General saddle question

monkeylove · Jun 23, 2015

I am curious if anyone else has this issue with their saddle. I will try to post a pic if what I am asking is unclear.

I snug my saddle belt up and everything is nice and comfortable. Once I start hanging in it the attachment points squeeze in and make the belt loose, not really a safety issue but it just gets annoying. I have to make sure it is out of the way or it wants to always be right where I don't want it. It kind of does the same thing that attaching to the D-rings does, however that is kind of expected due to the fact that they are on the belt.

It could be that this happens on any saddle where the bridge is more belt related than leg related. Like an Onyx as compared to a Treemotion. I didn't notice it before I lost about 10lbs (maybe my belly was helping, lol). I really like my Onyx but am considering a new saddle just for this issue alone.

Thanks.

Tuebor · Jun 23, 2015

My New Tribe (Aero Hunter) does this. So does my Weaver Cougar.

Steve Connally · Jun 23, 2015

My ergo did but my mcrs doesn't. Gust grab a mcrs. It'll change your life. Lol

oldoakman · Jun 23, 2015

Buy me one while you are at it.

RajElectric · Jun 23, 2015

Same happens on my new cougar. I don't tighten the waistbelt, I find the extra squeezing prevents me from fully breathing while ascending.

Tom Dunlap · Jun 23, 2015

Since we are a bag of salt water shaped with a bit of calcium I've come to expect a little bulging and sagging. Generally I'll make an adjustment after ascending

monkeylove · Jun 23, 2015

That what I was doing Tom, but like Raj mentioned I find that if I tighten the belt then I can't breath well when ascending or limbwalking. What I am debating is putting a small bungee prussic on it so it pulls the slack out when hanging in it, but would stretch out when ascending. Non life support, just and add-on.

joezilla11 · Jun 23, 2015

My tm does the same thing

SeanRuel · Jun 23, 2015

Ergolite saddles do as well. Seems pretty universal.

Mark13y · Jun 23, 2015

Aah aem... Work positioning harness...cough cough

Me sequoias do the same, I think it has to do with the way your waist is contorted while suspended

monkeylove · Jun 23, 2015

Well it sounds like we need a clever universal fix. I am thinking bungee something.

RajElectric · Jun 23, 2015

Is it slipping down on you? Suspenders? Memory foam insert?

monkeylove · Jun 23, 2015

Not at all Raj. It's really more just of an annoyance when it gets in the way. It seems like such a simple problem that is more universal than I figured on. Now in fairness I will say that the amount of slack in the belt is directly affected by the length of my bridge. I use Richards version so I usally keep it fairly small, but if I make it a "normal" length once I get aloft it is not quite as bad.

RajElectric · Jun 24, 2015

I climb with the updated cougar saddle, with a longer length buckingham webbing bridge, I've always thought another layer of sewn webbing would stiffen it a bit but not too much, keep the suspension points a little more separated. I have a Buckingham ergo rope bridge with rigging plates assembly, haven't tried it yet, I like the webbing bridge.

gmcttr · Jun 24, 2015

My Onyx and NT Walkabout do the same thing but I have never noticed the loose belt getting in the way. Once I realized the belt is only there to keep the saddle in place when it is unweighted, I never thought about it again.

JeffGu · Jun 24, 2015

Everything I've tried or own does that except two... the old Buckin' Ham Buttstrap (it has the tongue 'n hole belt and separate D ring belt) and my Buckingham Deluxe Master. That one, the waist belt and the attachment point belt are separate, and seem to slide past each other. The adjustments are separate for each. I keep the center/upper attachment free for a second climbing line, but have a Tree Austria web bridge connected to the attachment points on either side of the center one. I thought this might affect the waist belt adjustment while hanging, but it made no difference. It's also unaffected using the side D's with a lanyard. It is one of the reasons I like it so much, especially for removals. I use a much lighter saddle, usually, for everything else. The Deluxe Master weighs 5 pounds, which isn't bad, but a bit heavy by modern standards.

I also use suspenders, so that might be helping, too.

TylerHoffman · Jun 26, 2015

Adjust it so it fits good. Then stitch the webbing. No more problems then

Simpleiowaguy · Jun 27, 2015

i bought a h harness for my empire.

aathurlow · Jun 29, 2015

I tend to lose a fair amount of water weight during the day. Like 10 to 20 lbs. Apparently not uncommon, happens to all the men on my fathers side. I should also mention I'm a large climber (we climb all day everyday) 230lbs at the start of the day. The treemotion saddle I use isn't exactly easy to readjust, so I use my over the shoulder srt strap (connected the rear center of the saddle) and attach it to a loop girthed on a side d. Kind of like the New Tribe strap. It doesn't get in the way of body movements/stretching out, and its easy to take off. Not really necessary on cooler days but when its hot or I'm down to blocking down big wood it helps hold the weight of larger saws and blocks.

I gotta say I love my treemotion. Tried the sequoia and it was torture. All, and I mean all, the straps would slowly loosen up. And the legs straps just tore me up (oh god, the bruises). Right back to the treemotion, heaven. Try a shoulder strap, it helps me.