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Harness advice- Top heavy body!


Chip66
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Hi,

I had a go at recreational tree climbing yesterday for the first time. I used a Petzl AVAO harness and really struggled.

Firstly I found the harness really uncomfortable as it was pulling very hard on my sides but secondly (and the bigger problem) I had to pull quite hard on the rope to stay upright. If I relaxed my body it just wanted to go horizontal! I'm 5'-9" and 13 stone, so a couple of stone overweight. I am shorter legged and longer in the body than average but not massively so. I tried tightening and loosening both the harness and leg straps but it made no difference and the harness was the correct size for me. The guy who set it up has been climbing for years and so there was nothing wrong with the set up I was using (DRT with prussik and a single pulley that the harness was attached to -sorry for the lack of technical knowledge). I've tried a rock climbing harness before with exactly the same results.

Has anyone else experienced this and how did you get over it?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give as other than the harness problem I absolutely loved it and would really like to continue with this.

Regards

Chip

Hampshire

UK

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The AVAO is suited more for industrial rope access applications or SRT in tree work. I’ve spoken to a lot of people who couldn’t get on with it. Try a different harness, preferably with a rope bridge which will help lower your centre of gravity in the system. Get yourself along to an equipment dealer and try a few on.
There will be a harness out there that suits your body type.

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I’ve got the motion evo and if I just relax and lay back as if I was unconscious I would go upside down, this I’m sure is not a good position to be in. I’m 5.8 and at the moment 13stone 12lbs I was just under 16 stone when I decided to get back into tree work, and 12 stone is my goal for November as I’m going on two tree courses.

 

take the advice from the other more experienced tree guys and try on more harness’s and good luck.

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31 minutes ago, Khriss said:

@Paul Tomo actually, if yr unconscious, head tipped back means yr airway opens. So work position harness are safer than full body in that regard. K

Nice to know that your airway is open as you slip out of your saddle heading for the deck ?

  • Haha 1
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