Back in the day, climbers often went bouldering without pads, opting instead for a thin carpet square that would hardly inspire the confidence of contemporary boulderers. Now, crash pads have become a standard piece of necessary gear. We don’t recommend going bouldering without pads.
Depending on the boulder problem, you may only need one or two. In some cases, you’ll want to get the whole squad together to contribute pads before giving that highball project a go.