SRT Harnesses - What's best?

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ptpeaty

Member
I've caved for a number of years and have been quite at home using the Petzl Super Avanti sit harness which has been fine for getting me up and down most piches. However, in the last couple of years [I've grown older and middle age spread has altered my body shape a bit!] I've noticed that on ascending pitches I tend to be pushed back away from the rope which results in me using my arms to pull myself up on my Petzl ascender more than I should be doing resulting in me getting tired. I am also losing efficiency as my legs are not kicking downwards when ascending. I use a Petzl torse chest harness to keep me close to the rope. Are there better harnesses than the Avanti that will help keep me in an upright position when ascending the rope? Would the Fractio provide better support or should I consider switching to the AV Technibat? I'd welcome advice on kit or ways I can improve my technique...
 
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estelle

Member
I've got a singing rock digger harness, which i believe pretty much the same model on the old style petzl fractio harness and does seem to keep me more upright than my old avanti did - tried the new style fractio and didn't like it.
 
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ptpeaty

Member
Thanks Estelle. I've still got my old Fractio harness and I remember it kept me more upright on the rope  - Looking at it I can see it was probably a combination of the low attachment point and the crossed back straps providing better support. I'll be going to HE2010 so there'll be opportunity galore to try a harness or 2 out on a rope.
Cheers
Paul
 
Alex

Alex

Well-known member
I use an MTDE harness and I find ascending fast and a doddle with it. It is also far more comfy then the Petzl one. Look it up starless river, who I believe sell them.

It also is designed for the caving environment.
 
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seddon

New member
Have you had a chance to try one Andy? I'd be very interested to see a review of the Falcon... I think that if it worked, people would be prepared to pay that bit extra; a sit harness is (ahem) a fairly fundamental piece of caving equipment, after all.
 
Alkapton

Alkapton

Member
It is not the harness that is the problem!!!

You need to get yourself a petzl foot ascender.  They come as either right or left foot ascenders.    If you have your cowstails as a single thing (I do not) then you want the right foot ascender.  If you have seperate cowstails one each side of the D ring then you want a left foot ascender - this is the configuration I use.

What this lets you do is manyfold!!!  First your chest harness can be A LOT loosser!  Getting onto a rope is simples! Just take the tension with the foot the ascender is on and up you go.

No more inefficient pulling rope through chest ascender by hand!!!

If you got strong knees you can literally walk up the rope and be twice as fast as you could otherwise be. (impossible for me but I know if I were not diseased then I could be superfast up a rope).

Honestly, one of these things will make you happy,  I have a very loose chest harness and that is simply not a problem - I'm comfortable going down and I can hold my own with experienced fit people going up.

Petzl Pantin - if you do SRT you should have one because it will make you better!!!
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
The Pantin has been around for approximately 30 years; if people aren't using one by now then they probably won't ever get around to it. It's hardly a new piece of kit.
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
Caving Nat said:
If you don't mind the weight the industrial rope harnesses are very comfortable. Not sure if they would be any good for the caving environment though...

[url=http://www.safetytechnology.co.uk/fall-arrest/technical-harness]]http://www.safetytechnology.co.uk/fall-arrest/technical-harness]http://www.safetytechnology.co.uk/fall-arrest/technical-harness

Nat
Click to expand...

.... alternatively, if you're at HE this weekend come and have a look at my "invention", details in this thread below:

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,9927.0.html


However, originally PTPeaty asked about keeping body position more upright: have you tried clipping a karabiner into your chest harness front straps & directly onto the rope, to keep you closer to it and hence your body in a more upright position? - clearly it has drawbacks at deviations/rebelays but on a long(er) pitch might be just what you need to improve your efficiency without having to purchase any additional gear. :)
 
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seddon

New member
Alpine Caving Techniques also has a suggestion, quite similar to the Captain's.

If you go with the latter, i. a steel oval snaplink might be appropriate in this deployment, and  ii. a pulley wheel might increase efficiency without actually moving you further away from the rope. You'd probably want to  lengthen your footloop slightly, too.

Let us know how you get on.
 
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zomjon

Member
Is it just me NigR, but in this short thread I can't see when you've told ptpeaty that the prob is not the harness, or where he mentions having a pantin!
 
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NigR

New member
zomjon said:
Is it just me NigR, but in this short thread I can't see when you've told ptpeaty that the prob is not the harness, or where he mentions having a pantin!
Click to expand...
That's because I haven't told him via this thread. I've told him personally what I think the problem is, just like he's told me that he's already got a pantin!
 
pete_the_caver

pete_the_caver

New member
something to consider is the position of strap(s) going around your back.  If they sit too low, they can allow you to tip back.  However, if they are too high, they can effectively pull your legs up which also tips you back.

One of the design faults on most harnesses is that the leg and back straps cross at right angles.  This effectively raises the anchor point and hence reduces your efficiency. 

Being large around the middle I found that making a point of pointing my toes at the floor helped to tip me forward.

If you are going to consider putting your foot loop(s) through a pulley, try mounting it at your waist.  This means that no matter which way you push your legs, you will go up, but don't forget, anything you add will add more friction and more weight.

finally going up works best when your body is programmed to use good technique ie, the more you do it the easier it will be even if you are not skinny or fit due to balance and your muscles firing in the correct sequence.
 
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ptpeaty

Member
Ok - Lots of good advice here and I'm grateful to you all. Yes, I do have a Pantin and yes I find that extra bit of kit excellent and a good aid to getting the rope to run cleanly through the chest jammer without having to resort to pulling it  through etc. I like Alex's advice re: the AV Technibat and I've been thinking about getting one of these due to the low attachment point and the support the back strap provides. Picture of this looks nice in the recent Expe catalogue...Climber style gearloops are a nice touch too! Capn Chris has given a good point and I'll certainly try the krab on the chest strap trick to help keep me more upright. Looks like HE2010 might provide partial solution to my problem this weekend if I can get a Technibat, and the rest is down to me getting rope fit and perfecting technique with suggestions you bods have kindly made.
Cheers
Paul
 
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