UKC

Ever met a person rock climbing with a chest harness?

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0Unknown0 01 Oct 2011
Never!
 David55 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: I had one in the early 70s. It was made of rope, tied at the front, with a strap over each shoulder. This was in the days before harnesses were widely used, and most people just tied the rope directly around their waist. Now, when I fell off, the knot hit me in the face. Bought a whillans harness, and never used the chest harness again.
 Jonny2vests 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

On rare occasions. Mostly on young kids. Why?
 marsbar 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: Yes, usually little ones or pregnant women.
0Unknown0 01 Oct 2011
In reply to David55:
> (In reply to Dominicandave) Now, when I fell off, the knot hit me in the face. .

That is why, I tried one and fell and got smacked in the mouth with a Krab!!
tools for nutters or cavers, well, both go hand in hand I suspect so..........
 timjones 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:
> (In reply to David55)
> [...]
>
> That is why, I tried one and fell and got smacked in the mouth with a Krab!!
> tools for nutters or cavers, well, both go hand in hand I suspect so..........

Why on earth were you using a krab?
bill briggs1 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

I climbed with Terry King in the late 60's. He used a chest harness all the time and just put the slings round his neck as we all did.( I would have been tied on round the waist)
Terry blew away all the hard routes of the day, which today are E4/5.
He took some big falls but never came to any harm due to his harness.
0Unknown0 01 Oct 2011
In reply to timjones:
> (In reply to Dominicandave)
> [...]
>
> Why on earth were you using a krab?

Ease of clipping in and out or beay on adventure climbing! Why, is that strange, you think a team of 5 can all stay on belay and still make time on unknown rock? You have to sit time out on Adventure, and most of the time a rest on a belay point!
0Unknown0 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: Apart from kids I think these things are dangerous. I was asking as my buddy is working with CAMP right now and tells me they are selling masses of them. VF maybe, are people getting into VF in the UK? If so where, there is no VF in the UK, no? Like I say educate me, I have not spent much time there but I know nothing dramatic exists on mainland they would do this. Or am I wrong?
No offense I want to know, I am coming for an extended period and would like to know these things.
dan 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: I have only seen one adult, he had a huge belly he was belaying his little girl, but I've seen them on many kids, because kids are " straight up and down" with no hips a standard sit harness is no good because if they invert, chances are they will fall out of the standard harness, also with the attachment point higher up, they tend not to fall upside down,
 wilkie14c 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: Not used in the UK really except as already said for kids. I have one and have used it it too but thats for aid climbing and it is worn just so I can clip in to something so I can lean back and give my back and neck a rest. Not used as a 'safety' type harness in my case.
 timjones 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:
> (In reply to timjones)
> [...]
>
> Ease of clipping in and out or beay on adventure climbing! Why, is that strange, you think a team of 5 can all stay on belay and still make time on unknown rock? You have to sit time out on Adventure, and most of the time a rest on a belay point!

So you slipped and fell from a stance with sufficent force for a krab to hit you in the face?

Was the harness the problem or could the problem have been avoided by managing what sounds like an overcrowded stance differently?
 PanzerHanzler 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

My brother climbs in one - but he referred to bouldering matts as those funny mattress things that he has seen people carrying.
 bz 01 Oct 2011
Yep, kids, pregnant women (but usually full body harnesses) they are more popular for via ferrata.

I met a very odd german guy who used one once and I know a guy with a back problem that has used one.
 stonemaster 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: Yes. German matey and his wife on a grade 4 on a beach in Majorca. He said that one can never be too careful. Soloed up and down to put the rope up for him.
 Jamie B 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

> I was asking as my buddy is working with CAMP right now and tells me they are selling masses of them. VF maybe, are people getting into VF in the UK? If so where, there is no VF in the UK, no? Like I say educate me.

There are no Via Ferrata of significance in the UK, although it has always been a popular activity abroad.

There are probably pretty sound reasons for using a full-body harness (assuming that's what you meant to say) on a VF, as the fall-factors are pretty high and could do nasty things to your spinal column, but my guess is that if Camp are selling more it's due to a rise in activities like ropes course, zip-lines, canyoning, etc.

