Climbing belt

[k4kyv]

Can anyone recommend a source for a good, safe, lightweight climbing belt that is still affordable?  My old leather one was ancient when I first used it to build my tower in 1980-81, and even then showed some signs of dry-rot.  I just wouldn't trust the thing after another quarter-century.  The last time I used it was when I last climbed the tower, maybe 8 years ago.

The thing is cumbersome, stiff and heavy.  I have seen some modern ones made out of synthetic fibre material that are much lighter in weight and more flexible.  I would be interested in one of those more like a body harness instead of a simple belt around the waist.

I always use two straps to go around the tower.  It makes working while using the belt more comfortable to have two support points instead of just one.  Plus, when climbing, I engage one strap over the guys before disengaging the one below the guys, so that I am not hanging onto the tower with one hand and no protection whatever whilst climbing past a set of guys and manipulating the belt.  Therefore, the climbing apparatus would have to have D-shackles large enough to accomodate two hooks.

[K1JJ]

Don,

Here's the basic config you want. Expect to spend about $170 for a full body, full featured harness. Don't get the cheaper $90 one, and you don't need the $350 one that has the extra leg straps. The one pictured below will support you well.  Plus another $100+ for accessories described below.

Also needed is a "gorilla hook". It is a 6" hook that carbiner bolts directly to the front belt loop. You snap yourself onto the tower  in seconds without a belt around the tower. Also, get a fall arrest lanyard for climbing. But the best fall arrest  solution is to add the fall arrest cable and slider that I have described in an earlier thread. Then you can climb and fall at your leisure.. 

73,
T

http://www.glenmartin.com/industrial/bodyharness1.htm

[KA1ZGC]

Note: Headless and/or armless people should use extreme caution when climbing towers. Special hardhats and gloves available upon request.

--Thom
Killer Agony One Zipper Got Caught

[KB2WIG]

Is the fall arrester gear urin proof?      klc

[WV Hoopie]

Don,

Another company that sells climbing harnesses is Grainger. They are on-line and easy to check out. Before retiring, this is where we purchased our harnesses and lanyards. The newer harnesses have the D ring for lanyard attachment on the back. Some of the older styles had the lanyard attachment near the belly button, which would break your back when falling.

I always used a double lanyard when working in pipe racks and wire trays. This made travel safe, always 100% tied off when moving from one location to the next.

73's
Craig,

[Jim, W5JO]

About 1 1/2 years ago when I put up my 40 ft. tower, I drug out my leather telephone belt and strapped it on to go up just two sections to do some work in preparation for the rest of the tower. 

I always tile myself off the bottom and put my full weight on the lanyard to ascertain its lintegrity.  Well, when I did that, it broke and I fell about 2 ft.  I immediately purchased a full body harness from Glenn Martin who resells a a brand I cannot remember from somewhere in Georgia. 

I researched the belt style and found that Texas Towers in Dallas sells the belt style for a fair price.  The Glenn Martin was just a few bucks more with the 4 ft. lanyard.  I called Texas Towers to order and mentioned the Glenn Martin deal.  The person who owns the place answered the phone and when he heard the story, he told me to order the full body harness.  He stated flatly that it was safer than the belt and I would have a better experience with it.  Now that is service that I have returned and don't mind mentioning.

So I ordered from Glen Martin and it takes me about 30 minutes to put it on but I must admit it is safer.  Check Glen Martin pricing and get the full body harness, you don't want to have a failure such as mine but at 93 ft.

73  Jim
W5JO

[Ed-VA3ES]

For climbing my tower, I use a telephone co. belt, with lumbar support pad in the back. I purchased three  4' fall arrest lanyards, two for my belt, and one for another telephone belt I have. The lanyards have a small  double-lock snap hook on one end, and a  double-lock rebar hook on the other.  The lanyards cost me $70. each! but worth it if it'll save my neck.

[WA1GFZ]

Go to a sporting goods store where they sell rock climbing stuff and buy some webbing and beaners and make your own fall lanyards. I have 4 of them when I have to drag up a bucket of tools.

[W1RKW]

Question for you tower climbers:

If you slip and fall for any given distance and the belt/harness and anti-fall system restrains you from killing or injuring you and you go to use the belt/harness and anti-fall system the next time you climb, how do you test its integrity after it's been stressed? Do you test its integrity? Or do you without question replace the components?

[W3SLK]

Bob said:

If you slip and fall for any given distance and the belt/harness and anti-fall system restrains you from killing or injuring you and you go to use the belt/harness and anti-fall system the next time you climb, how do you test its integrity after it's been stressed? Do you test its integrity? Or do you without question replace the components?

