Snap Climbing were created in Chamonix in 1996 and have been distributed by the County Climbing Company for the last few years. In the UK they are best known for the high quality crash pads that they’ve been making since 2000 (Snap Crash Pads Review). The Snap Bun Crash Pad fills the section of their range of a main pad (with dimensions of 105cm x 125cm x 12cm) and is, in effect, a larger version of the Snap Calzone. For the last four months the Snap Bun has been my main pad that I’ve used around the UK and I am thoroughly impressed with it.

Testing the Snap Bun at Woodwell, South Lakes

In the language of crash pad design, the Snap Bun is a ‘Taco’ style pad; meaning that when in ‘carrying mode’ it is bent in two rather than having a central hinged joint. The main advantage this offers over the hinged design is that, when laid out, it offers one large homogenous landing zone with no central join to potentially fall onto. However, when the Taco style pad is used without due thought to design, it can potentially create a pad with a number of deficiencies. Snap have taken into account any potential problems and have countered these. In doing do they have come up with a pad that is extremely well designed and has some very well thought out features.

Snap Pads are made of very resilient materials and the Bun is no exception. The ground side of the pad is constructed of a heavy duty, polyester coated PVC-tarpaulin. This is extremely wear-resistant, anti-skid and is easily cleanable with a sponge. As the pad folds inwards, any mud or grime is enclosed within the pad and so helps keep your back and clothes clean. The upper side is constructed of a, friendlier to land on, Ripstop 420D Cordura-like material, topped with a handy logo mat for wiping your feet.

The resilience of the materials used is carried forward in the quality of the construction. All aspects of the pad seem well made and solidly put together: even the corners of the pad are reinforced to increase its longevity.

Due to the pad folding inward, the strap is located on the upper side of the pad, so needs removing when in use. When I initially bought the pad I thought this could potentially be an issue, as with previous pads I have found removing any straps to be a fiddly, faffy affair: with strong Velcro holding it down and tight webbing loops to un-thread the strap through. Snap have achieved a great design for a removable strap: the Velcro is just enough to hold the strap in place, whilst the weight of the pad is taken by the tape loops which you feed the strap through. These are the perfect size to allow ease of threading and un-threading the strap, whilst providing enough support for the pad so that they effectively take its weight and make it stable to carry.

Snap Bun's carrying system

The ends of the strap are secured using tough aluminium buckles. These are very user-friendly and are a good balance between ease of attachability/detachability and secureness of closure. As well as being carried in the common ‘rucksack’ mode, the pad also has two loops to fasten the strap to; enabling it to be carried over the shoulder. 

The only major improvement I can conceive of would be for the pad to use a piece of fabric that covered the strap when in use, similar to those used on Moon pads. This would not only negate the need to remove the strap, but could also wrap under the pad when it is carried and help ensure your belongings are kept within the pad. It is indeed surprising that no other companies have copied this clever design.

The same durable, aluminium buckles used in the strap system are again used to hold the mat in place when carry it. These simple D ring closures provide an effective way in which to close the pad and adjust the amount of tension.

Regardless of any additional features a pad might have, the main thing that sorts the wheat from the chaff is the ability of a pad to absorb impacts, at the end of the day the shock absorbing properties are what you buy a pad for! The Snap Bun’s 12 cm thickness is comprised of two layers of foam: an upper 2cm of EVA, reticulated, high density foam with closed cells and a lower 10cm of high stiffness, open cell PU foam.

EVA foam is well known for its shock absorbing capabilities, although usually it is used in the midsole unit of running shoes. It performs in the same capacity here; elastically deforming over a larger surface area (than an open cell foam) to spread out and adsorb the force of the impact.

Snap's two-layer foam system.

The upper 2cm of EVA foam is reticulated: under a process using heat, and utilising a specialist gaseous reaction environment, the faces or windows of the polyhedra structure of the foam are removed. This leaves a structure comprised of almost entirely of edges and containing almost no gas pockets or bubbles. The advantage this has over non-treated foams is that the cells will not collapse with use; meaning that as well as being firmer, the foam will stay firmer for longer.

The lower 10cm of open cell PU foam is the ‘soft’ layer, and the open cell structure adsorbs the impact by allowing the air in the foam structure to escape from the pad via a tough mesh in the pad upper.

This two layer foam system works really well and it offers the best level of impact absorption out of any crash pad that I have used. I have well and truly tested it by taking some rather large and forceful falls onto the pad and it has helped in giving me more confidence when highballing above my normal comfort zone.

Matt Balmer high up on Godzilla, St. Bee's Head, Lake District (Photo Andy Sinclair)

In my opinion Snap are leading from the front with crash pad design and manufacturing. With the Bun they have created a pad that is not only extremely well made and well thought out, but is also made to last. This is not surprising considering that Snap have continually updated and amended their range of pads, looking to create as they say a “crash pad built like a real landing platform”.

Purchase the Snap Pads here.