Any tips for improving/enhancing kit?
- Thread starter simonsays
- Start date
cap n chris
Well-known member
http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=9927.msg130357#msg130357
Quite a few of these have been adopted by some cavers so far.
Quite a few of these have been adopted by some cavers so far.
Penguin
New member
cap 'n chris said:
I don't have extra padding on the harness, just an additional strap between the leg straps that hangs below the crotch, for clipping bags into instead of the bottom of the maillon.
I made a workseat from a plank, some cord and old foam mat for hanging comfort
Alex
Well-known member
I gaffer tape the buckles of my harness to protect them from wear, though the gaffer would need to be replaced every 3 or 4 trips to prevent if falling off and poluting the cave. As the buckles should be inspected anyway, thats not really an issue.
This method has doubled the lifespan of my harness.
This method has doubled the lifespan of my harness.
MarkS
Moderator
Great idea for a topic, simonsays.
I'd second the harness protection: I put a few wraps of gaffer tape around the protection flap that the Petzl harnesses have on the back of the waist band (the thing that always seems to wear out first from what I've seen) when mine first started wearing. I've not touched it in a few years now, and there's no sign of any further wear on the strap itself.
The only downside is that it makes it hard to adjust the waist band, but I barely ever do that anyway.
I'd second the harness protection: I put a few wraps of gaffer tape around the protection flap that the Petzl harnesses have on the back of the waist band (the thing that always seems to wear out first from what I've seen) when mine first started wearing. I've not touched it in a few years now, and there's no sign of any further wear on the strap itself.
The only downside is that it makes it hard to adjust the waist band, but I barely ever do that anyway.
cap n chris
Well-known member
Fulk said:Inglesport sell 'Krab keepers', little rubber devices that keep your safety-cord krabs pointing in the right direction:
Just use a barrel knot.
jarvist
New member
Penguin said:
Recently I've started attaching tackle sacks directly to my leg loops, often leaving a krab on the leg loop, following the suggestion of 'potholer'.
It's a lot more comfortable than anything else I've ever tried, as the loading is constant (issue with attaching to maillon is prussic steps / rebelays make it chafe), but my legs are happy being compressed by a few tens of kg. It also makes the tackle sac sort of 'disappear' underneath you, as long as the lanyard is about the right length.
SamT
Moderator
I've had 'issues' with bag swinging on big freehanging pitches in the past. It can get comical if the frequency of prusiking is just right to amplify the oscillation of the bag each time till the thing is practically doing loop the loops round me.
I've always clipped the krab on a bag leash to the right hand D ring loop i.e. not through the D itself, and for most situations its cast over my right leg and hangs off to the right. - or straight below. Its always a faffy thing, dealing with (especially multiple) bags on pitches.
I've always clipped the krab on a bag leash to the right hand D ring loop i.e. not through the D itself, and for most situations its cast over my right leg and hangs off to the right. - or straight below. Its always a faffy thing, dealing with (especially multiple) bags on pitches.
hrock
New member
i don't bother gaffer taping my harness buckles because:
you cant see to inspect the state of it.
i have never worn one out on the buckles they always go where the straps cross over just down from the eyes towards the leg loops.
its worth looking here on your harness as you cant see it unless you look for it. Over the past few years petzl have been trying to sort it by trying different stitching pattens and adding red (or more specifically non contrasting stitching colours) to support it. it only seems to be a problem if you carry a tackle bag a lot.
i think i will give this one a bit longer.
you cant see to inspect the state of it.
i have never worn one out on the buckles they always go where the straps cross over just down from the eyes towards the leg loops.
its worth looking here on your harness as you cant see it unless you look for it. Over the past few years petzl have been trying to sort it by trying different stitching pattens and adding red (or more specifically non contrasting stitching colours) to support it. it only seems to be a problem if you carry a tackle bag a lot.
i think i will give this one a bit longer.
jarvist
New member
Fulk said:
I think it's all in tuning the lanyard length. You shouldn't be bouncing too much sideways as you go up, so it's only if there's a resonance with your prussicing rate that it's a problem. Or simply notice it + take the next step in 'anti phase' to cancel it out. Sometimes I have lightweight photo gear or UG camp sacks on my hip, but that's for the protection of the gear from the rock + water, not for my own pleasure.
Much more irritating is when the lanyard is just at the length where you kick the bag as your stretch out your legs in the prussic. Easy to remedy at before the next pitch at least...
Rob
Well-known member
To stop bag swinging on drawn out vertical sections i hang the tackle bag right below my arse. A line of two crabs hang off each gear loop of my Petzl harness. Then clip top of bag to one side and bottom to the other. Means no weight on the D ring so improved prussiking efficiency. Also if the horizontal cave above is not too small it's actually suprisingly nice to cave with...
Not really a mod, but a neat trick...
Not really a mod, but a neat trick...