Replace it without question! Why risk life and limb for a few dollars? Its just not worth it.

[WA1GFZ]

My brother replaces his stuff on a regular basis. He stresses to never step on rope or webbing. A sharp rock under your foot could stress the fibers inside.

[K1JJ]

Question for you tower climbers:

If you slip and fall for any given distance and the belt/harness and anti-fall system restrains you from killing or injuring you and you go to use the belt/harness and anti-fall system the next time you climb, how do you test its integrity after it's been stressed? Do you test its integrity? Or do you without question replace the components?

Many of the fall arrest lanyards use folded up laps of the strap itself that are inserted inside a vacumn packed plastic sleeve. When a fall occurs, the strap pulls out of the sleeve and unravels in a controlled manner, thus easing the fall.  These must be sent back to the factory to repack, at a nominal fee. Just like a used parachute. I'm sure they are inspected there, etc.

However, I use two fall arrest systems. The second is the 8,000 pound test steel cable that runs the length of the tower, top to bottom. An OSHA approved slider that clips to the body harness is also tested to 8,000+ pounds - it rides on the cable and locks up in case of a fall. I would think this system is still good even after a fall. Though, it should be inspected like anything else.  The nylon body harness itself would be a different matter for questioning.

The idea is to never stress any rope or cable more than 10% of its max rated load. Thus, 800 pounds is 10% of the max load. This would mean a 4G fall for a 200 pound man to hit that limit. A normal fall with the slider would be no more than one foot at most, from tests I've made. Maybe the physics majors here can calculate the f=ma for that one...

T

[Jim, W5JO]

The paperwork that accompanied my harness stated that if you fall and stress it, replace it, period.  Before each climb, I attach the lanyard  above my head and put my full weight on the system and bounce up and down gently to see what happens.

Before I got this system I had a leather lineman's belt that I had for years.  I regularly oiled it and kept it in a good climate.  When I started to put up my tower here, I put it on and put my weight on it and the belt snapped behind the buckle.  The lanyard held, but the belt went bye-bye.  I am a believer now.

[W1RKW]

The idea is to never stress any rope or cable more than 10% of its max rated load. Thus, 800 pounds is 10% of the max load. This would mean a 4G fall for a 200 pound man to hit that limit. A normal fall with the slider would be no more than one foot at most, from tests I've made. Maybe the physics majors here can calculate the f=ma for that one...

T

Tom,
I think you're on target with 4g's and a 200lb person.  The big question is what one will actually experience in terms of g's.  You did mention a 1 foot fall at the most but here are some stats on typical g forces people experience everyday.

Don't know how true this is:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-force

    * 10.4 g when plopping down into a chair.  (soft landing if I may add, distance to chair???)
    * 8.1 g when hopping off a step.  (typical step 8inches?)
    * 3.5 g during a cough.
    * 2.9 g during a sneeze.

How a cough and sneeze fit into this I don't know.

I've heard of runners who experience something like 600psi put on their joints when they run.  Don't know how true that is or how one measures it but that's a lot of pressure.

[K1JJ]

Don't know how true this is:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-force
    * 10.4 g when plopping down into a chair.  (soft landing if I may add, distance to chair???)
   

Hmmmm....  Wouldn't a 200 pound person hitting a chair at 10G be the equivalent of  200 pounds X 10 = 2,000 pound force ?   I would think 10G's would take quite a long fall using the force = mass X acceleration equation.  But, it's been a long time since physics class for me...

T

[W1RKW]

Remember,  Lbs is force not mass which is a different situation. Since you're already using force (in lbs), you're right about 4g = 800lbs for a 200lb person.  Mass won't enter into the equation since it's multiplied by the acceleration of gravity (32.2ft/s/s).  The key is the distance from start of freefall to deadstop and how that is calculated.

It's been a long time for me with physics too.  And like I said I'm not sure how true what's posted on Wikipedia. 

And I wouldn't think a chair unless it's made of aircraft material would survive that force.

the numbers don't seem possible to me either.  I have to find one of my physics books.

[K1JJ]

I just read their page and it looks pretty good - full of lots of formulas, etc.

Well, I guess the question is:  How many pounds is excerted on a rope when a 200 pound man falls one foot and the rope stops his fall suddenly without stretch?   

T

[W1RKW]

I re-edited my previous post and it seems we both axed the same question at the same time about freefall distance to stop.  Need to be able to determine the forces involved in that distance.

[WA1GFZ]

The stretch of the rope creates deacceleration or it will snap. like a spring.... boing