Anyone wearing a 'full' fall-arrest harness (ie with the top-half) on a daily-basis in a hot climate?

eyehearttrees

eyehearttrees

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Tampa-Area
I got a top piece / 'suspenders' (fall-arrest rated / ansi&osha compliant by Guardian Fall Protection), didn't really get them for fall-arrest though I just want less weight on my hips, I carry-up too much with me and am skinny so my harness tears into my hips, think I've had a wound on either side of my hips for months now because of this, I know I could relieve some of that weight w/ "fairleading suspenders" (not fall-restraint upper just the thin type for pulling your hitch) but figure if I want to effectively hold-up my belt then a 'proper' top seemed the smart choice!

Problem is that I already struggle like crazy to stay hydrated, I "run hot" anyways but here in FL it is very easy to dehydrate, am fearful of adding more clothing/gear....but at the same time, the whole point is it'll relieve / share weight with the belt so maybe (SHOULD) feel better/lighter (IE the perception of being lighter, since all my gear is split between hips & shoulders with the upper, instead of riding on my hip-bone!)

Thanks a ton for any insight from people who wear (or wore) uppers! Had relistened to the Jeff Inman podcast and then caught a great deal on Guardian brand upper that was in my size so just grabbed it, have yet to open it :P
 
OH!! Same topic but kinda 'abstract' Q I've had for a while.... Are we all wearing harnesses that are *just* 'work-position' harnesses, NOT fall-arrest? IE without the tops, aren't most of our harnesses not qualified as "fall arrest"? Wouldn't that kinda mean the average climber is bucking the rules? Had been on my mind since I first saw harnesses-with-uppers referring to themselves as "fall restraint" and seeing an absence of that on hip-only harnesses...Will be honest, while I didn't get this top for safety, if/when in scarier trees I very likely would go and toss a line onto my rear-upper D (I climb with multiple ropes like "multi system SRT/SRS")
 
You can relieve weight by leaving stuff on the ground.

I feel heavy if I'm carrying two saws (or one saw and extra gas and oil) a few slings and biners, handsaw, blood-stopper, water and three ropes (climb line and two 1/2" rigging ropes), working solo on tall removals.

What are you carrying that weighs you down?
Just because you use something doesn't mean you need it. KISS.

What saddle?
 
Also curious which saddle. If the saddle isn't meant for a fall arrest upper then it won't have rated connections and will not be suited for fall protection.

Maintaining a rope system on your back sounds difficult and you'll always want it slack. Any weight on that rope will make your saddle ride differently, and hanging like that is no fun. It's simply a last ditch effort not to fall.
 
Look into any of the major equipment retailers harness section and you will see at least a dozen good comfortable harnesses that fully meet ANSI requirements for tree work. Fall arrest full body harnesses are not required for climbing and are only required for working out of an aerial lift. Are you wearing a harness with an upper section to help keep it up because otherwise it falls down?

Your post opens up a lot of questions that a simple picture of your equipment and gear configuration would help answer. Then perhaps we could help direct you towards something more functional and comfortable for you.
 
I wear a camp tree access Evo with rated top. Yeah it gets warm but not too much warmer than without. I wear it exclusively climbing and a separate fall arrest harness for bucket work. Why? Because it's easier on the bucket to not have all the dangley bits from my harness when standing in the basket
 
I used to get marks on my hips from the metal adjusters on the BDU pants I typically wear. I'd also feel achy around my hips after a day aloft. I'm a solo operation, so I'd have everything I might possibly need hanging off my 30" waist. Since upgrading to the TreeMotion S. Light, no more aches, pains or marks. I may have to pull the back of the saddle up occasionally if climbing with more than a top handle saw, but it's not inconvenient enough for me to try installing the rated shoulder harness I have. I agree with you on not wanting to cover more surface area with gear when working in hot weather.
 
southsoundtree said:
You can relieve weight by leaving stuff on the ground.

I feel heavy if I'm carrying two saws (or one saw and extra gas and oil) a few slings and biners, handsaw, blood-stopper, water and three ropes (climb line and two 1/2" rigging ropes), working solo on tall removals.

What are you carrying that weighs you down?
Just because you use something doesn't mean you need it. KISS.

What saddle?
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Petzl avao ('avao bod' technically I think) which does have a top I could get for it but got this Guardian unit for under $30 brand new and it does all (and more) than the Petzl one anyways.

Re leaving stuff on the ground...Why didn't I think of that?!? ;) lol seriously though I work solo, and almost everything I cut is rigged-down so this can end up requiring quite a bit of rope....have recently begun using double-whipping as a means of routine rigging because it lets me carry some slings & clips instead of an extra bullrope or two (my usual MO would be carrying up multiple bullropes, and aiming to use all ends of these ropes if they aren't pinned by logs, but recently realized double whipping lets me get my rope back so now I carry less....still on my 135lbs skinny-as-hell frame the harness can be minimized and it's still heavy on the hips so some suspenders were gonna happen and I expect I'd like "hitch fairleading suspenders" but just uncertain on this heavier duty 'full' top)

(just did a good look-over of my harness and realized the only things that I carry that don't get frequent use are 'safety/backup' crap like a small med kit, backup figure 8 and 2 backup biner+hitches....really not carrying anything I don't use, KISS is being followed!!)
 
