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[TowerTalk] Climbing Belt Recommendations

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Climbing Belt Recommendations
From: tgstewart@pepco.com (tgstewart@pepco.com)
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 19:59:41 -0500
The problem with using the fall arrest lanyard while on the move is that 
the snaps are fairly small and have safeties that are very hard to 
operate, especially with gloves on. 

I think that gorilla hooks are the way to go for most people if you want 
to stay clipped in 100 %.
I would get two of them on short tethers tied to the fall arrest ring and 
walk them up the tower.  Gorilla hooks operate pretty easily and they are 
big enough to go around most any kind of tower member.  You can't use the 
standard safety clips on AB105...they just wont fit around the horizontals 
or legs and you wouldn't want to use the diagonals as they aren't very 
strong in that application.

I've got a gorilla hook on a very thick laminated nylon web that clips in 
between the D rings on my harness and hangs between my legs in front when 
not in use (I forget what this accessory is called...might be a "rigger's 
harness"?).  I use this and/or a standard old Klein pole strap when I"m 
"on location" as well as the fall arrest lanyard as backup.

The harness I use is made by Buckingham.

BTW, I used to use a Peltz mountain climbing belt and they are very 
comfortable to wear, but I dont recommend them as they really aren't 
designed for tower climbing.  They dont have any metal rings, and they are 
just belts, not full harnesses.
There is usually only one good tie point centered in front of the belt. 
This precludes the use of a pole strap or a "riggers harness like I use. 
There is no steel ring for a fall arrest lanyard.  In addition, most 
caribiners should not be used to clip yourself into a steel tower member 
and they have very limited weight ratings.  I only use caribiners for 
attaching things like work buckets and ropes, etc. to the tower.

Of course I"m certainly not a professional tower climber, so maybe some 
that are will have other ideas.

73, Ty K3MM








Pete Smith <n4zr@contesting.com>
Sent by: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
02/10/2002 08:09 AM

 
        To:     towertalk@contesting.com
        cc: 
        Subject:        Re: [TowerTalk] Climbing Belt Recommendations



A lot of people may disagree, but I always use both my fall arrest lanyard
(the one that attaches to the harness in the middle of my back) and my
positioning lanyard.  When climbing, I hook the positioning lanyard on one
waist D-ring and then reach as high as I can go and hook the other end to 
a
tower rung.  Then I climb till I can barely reach that hook at my ankles,
clip the fall-arrest lanyard on above my head, unclip the lower lanyard,
and repeat.

This started out as a sop to my acrophobic wife, but now I couldn't do
without it, because I *know* I'm not gonna fall.

Klein harness here too.

73, Pete N4ZR

Sometimes a tower is
just a tower





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________________________________________________________________________
Where do you get ICE bandpass filters & beverage matching boxes?  The
same place that pays for the hosting of this list:  The eHam Store.
Order online at http://store.eham.net.
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