starter gear

[Puddy 0]

I'm usually a goalie, looking to get some gear to play out (mostly for when too many goalies show up for pickup). (I used to have gear, but it got ruined in a damp basement.) What protective gear (pants, elbow pads, gloves, shin pads, shoulder pads) will get me the most bang for my buck? Which of these is it safest to skimp on for beer league/pickup purposes?

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Is this puddy of skating tripods fame?

[chippa13 1844]

For pickup, you can go low budget on pants and, if you decide to wear them, shoulders. You want half decent elbows and shins. Gloves can probably be middle of the road since there shouldn't be too much hacking and whacking in pickup.

[asdfa 0]

for gloves, i really recommend the Vic NSX 7.0. i think they're SMU's for sportchek, but they've got great features like dual density foams and inserts in the fingers and they're only $50 CAN. i tried them on in the store, and they're almost as mobile as my muskoka's. really high quality.

[Puddy 0]

Is this puddy of skating tripods fame?

I hope not. Unless it's a Tyler Durden thing.

[Rustybender 0]

chippa13 has nailed it.

If your gonna skimp, and your just doing pickup, shoulder pads are a good place to start. I don't even bother with them anymore. I just go without.

Pants would be next. With drop in you are mainly looking for puck protection not hit protection. If the pants have plastic caps in them you should be good to go.

Next would be gloves. As said above, shouldn't be alot of hacking in pickup. There will be some, so don't go too cheap.

Elbows are not good to skimp on. A fall is still a fall in pickup so you want good elbow pads.

I've seen too many cheap shinpads that have gaps in protection when legs are bent. Ever take a slapshot between the hard plastic cap for the knee and the hard plstic cap for the shin? It's not a good feeling. You don't need top of the line, but don't skimp too much here either.

[Puddy 0]

Thanks guys. I figure you need good shin pads because that's where you'll take the most pucks and sticks.

Here's what I'm looking at:

Shin: Jofa 9040 (closeout)

Shoulder: CCM 462

Elbow: Rbk 5K

Pants: Mission M1 (closeout)

Gloves: Mission M1 (closeout)

This puts me at $225, with what I think is a good set of equipment for my no-check needs.

I'm most unsure about the elbows... any other suggestions?

[Chadd 916]

Jofa XX25

[Puddy 0]

The XX25 elbows are hard to find in sizes other than XS and S. All I really want is the two-piece design with the hard cap, not the 3-piece design. Any other recommendations?

[Project_2501 0]

I have Rbk 6k elbows and they're quite nice. Good mobility and excellent protection.

The M-1 Pants will be more than enough for you, and will serve you well.

I didn't like M-1 Gloves because of the fore-finger design, but if you like it, go for them.

For shoulders, I had Bauer Vapor 8's, and they're light and yet pretty protective.

[pucktownnc 0]

For Shoulder Pads, I'd go Sherwood Classic 5030.....the beer leaguers love 'em as they are light, non-restrictive, and very 'old school'. I wear these myself and constantly get asked about them.

[Chadd 916]

For Shoulder Pads, I'd go Sherwood Classic 5030.....the beer leaguers love 'em as they are light, non-restrictive, and very 'old school'. I wear these myself and constantly get asked about them.

I found the DR Legend pads to be much more comfortable and cheaper.

[blues_91 0]

The DR legend gloves are pretty nice as well, I picked up some Itech 4500 gloves for cheap and they're pretty comfortable, I don't know how long the palm will last though, it's showing some wear after 2 icetimes.

[Chadd 916]

The DR legend gloves are pretty nice as well, I picked up some Itech 4500 gloves for cheap and they're pretty comfortable, I don't know how long the palm will last though, it's showing some wear after 2 icetimes.

I just got the gloves a couple days ago. They're fairly cheap and sooo light.

[Keith 0]

How are those old school d&r sp? I'm sort of tempted to get my hands on some freaky light protective as I'm playing on a team of violent maniacs and pretty much don't get touched anymore. What are the measurements for the xl size?

[#28 0]

For pants the Mission M-1 on closeout. They can be bought for around $50 and they have a lot of protection but are still comfortable. For gloves I would also buy Mission M-1s on closeout. The M-1 gloves are really comfortable and flexible, but have a lot of protection at the same time. For shoulder pads the Synergy 300s look like they have good protection and some nice features for their price. For shinguards the RBK 6Ks are good pads and are not too expensive. For elbow pads, I would get the RBK 5ks. They are probably the best mid-range elbow pads and they are reasonably priced around $30-$35.

[donkey87 0]

For shoulder pads get the Sherwood 5030s or the DR Legends pads. Both are light and non restrictive. Since you are playing pickup you don't need a lot of padding on the shoulders. Either of these shoulder pads will work for you. For gloves check out these Oakley gloves.

Gloves

Great deal if the size works. If you need something bigger try these Bauer's

Bauer Gloves