed, it's very light, and the venting is great. You'll make fun of your buddies still sporting their Ecrins for looking like cavers. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

These helmets are VERY light and come in multiple sizes! Small, Medium and Large.
We wanted a helmet like the Petzl Meteor III, but that one comes only in one size - HUGE! Even though the Meteor supposedly fits 53cm heads, it is quite a stretch to say that it does.
The shell is really large. If you have a large head, the Meteor III would probably be a great choice.
We also tried the BD Half Dome, which has more than one size, but it was the old hard plastic and was quite a bit heavier.

So we wanted one of these new types of shells (EPS Foam) instead of the old hard plastic shells, but one that would fit. The Tracer does fit very well. Yes, all the EPS foam helmets are less durable in the sense that you can't just throw them around and sit on them, but for the comfort and lack of neck pain while belaying -- its worth the trouble, at least for us.

Plus, the ventilation holes on the Tracer have a mesh that protects from debris coming into the helmet.

Yes, it could use some work on the strap system, but we found it fit behind our ears ok.
We are very happy with it. The one size fits all concept just isn't working for us, so we are glad we found the Tracer.

I used my helmet fro ice climbing for the first time and I got hit on the head quite a few times and the helmet protected me. The only reason it loses a satr as the strap is not long enough so it cut into my chin. I have a very small head circumfrence but a long shape so with my beanie on, it was slightly uncomforatble.

I used my helmet fro ice climbing for the first time and I got hit on the head quite a few times and the helmet protected me. The only reason it loses a satr as the strap is not long enough so it cut into my chin. I have a very small head circumfrence but a long shape so with my beanie on, it was slightly uncomforatble.

"It's too heavy on my head", "I sweat too much when I wear it", "It feels awkward while wearing it." These used to be my excuses for not wearing a helmet while sport climbing. The BD Tracer no longer allows me to use these excuses and, thus, I find myself wearing my helmet nearly all the time now. This is good. It's lightweight, well ventilated and fits snugly on my head. It hasn't slid back or sideways while on my head so I don't end up looking like that cockeyed-helmet-n00b guy we've all seen at the crag. :-)
I always wear my helmet while alpine or multi-pitch climbing but tended to leave the helmet at home for sport climbing. When I realized this is a flawed line of thought, I went looking for a lightweight helmet I'd want to wear all the time. Friends have the Petzl Meteor III and I found that to look bulky. The BD Tracer felt slimmer while still offering enough cranial protection for my tastes. Many days of climbing with the helmet have solidified this helmet as my new favorite and I'm wearing a helmet nearly 100 percent of the time now.
Regarding the size, I've been wearing a Petzl Elios size 2 and purchased the BD Tracer in size medium. With the medium, I've got a little bit of adjustability on each end of the adjustment dial so I can put on a skull cap underneath the helmet on those chilly days.

Great helmet, very comfortable and very adjustable. The blue is a kinda weird blue, as its not blue nor green but somewhere in between. Has good holds for mounting a headlamp, and durable (Smashed the lamp a few times and didnt break a single hold. Very good helmet at a good price! Good buy!

Very light weight, very well ventilated, very cool even with 1,051 watts/m2 bearing down from the sun and off the snow in the bowl; nicely adjustable; very comfortable; better than any ventilated cap I have. Only downside: it would be nice to have a thicker absorbent band in the front to keep sweat from running down into my eyes.

Absolutely a great helmet. I've used it a few times, and it breathes very well, doesn't get in the way, and best of all, its super comfortable. It's also a good looking helmet, and fits nicely over a beanie, and under a hood. Another awesome thing, it's super light! You forget it's on your head!

I have used this helmet for years and I love it! It is light and doesn't look huge on my head. I mostly use it for canyoneering and I'm able to wear a hat under it just fine. I also love the wire mesh vents on the top so your head can breath but you are still protected from little rocks. I would buy this helmet again.

Nice light helmet that's comfy enough to wear all day.

As others have noted, us big headed freaks may have some trouble...I have a large, and with a beanie on I can barely squeeze into it with it fully expanded. If my head were a millimeter bigger, I'd have some problems with this helmet.