 Chris Craggs Global Crag Moderator 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

Met an old German (East) guy and his wife on the Romsdalhorn a few years ago. they wore chest-harnesses and were only using knotted slings for protection.

Chris
 Offwidth 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

"Apart from kids I think these things are dangerous."

This from the man telling prospective HVS leaders that resting on single RPs is safe.
 DancingOnRock 01 Oct 2011
Kids may require one due to their narrow hips and danger of falling out of a waist harness. Possibly the same for pregnant women?

The full body harnesses used in industry are dangerous because you are clipped in the back and cannot reach the rope. Therefore you are at danger of suspension death before help arrives. In industry you would have a rescuer working with you.
 MonkeyPuzzle 01 Oct 2011
In reply to TimR:

I work for National Grid and our overhead lines teams have Miller full body harnesses (model originally made by Troll though) but clpped in on the front point for that reason. Still always with a partner nearby though. Heavy bloody things though.
 David Hooper 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: i may be wearing one after my operation. depends on the siting of the stoma etc - have to wait and see
 goldmember 01 Oct 2011
In reply to David Hooper: I ve seen a few people wear them who have to wear bags.
 tehmarks 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

I've made a makeshift one up with a sling before, for roped soloing with a Petzl Basic.
 David Hooper 01 Oct 2011
In reply to goldmember: thats what ive heard - ill finf out soon enough
 deepstar 01 Oct 2011
In reply to David55:
> (In reply to Dominicandave) I had one in the early 70s. It was made of rope, tied at the front, with a strap over each shoulder.

I think those rope ones were made by Edelrid and as Pneame has mentioned MOAC made them but both ended up being threaded through Troll waist belts.
 Munch 01 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: I saw a large man wearing one at a crag on wednesday
Wiley Coyote2 02 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:
I was once asked to climb with a friend of a friend in the Lakes. He turned up with a full body harness but no belay device. Taking extra care of himself and very little of his prospective partner, it seemed to me, so I made my excuse and left.
 Alan Taylor 02 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: Have to use one at work
 smallclimber 02 Oct 2011
In reply to TimR:
Do you mean just a chest harness in conjunction with a normal harness or just on its own? I climbed in a full body harness while I was pregnant. It was made by Camp and desiged for climbing (one gear loop, tie in at chest height in the front). Not very elegant but did the job. But I don't think a chest harness is designed to be used on its own.
abseil 03 Oct 2011
In reply to smallclimber:
> (In reply to TimR)
> ....But I don't think a chest harness is designed to be used on its own.

Mine was, and here's my true story from decades ago. I fell off seconding Vector and ended up hanging on it in space. Luckily the leader lowered me off quite quickly. The harness felt pretty tight and I wouldn't have liked to hang on it for long, though I had prussik loops ready of course.
 Clarence 03 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

I have used a chest harness for cleaning a route before. It is a lot less tiring on the lower back and arms to clip the rope close to the rock and then do some close-up gardening. I have also used my chest harness for working on high platforms but I can't really think of a specific reason why other than everyone else wore one.
 LastBoyScout 03 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

I've improvised one a couple of times with a sling when I've had to abseil with a heavy rucksack, but that's it.
 Fraser 03 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave:

What's that saying about a good workman never blaming his tools?
 CarolineMc 03 Oct 2011
In reply to Fraser: as Jamie said above, the increase in sales is most likely because of the rise of activity centres with high ropes courses, where they are recommended because of the higher risk of inversion. In climbing, I use them on kids (no hips for the waist harness to 'grip' on so higher risk of slipping out if inverted) and blokes with uber beer bellies (same reason) when i'm working. Also at all the centres I do high ropes - centre operating procedures dictate. Co:
 dr_botnik 03 Oct 2011
In reply to Dominicandave: there is the worry of HHS or suspension trauma involved with models that keep you in an upright position, I really wouldn't recommend using one for self-sufficient climbing.

http://www.outdoorswa.org/files/Harness%20Hang%20Syndrome.pdf
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