UPDATE 15/06/09: Please note that the new Warrior's, produced subsequent to this review, have a different foam configuration. As such the quality of the current foam is not accounted for in this review.

There are very few really “bad” crash pads on the scene these days, with the discerning climbing public now fully aware of the need for quality foams/density ratios, the use of rucksack straps, metal buckles and tough outer fabrics. Having said that, with most pads weighing in at an average retail cost of £135 you may as well get the best product for your hard earned cash.

For a long time the industry standard (and my personal favorite) pad had been the Franklin Drop Zone, which incorporated many of the original great design features of the modern pad, not to mention bombproof construction – this truly was “the” pad to have. Unfortunately, since Black Diamond bought out Franklin a couple years back the Drop Zone has been somewhat left behind in terms of design, and the lower grade materials now used in its construction make the pad a shadow of its former self. What could fill the void…?

Over the last few years I have tried out numerous pads from the likes of DMM, Flashed, Snap, Pod, Black Diamond and Moon, and whilst for the most part these were all pretty good pads the one stand-out product from these six mainstream pad suppliers was the Moon Warrior – a true giant amongst pads!

Image: Greg Chapman on the first ascent of Iron Man (Fb7c+), Shelter Stone, Trowbarrow quarry, UK.

So what’s so great about it? Well, as with all the best products it is simple to use, highly functional and well constructed…

Strapping
As with a number of modern pads the Warrior has its hard cell foam layer (landing surface) facing outward when the pad is closed, meaning you don’t get that annoying ridge on the landing zone when the pad is in use. Of course this leaves you with the problem of what to do with the straps, which are then exposed on the landing zone. Moons' solution to this conundrum is simple but superbly effective, they have stitched in an A shaped flap which easily Velcro’s over the straps when the pad is in use (open) and also double as a retainer – by folding underneath and clipping to the other side, thus stopping anything falling out of the bottom – when you are carrying the pad to the crag. I initially wondered whether the Velcro may start to fail after prolonged use, but the flap on my pad (8 months old, used 4 to 5 times a week) is still fairing well.

The rucksack straps themselves are contoured, as with an actual climbing pack, and constructed via the lamination of ventilating foam (skin side) and a tough nylon outer. They are also adjustable through a buckle at the bottom edge of the pad.

Foam
The Warrior utilizes the tried and tested double layer system, with a 2cm thick sheet of very dense closed cell (hard) foam on the landing zone above an 8cm thick sheet of good quality open cell (soft) foam. The proof is the pudding when it comes to foam, and it is only through prolonged usage you can really assess the quality of the foam used in a pad. I would have to say that the foam in the Warrior is the best and most resilient I have used since the original incarnation of the Drop Zone, and generally superior to other pads I have used in recent years.

Outer and Buckles
The outer fabric is a “super hard wearing” ballistic nylon which shows little sign of wear on my well used pad. The pad closure buckles are anodized lightweight aluminium. These were the only points on the pad which I would personally improve: Whilst they work more than adequately for out of the car usage and short walk-ins, I found they continuously slipped open when the pad was stuffed with kit and carried any distance – walking a fair way to the crag is often a prerequisite to bouldering in the Lakes! I actually switched the buckles to those off of my old Drop Zone. Other than this minor slipping issue the buckles seemed sturdy, light and strong.

Image: Ken Ode well protected by his Warriors on Arabald (Fb7b), Chironico, Switzerland.


Zips
The foam is inserted and accessed through an entrance point at one end of the pad and sealed via a solid and reliable two way YKK zip. This is often an area were other manufacturers cut corners, perceiving it to be an unimportant part of the pad. On the contrary, if the zip/closure fails the pad will continuously fill up with dirt, leaves and even water, and may even be unusable. So again, a big thumbs up for the Warrior.

Summary
If you are after a standard to large sized crash pad you will find it hard to beat the Moon Warrior in terms of features, usability, construction and even price. At a retail cost of just £130 it is cheaper than many of its competitors, yet superior in nearly all areas, well done Mr. Moon!

Specification
Product: Warrior Crash Pad - Named after Mars, the warrior planet
Dimensions: 130 x 100 x 10cm (51 x 40 x 4 inches)
Features padded rucksack shoulder straps
Approx weight: 6kg (12lbs)
Buckles: Aluminium

Purchase the Moon Warrior Crash Pad here.