If you're also sporting a big melon, I'd recommend scoping the size chart and consider a different helmet if it doesn't look promising...otherwise, this helmet is simply fantastic.

Sadly this one doesn't fit big heads. I'm a 7.5 and she is a no go. Nice helmet and light. Wish there were some more colors and a brighter paint job in the colors they do have.

Really really comfortable on my head and super light. Hope I never have to *really* test it! What more do you want?

Got the medium size as suggested by sizing chart and measuring tape. While the length was appropriate, width was too smal/painful. Exchanged for large size which fits better. I use this helmet for skiing and for that purpose it works well; the large size might help me to stuff a thin hat or baclava under the helmet.

The problem could be the shape of my head (weird); in any case, buing items that require fit via mailorder is tricky.

The Tracer comes in many different sizes which is good for those of us who have really large or really small domes. It's lightweight too which is nice.

For me that's where the good stops. Because there's three sizes I need a medium for rock and a large for ice. The rear straps come over your ears and rub the back of your ears if you tuck them back. In fact, I haven't seen a single user who doesn't have to tuck the straps back. What' up BD? You've been making this helmet for several years now, work towards a better design.The chin strap doesn't stay tight either. When compared to the Meteor the strap system is mediocre. It has a lot of dings and dents for a helmet that's 5 month old, and you need to carry these on the plane when you travel. Baggage handlers treat baggage pretty roughly and this helmet will crack if they toss your luggage around.

Consider sizing above the recommendations in the chart. My head circumference measures 22 1/4", which puts me well within the recommendations for a M. The M didn't fit onto my head properly. I returned it for a L which does fit quite nicely.

The sizing chart seems to be right on. I have a 23 inch head and got the medium. There is just enough room for a thin synthetic hat. Light, easy to adjust the size, and fairly comfortable. The only problem I see so far is that the Velcro pads on the inside over the ears are easy to knock off when not wearing.

I love the Black Diamond Tracer because it comes in three sizes! I have a BIG head and the Tracer is the only helmet I can wear all day comfortably and feel like my whole head is in the bucket.
If you have a big head, try the Tracer Large.

This is an awesome all-around helmet. Super light! I use it for rock climbing, ice climbing and ski-mountaineering. It is a lot lighter than my normal ski helmet which makes it an ideal choice for ski-mountaineering. It works well with goggles or sunglasses. Plenty of room for a beanie underneath when it is cold. Really easy to adjust the size on the fly.

The helmet fits great, stays snug on the noggen, super light and breathable, it has lots of adjustability. I've got an average sized head and the medium fits great, I used to hate wearing the old school petzl but I can even wear this thing around the house!!

I used to ski tour with the BD halfdome climbing helmet. The Tracer feels much better though. It moves less when I move, and it seems less likely to catch its rim on snow or trees if I were to take a fall.

I'm a pretty big BD fan but I did try on a bunch of other helmets. This had the best craftsmanship and actually fits the head. The other's I tried felt like buckets with a strap system inside.

So light, does the job perfectly...2 small problems are that it is a clean, comfortable and snug fit so it is hard to put a hat or hood under it for winter climbing, and it is really big looking, so I don't think it's the styliest helmet around (but does that really matter for a helmet?!?!?!)

I have a 22 inch head and i got the medium. Had to return it for a small. Other than that works

too light :-)

Helmets are key but many forget they are only good if you have them on your head. Bulky, heavy, and poor ventilation all are good reasons to not wear the things. Not a problem with this rig where once it's on, you nearly forget about it until you need it. A bit $$ and more delicate that the Half-Dome, it serves a good purpose as my "everyday" helmet on all but wall's. My one gripe, the headlamp clips don't inspire confidence.

The tracer is a fantastic helmet for all variety's of climbing. I have used it trad climbing, ice, and alpine. Nothing bad to say about. The perfect helmet. The sizing is standard and a medium size will fit nicely on an average sized head.

super liteweight. So comfy Its like wearing a baseball cap and you forget that you are wearing it. Breaths nicely. A medium is a little big on my 22in around head. The adjustability is also nice.