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which climbing harness?


mazzgolf

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I'm looking to replace my current hunting harness with a climbing harness. I'm looking at two from Black Diamond:

  1. Bod Harness
  2. Alpine Bod Harness

Both about $50. Notice the Alpine Bod does not have a belay loop, but the Bod does. That's about the only difference I see. 

 

I like the fact that they have clips on the leg loops - allows you to quickly connect and disconnect the leg straps and you don't have to slip them on over your boots.

 

Anyone have either one of these? Thoughts on either one? Any others you would recommend (the feature I am looking for are the leg loops that clip open and closed which is why I am looking at these two).

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I use both

The alpine bod the carabiner hooks around the waste strap.

Its lighter than the bod.

The bod has a little more padding.

I like the one without the belay a little better just due to how caribiner lays a little closer to me.

I cut the gear straps off both of them to have less stuff to catch my clothing on some guys like those loops to hang gear off of , i like it being more compact

Captain Dan Bias

REELMUSIC SPORTFISHING

50# Striper live release club.

 

http://reelmusicsportfishing.blogspot.com/

 

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I have been using a black diamond and really like it. With the big tie off loop in front you can use any type of linemans's belt or rope with a sliding prusik knot. When I first got my belt I attached it to my backyard deer hoist and pulled myself up and sat on the line for about 15-20 minutes. It was pretty comfortable with no binding or pinching.

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Can they be used with a lineman belt?

 

There are no loops on the left and right sides for a lineman's belt to attach (those loops you see are just to hook additional gear to - not load-bearing). Pintail said he uses it with a lineman's belt. I have a question about that below.

 

Mine is a HSS  that has leg clips, once adjusted I leave them as is

 

Same here. I have an HSS with leg clips and a clip at the waist. Really easy to get on and off with the clips even with heavy winter clothes on. But I don't like these hunting harnesses that hook to the line at the back. See my earlier thread on that. Causes too much pain almost immediately when you start hanging - you need to be quick in your recovery or you are going to be in bad shape even though you managed to avoid a fall.

 

I use both

The alpine bod the carabiner hooks around the waste strap.

Its lighter than the bod.

The bod has a little more padding.

I like the one without the belay a little better just due to how caribiner lays a little closer to me.

I cut the gear straps off both of them to have less stuff to catch my clothing on some guys like those loops to hang gear off of , i like it being more compact

 

Thanks. Very helpful. When you say "carabiner hooks around the waist strap", I assume you mean you hook the carabiner not just on the waist strap but you also have to hook it around that leg-loop-cross-strap. I don't think it's meant to support you by just having the carabiner on simply the waist strap only... right? 

 

I have been using a black diamond and really like it. With the big tie off loop in front you can use any type of linemans's belt or rope with a sliding prusik knot. When I first got my belt I attached it to my backyard deer hoist and pulled myself up and sat on the line for about 15-20 minutes. It was pretty comfortable with no binding or pinching.

 

Which black diamond do you have? The one with or without the belay loop? (I think that might be what you mean when you say "big tie off loop in front"). Question on the lineman's belt - at least on my HSS harness, it has lineman's belt loops on the left and right side (so the lineman's belt is connected on the left and right side of your harness - not in the front or back). How do you hook the lineman's belt here? Even with a belay loop - there is only one loop in the direct front of you. Can you hook both ends of the lineman's belt on the front loop (either belay or waist strap/leg-loop-cross-strap)? I mean, I know you CAN physically do it, but how is it climbing or hanging in a tree with that configuration?

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I use both

The alpine bod the carabiner hooks around the waste strap.

Its lighter than the bod.

The bod has a little more padding.

I like the one without the belay a little better just due to how caribiner lays a little closer to me.

I cut the gear straps off both of them to have less stuff to catch my clothing on some guys like those loops to hang gear off of , i like it being more compact

 

 

I have been using a black diamond and really like it. With the big tie off loop in front you can use any type of linemans's belt or rope with a sliding prusik knot. When I first got my belt I attached it to my backyard deer hoist and pulled myself up and sat on the line for about 15-20 minutes. It was pretty comfortable with no binding or pinching.

 

This year I've been more mobile utilizing my lone wolf sticks and stand. I use a HSS worn under my outerwear. I use my rope tree strap with a modified prussik knot (arborist brother-in-law tied it for me, lets you pull the tag end to tighten up) as my lineman belt. Looking to replace my harness as it's 5+ years old. 

 

Would you recommend I replace with a climbing harness?

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There are no loops on the left and right sides for a lineman's belt to attach (those loops you see are just to hook additional gear to - not load-bearing). Pintail said he uses it with a lineman's belt. I have a question about that below.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the reply. That's a problem for me because 80% of the time I climb with climbing sticks and need the lineman's belt

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Yes mazz, you tie the harness together from the leg loop attachment then around tge waist band.

On the bod the belay loop does that.

 

I like hanging stands with t h e bod because i can use a tree climbing belt and attach it with a single carabiner to the loop.

