Need advice on what goalie piece I should get first...

[GTR34]

So here's the situation: A lot of my goalie gear is now showing signs of wear and tear, and I want to buy replacements. The problem is....I don't have a butt-load of cash to pick up everything I need. I'd like to know from you guys, out of the list of items I am about to present, which should be my first priority:

1. Chest Protector - Still very very strong and functional, but my god is it old.....and used (eww, I know). No real complaints about it currently, other than a piece that kinda sticks out by my neck, and some weaker-than-average arm padding.

2. Skates - I already had a thread about if inline hockey goalie skates make a difference, and from the info I got, they do. My current skates (your normal inline hockey skates) are very worn, but show no signs of breaking any time soon.

3. Helmet - Like my chest protector, its old and used. The cage is bent in some areas, and the cage itself doesn't sit flush with the mask.

4. Leg Pads - The straps are showing signs of heavy usage, and the knees have been getting worn out due to my slides. Also some very small lining padding has been either beaten down, or removed (Don't know how...)

5. Goalie Pants - These are my least oldest piece of equipment, and are just fine. The only downside is that there are two areas (left and right) in the crotch area where there is no padding what-so-ever. I know this as the next day after a game I have a nice yellow/purple oval from the puck hitting there. The bruises don't happen every time, but still, kinda hurts.

6. Stick - Just old and used a lot. No signs of breaks/splits.

I know that some of the things cost less than the others, so I could do a combo, picking up two things for the price of another. The budget that I want to stick to is $200-240, nothing more than that. And I'm not looking to buy my next upgrade anytime soon, probably after my November Vegas trip. But it would be nice to know what I should be looking for, and hopefully getting some decent deals.

[fireholder]

nothing sounds bad. the only thing that would be essential is making sure your pads are comfortable. I'd probably go for the skates and pads combination.

You can add your own padding to the pants (i always have) and the chest protector sounds like you can repair it, too. nothing a bigger bitch than getting used to a new chest protector, it's like learning to move all over agian

[InfidelAppel]

Well, it sounds like most of your stuff is still functional.

The skates are definitely worth looking into; I got inline goalie skates at the beginning of last season and the difference it made is just phenomenal. It just makes everything feel so much better, and helped improve my movements and crouch and all that.


However, it sounds like if your mask's getting a little battered and the cage isn't quite right, you should at least look into getting the cage replaced. My mask is probably the only piece of equipment where I don't mess around; all you need is something to go wrong and it could screw you up pretty good.


Even that doesn't sound bad, though....I'd probably look to get the skates first, it should make a real difference in your game.