Helmets: yeah or nay?

As a newer backcountry skier who wears a slightly heavy helmet while downhill skiing and a lightweight helmet while alpine scrambling and alpine climbing, I'm curious to hear opinions (yeah or nay) concerning the need for helmets while backcountry skiing.

On the few tours I've done with the Mountaineers, I guesstimate roughly 40-50% of that organization's backcountry skiers wear helmets.  I've noticed fewer numbers of other backcountry skiers who wear helmets.

So far, largely based on my relative lack of experience, I've avoided ski tours involving a great deal of glade skiing but obviously that fact doesn't negate the need for protecting one's head.  I've wondered too whether or not my climbing helmet is a sufficient compromise since I prefer to not purchase yet another lightweight helmet that may only offer a bit more protection.

A photo of my Petzl Meteor III climbing helmet .


While I expect no unanimous opinion on this topic, I'm interested to hear from each of you who take the time to post a reply. 

Thanks, in advance.

I look like a dork in mine but I'm a dad and we are supposed to. It's light, warm as a wool beanie and cool as a mesh trucker. It will keep the day pleasant if I get conked by a branch, ski or whatever and most valuable in avoiding a concussion in a low speed slip resulting in a bonk on the back of the head.

I like to wear a helmet for anything with lots of trees or high fall potential, and always when inbounds. in the BC i have worn my climbing helmet (petzl elios) or a bike helmet if its warm. I feel the bike helmet is better suited to the injury mechanism of skiing and am looking at getting one that works better in the winter and fits a medium hat underneath, as a bonus they are light and reasonably priced

Like wooley12 I'm a dad. I started wearing a helmut learning to hard boot board and have always used one for that (it's saved my cranium lots of times while utilizing the headplant/flip/pivot turn). I started wearing one when I taught my kid, eventually I felt naked without it, and now ski with one always, even in the BC. To each his own though (if you're over 18), however those who don't wear one snowboarding or skiing tight trees or steeps are dancing with danger (I think).

I am also a dad. I might start wearing one just to set an example. Otherwise - not a big helmet fan. But am definitely concerned about our kids!

I don't ice climb or such and so far I only used a helmet on my inlines - for rails and stairs. However, I have been knocked unconscious riding tight trees so I wholeheartedly agree that it's a high risk.

Cheers
Ivo

Always yea for me, BC or in bounds.

In addition to the usual considerations (fall on hard ground, trees, falling objects, other skiers), another factor is avalanche survival. While burial/suffocation gets lots of recognition as something that will kill you, lots of people caught in avalanches are killed by head trauma. I'm not saying that a helmet would always stop that, but additional risk reduction is good.

I am also a dad, have to lead by example. And, if I died due to not wearing a helmet, my wife would kill me.