Rock climbing harness system, what to buy

[ChrisA]

I'd like to put together a couple harness systems for my son and I and wondered if anyone can produce a list of everything thats needed. I'm leaning towards the Black Diamond Vario Speed or Alpine Bod harness.

It's all the other stuff like tether and clips and accessories that I'm having trouble figuring out what to get. Basically, I'm looking for a detailed grocery list of items to buy.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Trial153]

Vario speed harness is simple, solid and fits over layers, light weight to. Only thing it lacks is side loops for linemen rope, howver many do. I attach my lineman rope to the front loop and use it without issue.
I have had mine for 4 or 5 years now. I also tried a couple other RC harness and moved them along for one reason or another.

 

[slick]

Chris-

What are you looking to use the harness for? Rock Climbing? Or climbing trees and using as a saddle set up? Rappelling for down game, etc.


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[ChrisA]

Chris-

What are you looking to use the harness for? Rock Climbing? Or climbing trees and using as a saddle set up? Rappelling for down game, etc.


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Sorry for the confusion, I'm setting up to hunt whitetail deer out of portable tree stands and possibly hunting tree saddle style.


Edit to add I'm mostly looking for a better fall prevention safety system while hanging stands and while sitting in stands. I saw a YouTube video of a guy using a sit and drag as an elevated hunting stand so I might do that at some point.

Thanks,

Chris
Chris

 

[Akwoodchuck]

I've used the BD Bod harness for many years now...pretty much just use it for roofing fall protection these days....I wouldn't want to actually hang from it for any length of time, it's basically just bare webbing. A full arborist's rig would probably be my choice for tree saddle type stuff....

 

[Btaylor]

I have the vario and really like it for the weight and simplicity. No problem at all to add loops for linemans rope either. You can use webbing or a strap off a stick or stand that uses a verse button that has a loop on one end and tie a loop on the other end to fit your waist. Run the strap through the loop on the back of the vario and tie the loops to the waist belt with some 550. The other option is to run it of the belay loop on the front like Trial mentioned. I prefer the added loops.

To just climb and hang a stand all you need is the linemans rope. You can make one out of a variety of climb rated ropes. I would stick to something in the 9-11 mm range. and you need some rope for adding a prusik. It should be a smaller than you main line by a couple notches. So if say you use a 9 mm climbing rope, something like 6mm would work for the prusik. Add a climbing carabiner and you are off and running. No real need for a tether if you are hunting from a stand. Use the linemans rope going up the tree and once everything is set and you are in the stand you can take the linemans rope off and use it for the tether while hunting.

You will need an additional tether though if hunting from a saddle.

If you are close to an REI, they will have all the stuff you need or if you have an arborist supply store around that would be a good option.

 

[WannabeHunter]

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His video has a lot of great detail of moding the rock harness to make using a lineman's belt easy. And also how to climb with the harness and some accessories.

 

[ChrisS]

I mostly use a LW lightweight climber and I have the vario speed harness with an HSS rope tree strap that has a prussik included. I swapped out the HSS carbiner for a BD rocklock and covered it with black hockey equipment tape to cut down on the noise potential. For my hangon stands, I have a longer safety rope there that I don't have to move as I climb up/down.

People can get into the weeds on this stuff and spend hundreds of dollars on specialty ropes and fall arrest systems. I give myself about 8 inches of slack in the safety rope and that's all I'm going to fall if I ever fall. Getting into and out of tree stands is dangerous, but it isn't rock climbing or arborwork dangerous.

 

[ChrisA]

Thanks for the advice, pretty sure i can get rigged up now.

Chris

 

[Brendan]

My opinion: Buy a hunting-specific saddle, not a rock climbing harness. Allows you to do double duty hunting normal stands, or from the saddle itself. More comfortably anyways because of the design.