But hunting with that one the caribiner doesnt lay as nnice under my jacket.

Thats why i bought both.

For heavy clothes i use a coulour as it was only one i found in 2x.

It uses a belay tie off like the bod

Captain Dan Bias

REELMUSIC SPORTFISHING

50# Striper live release club.

 

http://reelmusicsportfishing.blogspot.com/

 

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Vario speed harness is what I am using now. I put a climbing rope around the tree and attach one end with a carabiner to the center tie off point and the other end to a prusik knot on the rope for adjustment.  You can climb as well with both ends in the middle as you can with both ends on either side?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the tips. I went with the Black Diamond Bod Harness - got it for $42 on Amazon.

 

I got size XL. I was surprised at the measurements for each size - I wasn't sure if getting XL was the right thing to do. I am NEVER an XL in anything. Usually M or L. But I figured with heavy hunting clothes, I'd need at least a L but the measurements for their sizes made me think get an XL. Good thing. XL fit good considering the hunting clothes I normally wear - even L would have been too small I think. So if you are thinking of getting a climbing harness, pay close attention to the measurements for the sizes - you might have to go up a size or two from what you are normally used to.

 

But in short - I give it a big thumbs up!  :up: Went out today and tested it on a stand my friend has on his property that I plan to hunt this coming 6-day. Much better than my HSS hunting harness!!! Practiced hanging with my full weight on the line and I didn't feel much pressure at all in the groin area. I would be able to hang much, much longer without being in pain - it's almost like you are sitting. I don't think there would even be a need for a pressure relief strap (though I still have one attached to the harness just in case - but I'm thinking I don't even need it). In my hunting harness, massive pain in the family jewelry store started almost as soon as my full weight was on the safety line - this is why I'm switching harnesses.

 

Also, when you are hanging, you are facing the tree - easier to grab hold of something (even if it's just the tree trunk!) and work on getting back to safety.

 

Still trying to figure out the best way to hook up to the tree - wrap the tree strap at the level of the small of my back and just have a really small line from there to the harness, or attach the tree strap above my head and have a longer line come down and attach to the harness (that's how I tried it in my test today). In any case, I don't think the line will get in the way - didn't seem like it (in fact, I think it might be LESS in the way compared to the hunting harness).

 

Anyway, thanks again for the tips. Another winner recommendation on the forums ;)

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Thanks for the tips. I went with the Black Diamond Bod Harness - got it for $42 on Amazon.

 

I got size XL. I was surprised at the measurements for each size - I wasn't sure if getting XL was the right thing to do. I am NEVER an XL in anything. Usually M or L. But I figured with heavy hunting clothes, I'd need at least a L but the measurements for their sizes made me think get an XL. Good thing. XL fit good considering the hunting clothes I normally wear - even L would have been too small I think. So if you are thinking of getting a climbing harness, pay close attention to the measurements for the sizes - you might have to go up a size or two from what you are normally used to.

 

But in short - I give it a big thumbs up!  :up: Went out today and tested it on a stand my friend has on his property that I plan to hunt this coming 6-day. Much better than my HSS hunting harness!!! Practiced hanging with my full weight on the line and I didn't feel much pressure at all in the groin area. I would be able to hang much, much longer without being in pain - it's almost like you are sitting. I don't think there would even be a need for a pressure relief strap (though I still have one attached to the harness just in case - but I'm thinking I don't even need it). In my hunting harness, massive pain in the family jewelry store started almost as soon as my full weight was on the safety line - this is why I'm switching harnesses.

 

Also, when you are hanging, you are facing the tree - easier to grab hold of something (even if it's just the tree trunk!) and work on getting back to safety.

 

Still trying to figure out the best way to hook up to the tree - wrap the tree strap at the level of the small of my back and just have a really small line from there to the harness, or attach the tree strap above my head and have a longer line come down and attach to the harness (that's how I tried it in my test today). In any case, I don't think the line will get in the way - didn't seem like it (in fact, I think it might be LESS in the way compared to the hunting harness).

 

Anyway, thanks again for the tips. Another winner recommendation on the forums ;)

I added lineman's loops to mine (I use the Black Diamond Vario Speed Harness).  I use a lineman's rope a fair amount of time to climb when I hang sticks....so I carry the lineman's belt with me all the time.  I usually put my tree strap/rope around the tree at about waist level.  I then use my lineman's rope to connect between the tree strap and the belay loop.  You can adjust the lineman's belt to be just the right length so you have enough room to move around but won't fall more than a foot or two.  

 

If you don't want to use a lineman's rope, then I would do one of the following: (1) make a short rope with two loop ends (maybe 3 feet?); connect one end to your belay loop (either by wrapping the loop on itself or using a caribiner) and the other end to the tree strap or rope; or (2) make a short rope with one loop end and either a prussic or an ascender on the other end.  Connect the loop to the tree strap/rope and connect the prussic or ascender to your belay loop. 

 

The advantage of this set up (2) vs. (1) is that you will be able to adjust the length of the rope while on the stand.  

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