Protecting one's bonce
I've been looking into finding a headset for a high-noise environment. Spending a bit of time on the search function revealed that a good number of pilots speak well of the Clarity Aloft. I did see a post though that claimed it doesn't protect your hearing because it doesn't shield the bones around the ear. I have no clue whether that would be the case but an alternative solution would be a helmet of some sort to clamp a standard headset tighter on my head. The Clarity Aloft claims to be better than an ANR headset, but would it be better than a PNR or ANR headset in a helmet? Anybody use a PNR headset with a leather or proper helmet? Or does everyone use ANR in their helmets?
When it comes to helmets for the sake of protecting your bonce, is it really worth it? The helicopter style helmets I see people using don't look like they are going to provide much protection. If you are able to smack your head on the instrument panel for example, those helmets don't look like they will help you much. Am I missing something? Some of the helmets I've seen are ridiculously expensive. Anyone know where I might find cheapish ones? Is there a place to buy surplus or ex-RAF stuff? (since they are getting cut-back presumably they have to off-load their gear somewhere?)
Thanks.