Jehinten said:
Maintaining a rope system on your back sounds difficult and you'll always want it slack. Any weight on that rope will make your saddle ride differently, and hanging like that is no fun. It's simply a last ditch effort not to fall.
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This is 100% how I'd ever use that rear D though ('last ditch'), for instance say you're limbwalking and you've got 2 connections they are usually 'in line' with you & the limb....the rear D could 'pin' you if you're limbwalking "off centered" from your anchor, vertically-speaking (IE you're 10' to the side of your overhead anchorage both the flipline & climbline, was in this exact situation today in fact if I'd brought my throwing hook out of the truck I'd have used it in this type of way only it'd be going past my back and clipping to a side-D)

Certainly just a peace-of-mind thing, kinda like "is the extra bulk worth using these, over using regular 'hitch-fairleading' suspenders?", am thinking it is because if you're gonna wear suspenders anyways.....may as well get the extra benefit, but it's a good 2-2.5lbs heavier because of this...also can't shake the feeling that I may end up finding a way to work it into work positioning...probably fooling myself on that but think I'm gonna go ahead and try it out (wearing it, but also looking for chances to put that rear D to use, I climb decurrent form trees almost exclusively usually Live Oak so there's anchor points alllll over :D )
 
It's not only a matter of taking off things you don't use, it's a matter of taking of things you can do without.

That's not to say you aren't doing everything right.

What do you carry?



E.g.
I have never carried a f8, nor needed one.

If i need extra friction, i have munter- compatible biner already doing other work on my saddle.

What is your backup hitch cord for? You have a tail, and can probably tie a Blake or tautline hitch.

Is your water bottle proportioned to the time you're in the tree?

Tomorrow, I'm taking extra gas and oil up a tall, dead fir. Last time i took considerably too much extra for my needs. 1/4-1/2 a pound difference, I'd guess. I'm in the look out for smaller bottles.






I'd suggest gaining muscle mass. You're probably, pound for pound, strong like bull.
Trees and tools will always be heavy.
More pounds of muscle will make everything easier.
 
eyehearttrees said:
This is 100% how I'd ever use that rear D though ('last ditch'), for instance say you're limbwalking and you've got 2 connections they are usually 'in line' with you & the limb....the rear D could 'pin' you if you're limbwalking "off centered" from your anchor, vertically-speaking (IE you're 10' to the side of your overhead anchorage both the flipline & climbline, was in this exact situation today in fact if I'd brought my throwing hook out of the truck I'd have used it in this type of way only it'd be going past my back and clipping to a side-D)

Certainly just a peace-of-mind thing, kinda like "is the extra bulk worth using these, over using regular 'hitch-fairleading' suspenders?", am thinking it is because if you're gonna wear suspenders anyways.....may as well get the extra benefit, but it's a good 2-2.5lbs heavier because of this...also can't shake the feeling that I may end up finding a way to work it into work positioning...probably fooling myself on that but think I'm gonna go ahead and try it out (wearing it, but also looking for chances to put that rear D to use, I climb decurrent form trees almost exclusively usually Live Oak so there's anchor points alllll over :D )
Click to expand...
Sounds like you want to use the rear D because it's there. Is that what you're saying?
 
Dan Cobb said:
I used to get marks on my hips from the metal adjusters on the BDU pants I typically wear. I'd also feel achy around my hips after a day aloft. I'm a solo operation, so I'd have everything I might possibly need hanging off my 30" waist. Since upgrading to the TreeMotion S. Light, no more aches, pains or marks. I may have to pull the back of the saddle up occasionally if climbing with more than a top handle saw, but it's not inconvenient enough for me to try installing the rated shoulder harness I have. I agree with you on not wanting to cover more surface area with gear when working in hot weather.
Click to expand...
Damn this is what I get for reading posts in-reverse :P You don't even wanna try-on the top you have, that says a whole lot!! May I ask what kind of climbing you do? You mention solo, that's my norm as well and so is rigging (it's rare I'm not rigging stuff, I hate hauling and like ropes so seek & choose work accordingly!!)

