It gives me the shivers to think of the number of times I’ve risked cracking open my skull rather than look like a dork or feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, today’s helmet manufacturers give us few excuses not to bike, ski or climb without one. It used to take falling boulders bigger than a cantaloupe to inspire me to wear my old bulky climbing helmet, but now my new lightweight baby blue Petzl Elios rarely stays in my pack.

A combination of the best in bike and climbing helmet technology, the Elios has a durable ABS plastic hard shell on the outside with lightweight polypropylene foam inside to absorb impact. It is smaller overall than the traditional Petzl Ecrin Roc and feels more like wearing a hat than a helmet. One easy adjustment on the back keeps the helmet from slipping around and over your eyes when looking up. Solid clamps hold a headlamp in just the right place. Best of all, the helmet comes in a variety of fun colors (baby blue, mango orange, and glacier white) with no outrageous Euro-designs.

In the summer of 2003, the owners of Exum Mountain Guides announced that, like the clients, their guides must wear helmets while engaged in climbing activities. Unable to bear wearing their old school helmets day in and day out, the majority of guides chose a new Petzl Elios. “My Elios is light enough and comfy enough to wear all the time. Now if I’m on a multi-pitch climb without a helmet it feels really weird. It’s become just another good habit,” says Exum guide Christian Santelices.

I still do one pitch sport climbs, sneak a ride to the grocery store and backcountry ski without a helmet… but other than that, climbing without a helmet feels like running without a jogbra.