• Material: Hard plastic shell with EPS foam liner
• Ventilation: 9 Vents on side and back
• Adjustability: Wheel on rear strap
• Weight: 12.2oz

One of SummitJournal.com's basecamps is Salt Lake City, UT, a few miles south along the Wasatch Range from Black Diamond. I picked up the Black Diamond Dome Helmet, threw it in my pack, and took off with my climbing partner to the big walls of Zion National Park in southern Utah for a long hot weekend. Later I tested the Half Dome throughout the Ice Climbing season.

Summer
Monkey Finger - a vertical red wall of about 10 pitches: I put on the Half Dome for the fist time to check the fit and synching. The helmet fit comfortably and snug, with easy personalization through the adjustable suspension system. The webbing itself is more comfortable than most I think. The back strap for cinching the diameter of the framework is easy to use when the helmet is on. While climbing, the helmet stayed on snugly and was comfortable to wear, plus kept my brain from frying in the direct sun but it didn't offer much in the way of ventilation. As it became dark, and we were setting up the anchors and the portaledge, I really appreciated the headlamp clips which were easy to use and held my thin Black Diamond Ion band suprisingly well.

Winter
Ice season came and the BD Half Dome helmet lived in my pack and on my head as I checked out all the great ice climbing areas in the Western US for the first time. This is where I grew to love the Black Diamond Half Dome. It was far too hot for me in the heat of the high desert summer, but in winter for alpine or ice it was awesome. Whether I had incoming ice shards, dinner plates, or my partner uleashed a horde of snow my way, my head stayed safe and dry. Also, with a snug lid hat under the Dome Helmet, the fact that in summer I had too little ventilation, became a plus in keeping heat from escaping during freezing belays. I'd take this helmet anywhere, particularly where there is a high likelihood of choss, rock fray or ice shards that are friends with gravity.

If you climb year round in cold and hot temperatures, and you have the need/ability to use 2 helmets, using a more breathable helmet is a worthy investment. While the Black Diamon Half Dome helmet is one of the safest, I find I throw it in my pack more for ice climbing and other winter climbing trips, and throw a helmet with more air vents in for hot summer climbing. Black Diamond Tracer Helmet is a great option along with the Petzl Elios Helmet.