Anyone using the Camp Access harnesses?
- Thread starter Leafguy
- Start date
Work position/fall arrest harness combos
Anybody use a hybrid work position/fall arrest harness combo for all their bucket work? I'm looking at the camp one just to have the option to hop out of the bucket for work or to even be prepared for a self rescue if the truck goes dead...
www.treebuzz.com
Have you seen this thread already? Some folks really like them. Looks versatile for aerial lift and climbing, as well as other rope access gigs like high rise window washing or rescue work.
pete3d
Participating member
- Location
- Hinchinbrooke
Last Black Friday sales I picked up a Camp Tree Access ANSI ST Harness, and a Camp Tree Access SRT Chest Harness from TreeStuff for $328.29. This is my first harness with a rope bridge and lower “D” attachment points (I was climbing on a New Tribe Work harness previously) so I cannot compare it to other equivalent saddles. I don’t climb that much but I do practice frequently - I’m blessed with a tall old hay barn and climb every second day 5 times 20’ (it’s a clear 26’ to the purlin plate) to keep in some climbing form. I’m about a 35” jean size and bought the larger harness size - it fits nicely.
As typical it took a little while to “dial in” the harness - nice and tight works for me. I now find it comfortable with very little pinching. My gear all went on it easily. My Rock Exocita Transporter fits easily and is reasonably placed for my saw. The chest harness is matched to the rest of the harness and tends my TAZ and anchors the bungee for my knee ascender well.
Yesterday I was on spurs and was very pleased how comfortable I was hanging from a lanyard on the lower “D” attachments (they are rope loops), and a lanyard on my upper Ds, and standing in my spurs while making cuts.
All in all my experience with this harness has been very positive.
As typical it took a little while to “dial in” the harness - nice and tight works for me. I now find it comfortable with very little pinching. My gear all went on it easily. My Rock Exocita Transporter fits easily and is reasonably placed for my saw. The chest harness is matched to the rest of the harness and tends my TAZ and anchors the bungee for my knee ascender well.
Yesterday I was on spurs and was very pleased how comfortable I was hanging from a lanyard on the lower “D” attachments (they are rope loops), and a lanyard on my upper Ds, and standing in my spurs while making cuts.
All in all my experience with this harness has been very positive.
Thanks for that feedback. Do you find the SRT harness helps with support when the belt is weight with gear and a saw? Or is it just for tending devices? At this point I don't need the full fall arrest set up.
pete3d
Participating member
- Location
- Hinchinbrooke
I do, and so far I’ve only climbed with my top handled saw, but I’m used to wearing some kind of suspender - chest harness as I’ve done so since I really got started climbing.
I do carry a fair amount of weight on my harness - a hand ascender, an extra descender, several carabiners, a 20’ double ended lanyard, a 50’ hook line and a Captain Hook.
I am using a CAMP Tree Access ANSI ST saddle. I am a new climber and started out with a Notch Sentry.
I liked the Sentry but the seat design is not the most comfortable, so I started shopping for a saddle with separate leg loops. Wanted to stay with Notch so tried the Sentinel, but couldn't get one to fit. I wear size 33 - 34 pants, but the small was too small in the waist and on the large, the leg loops were gigantic (like 2" of slack when tight as they would go). Found same basic problem with the Petzl Sequoia although it was better.
Since I seem to be right in the middle of the "small" size for the CAMP saddle (31 - 47) I figured it would be worth a try, and it does fit fine.
The only thing I don't like about this saddle is it is hard to get a balance point, i.e., I tend to fall backwards. Wearing it higher seems to help, but hard to to with my gut, so I'm going to be trying the suspenders for it in the near future.
I tried adjusting the position of the bridge, but when I had it close enough in to help, it made it almost impossible to get the saddle on.
It does seem kind of heavy compared to the others I tried, but since I weigh about 195, that is pretty minor in the overall scheme of things.
I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of the ventral attachment points. There is a fabric loop and a D ring. At first, I thought maybe they could be used for an SRT connection, but since there is no tie between them and the leg loops, any vertical force just pulls the belt up into your stomach, so doesn't work for SRT connection.
I guess they are solely for use as a lateral connection with a lanyard.
Did anyone else have trouble finding a saddle to fit? They all seem to be made to fit really skinny guys. I mean, I know most professional climbers are probably in good shape, but some of us old guys have guts....