Had gotten into leaving "parcels on my rope" that I'd pull-up but sometimes the spot I'm ascending to doesn't really have anywhere for me to do that kinda thing comfortably, kinda need my stuff at-hand once in place (IE places that suck / are physically-demanding to stay in, where you wouldn't wanna be pulling up 40' of rope holding 10-15lbs of crap :P )

I fixed my 25cc at least so am not carrying the 355t for all climbs anymore ;D
 
southsoundtree said:
I have never carried a f8, nor needed one.
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I use a friction hitch & figure 8, am still fighting myself to buy a rope wrench because I just don't have trouble with my hitch jamming....I use generic knee & foot ascenders, with a micropulley under my hitch and a hand-ascender that fairleads the hitch and has a bungee to the knee ascender (which then has a 1.5' nylon sling to my left foot) so yeah figure 8 and hitches are the core of my setup (and if I have a second rope for climbing, which is often the case, I need a hitch for that - I usually aim to keep 1 extra hitch and 1 extra biner over what's needed so I carry 4 biners on most climbs, and maybe 3-4 super-light acceessory-biners)

It's just a combo of me being beyond skinny (I'm the skinniest guy in this thread by far, I fight to eat calorie-dense food to maintain mid 130lbs...), and carrying a normal-enough "work load"...and doing it more often maybe (IE maybe I'll get callous/tougher skin after couple more months of scabs/burning)

Do want to try the treemotion harness after reading @Dan Cobb 's post, honestly I've never ever liked my harness I got a good deal which is the sole reason I chose it it wasn't a true "I like it best" choice / it's my 1st ever harness so am able to justify a new one (kinda...how long do you guys keep harnesses or think a good "harness life" is if used 3-5d/week? What # harness are you on? That's the proverbial 'you' not just you SST!
 
(Re my "no Wrench SRT climbing", sometimes I use a 'longer hitch over figure 8' for work-positioning but usually that's unnecessary for instance today was 2 limb removals and each was from a separate location in a huuuge spreading Oak so 2 separate climbs, each had ascent as quick as I could imagine and required limbwalking up&down nearly ~30deg+ limbs w/o spikes or anything, all simply using the hitch no figure 8 no doubling my line to pulley for 2:1 for limbwalking, I think I'm just too small/light to jam the hitch up....also the hitch&rope combo may be helping as my rope(Mercury) is slick as hell and so are my Ice Tail hitches)
 
eyehearttrees said:
Do want to try the treemotion harness after reading @Dan Cobb 's post, honestly I've never ever liked my harness I got a good deal which is the sole reason I chose it it wasn't a true "I like it best" choice / it's my 1st ever harness so am able to justify a new one (kinda...how long do you guys keep harnesses or think a good "harness life" is if used 3-5d/week? What # harness are you on? That's the proverbial 'you' not just you SST!
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Ok, let’s back up, I think you need to get a harness that feels great and fits you well. Plenty of great options for wee folks like you and me. Try on others harnesses in your local network, watch videos on how to properly adjust them, buy one online and be ready to return it if it doesn’t feel right. I’m also at 135# and have had good luck with courant koala.

Taking a fall on a back ring on a fall arrest harness sounds terrible... having to take out progress on a hitch connected to my back sounds impossible. I don’t see how that could benefit a rope access tree climber.
 
Stumpsprouts said:
Taking a fall on a back ring on a fall arrest harness sounds terrible.
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The dorsal d-ring is supposed to be the best for spreading the force of a fall across the body. That's why it's the only approved attachment point for fall protection. IIRC, the dorsal d-ring is the only attachment point provided on inexpensive full body harnesses.

When I was doing industrial fall protection years ago, I never had the desire to do any fall testing with myself as the test subject, so I'll have to take the experts' word on it. Hanging by the dorsal d-ring isn't uncomfortable in my experience, but I have no first hand experience falling on it.
 
eyehearttrees said:
This is 100% how I'd ever use that rear D though ('last ditch'), for instance say you're limbwalking and you've got 2 connections they are usually 'in line' with you & the limb....the rear D could 'pin' you if you're limbwalking "off centered" from your anchor, vertically-speaking (IE you're 10' to the side of your overhead anchorage both the flipline & climbline, was in this exact situation today in fact if I'd brought my throwing hook out of the truck I'd have used it in this type of way only it'd be going past my back and clipping to a side-D)
Click to expand...
I'm not actually following what your saying here, but
eyehearttrees said:
wearing it, but also looking for chances to put that rear D to use, I climb decurrent form trees almost exclusively usually Live Oak so there's anchor points alllll over :D )
Click to expand...
Instead of looking for uses for the dorsal D, why not connect those anchor points to your bridge so that you can reach the system and still have a little mobility to work once in position.


The one tool you use the most and can never replace is your body, why not invest in gear that allows you to do that work more efficiently? Not attachments to an ill fitting harness, but a harness that fits good and allows you to do your job easier. Not necessarily a mechanical hitch but something that allows you to repel without a f8.

I tried for a long time to just make things work, I now just buy the gear that works without a bunch of modifications. If your working full time doing trees you should be able to afford a piece of gear here and there and the time savings of efficient gear will pay for itself.
 
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