I liked the Sentry but the seat design is not the most comfortable, so I started shopping for a saddle with separate leg loops. Wanted to stay with Notch so tried the Sentinel, but couldn't get one to fit. I wear size 33 - 34 pants, but the small was too small in the waist and on the large, the leg loops were gigantic (like 2" of slack when tight as they would go). Found same basic problem with the Petzl Sequoia although it was better.
Since I seem to be right in the middle of the "small" size for the CAMP saddle (31 - 47) I figured it would be worth a try, and it does fit fine.
The only thing I don't like about this saddle is it is hard to get a balance point, i.e., I tend to fall backwards. Wearing it higher seems to help, but hard to to with my gut, so I'm going to be trying the suspenders for it in the near future.
I tried adjusting the position of the bridge, but when I had it close enough in to help, it made it almost impossible to get the saddle on.
It does seem kind of heavy compared to the others I tried, but since I weigh about 195, that is pretty minor in the overall scheme of things.
I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of the ventral attachment points. There is a fabric loop and a D ring. At first, I thought maybe they could be used for an SRT connection, but since there is no tie between them and the leg loops, any vertical force just pulls the belt up into your stomach, so doesn't work for SRT connection.
I guess they are solely for use as a lateral connection with a lanyard.
Did anyone else have trouble finding a saddle to fit? They all seem to be made to fit really skinny guys. I mean, I know most professional climbers are probably in good shape, but some of us old guys have guts....
theatertech87
Branched out member
- Location
- Rochester
Not 100% on the differences between the tree access ANSI and the tree access Evo. But that ventral loop is for srt ascent and did help with staying upright on accent. It also doubles as the attachment for the rates suspenders. At least one the Evo if you look closely at the loop, there's actually 2 pockets, so you can tie in and wear suspenders and keep the hardware separate. I think it's a really clever idea.
As far as getting a saddle that fits... I'm 325ish lbs and both the small and large Evo fit me and my 40 inch waist (found that out due to me misordering the size on a replacement). If it makes you feel any better the ergovation and monkey beaver also fit well
The CAMP life-support chest harness won't work on ANSI Tree Access ST because it uses two rated attachment points - middle front and middle back. The ST saddle does not have a rated attachment point in back, just a non-life-support-rated fabric loop in the middle and two (non-life-support rated) fabric loops on each side in the front. Only the non-life-safety-rated suspenders will work on the ST.
I misspoke about the leg loop attachment to the waist belt - there are two attachments, the red strap on the side (which is adjustable) and another strap that angles up toward the middle (non-adjustable) on the front. So there is a triangulation of forces from the leg loops.
As for using the front loop for SRT, perhaps I might try moving the leg loops down and making them a little tighter to transfer more load from the waist belt to the loops for SRT. I hope it works, because I intend to use SRT most of the time and would love to have a dedicated attachment point that works.
I misspoke about the leg loop attachment to the waist belt - there are two attachments, the red strap on the side (which is adjustable) and another strap that angles up toward the middle (non-adjustable) on the front. So there is a triangulation of forces from the leg loops.
As for using the front loop for SRT, perhaps I might try moving the leg loops down and making them a little tighter to transfer more load from the waist belt to the loops for SRT. I hope it works, because I intend to use SRT most of the time and would love to have a dedicated attachment point that works.
I currently climb on a Camp Evo Tree Access with the GT chest harness. Just bought a tree motion and am selling my Camp harness but have used it pretty steady for the past year.
600.00 CAD +HST for the whole set up so pretty decent for what you get. Plenty of gear loops, ventral and dorsal life support Ds, all the basics are covered otherwise. Things I don't particularly like: it's a bit of a nut pincher, requires eye to eye bridges so more expensive and cant adjust them, no waist belt clip (personal preference), comes with a sheathed bridge so you can't inspect it (I switched it pretty quick), the bridge attachment points are on threaded shackles which have never ever come loose at all but still give me the heebie jeebies.
But it's held up great! I think it was a solid purchase
600.00 CAD +HST for the whole set up so pretty decent for what you get. Plenty of gear loops, ventral and dorsal life support Ds, all the basics are covered otherwise. Things I don't particularly like: it's a bit of a nut pincher, requires eye to eye bridges so more expensive and cant adjust them, no waist belt clip (personal preference), comes with a sheathed bridge so you can't inspect it (I switched it pretty quick), the bridge attachment points are on threaded shackles which have never ever come loose at all but still give me the heebie jeebies.
But it's held up great! I think it was a solid purchase
