# Anyone using a Petzl Caritool?



## tree md (Mar 30, 2010)

Just wondering if anyone is using one of the larger caritools for your climbing saw. I bought one this week figuring I would use it to hold gear. Wasn't too keen on the idea of hanging my 200T off of it being that it is made of plastic but after attaching it to my saddle it seems like it is plenty sturdy enough to hold my saw. 

Anyone had any problems with that?

I am still adjusting to my Petzl saddle. Having to customize it to my own liking. I am using a bungee lanyard for my saw and it peeves me to no end that they don't put a leash snap on the thing. Before I climbed with the bungee lanyard I just used a dog leash. I would girth hitch the dog leash to the webbing on my saddle and clip it to the saw ring on the 200. When I needed to attach it to my hip I would just clip it to the saw snap on my saddle. Well the Petzl saddles don't have a saw snap. Hence the Caritool.


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## Mike Cantolina (Mar 30, 2010)

Yep.........I've dropped a couple of saws with it too.

The plastic twists and the wire gate slides past leaving it unlocked then bump the saw on a limb & off it comes.

It's a shame too, it's just what I want to hook my saw. I just need one that won't open accidentally. I also wouldn't mind if it were aluminum.


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## Grace Tree (Mar 30, 2010)

I've got one on my Butterfly on one of the small accessory straps. I hang my water bottle and maybe some extra biners from it. I used to use it to hang my saw from but I kept getting it caught on small branches when the gate would open. I took the gate off and it worked OK for the saw but I don't do a lot of gymnastics. I finally took it off and just went back to my trusty homemade saw hanger. Someone had a tread a year or so back about clipping into the Caritool with their lanyard by mistake. Seemed like a real possibility so that was another reason for taking the gate off.
Phil


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## tree md (Mar 30, 2010)

Mike Cantolina said:


> Yep.........I've dropped a couple of saws with it too.
> 
> The plastic twists and the wire gate slides past leaving it unlocked then bump the saw on a limb & off it comes.
> 
> It's a shame too, it's just what I want to hook my saw. I just need one that won't open accidentally. I also wouldn't mind if it were aluminum.



Yep, my thoughts exactly. Aluminum would be great. Oh well, I guess I can use it to hang loop runners and stuff on. I think I'm just going to get a ladder snap with a wide gate to hang my saw on. I'd like to find an aluminum one of those as well but all I am finding is steel. Their proud of them too. $46 bucks.


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## newsawtooth (Mar 30, 2010)

I know we aren't supposed to mod gear, but in the case of a snap for your saw lanyard....Could you take it somewhere to have them sew one on? Or take some webbing, run it through a small snap and around a part of your waist belt where you want the saw. Then close the webbing loop with a water knot or beer knot, no sewing, no mods.


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## tree md (Mar 30, 2010)

newsawtooth said:


> I know we aren't supposed to mod gear, but in the case of a snap for your saw lanyard....Could you take it somewhere to have them sew one on? Or take some webbing, run it through a small snap and around a part of your waist belt where you want the saw. Then close the webbing loop with a water knot or beer knot, no sewing, no mods.



I'm thinking about doing just that. I've got a bunch of rings and snaps I could cannibalize from my old saddle. The gears are turning in my head... Can you see the smoke??? 

Whatever I do I plan to make sure it is secure. As much as I love my 200, that is not my main concern. Saws are replaceable, groundies are not...


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## newsawtooth (Mar 30, 2010)

That's the thing TreeMD, dropping a saw on someone is one of my recurring nightmares. There are some strange omissions on some of the new harnesses. They should have leash snaps on both sides and more gear loops.


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## tree md (Mar 30, 2010)

newsawtooth said:


> That's the thing TreeMD, dropping a saw on someone is one of my recurring nightmares. There are some strange omissions on some of the new harnesses. They should have leash snaps on both sides and more gear loops.



Word. I couldn't agree more. I really like my Petzl saddle but would love more traditional attachments.

I have only dropped 2 saws before. One was one of the older top handled Poulans that used to be popular when I started out climbing. I had nicked my saw lanyard and hadn't noticed. Thank God everyone was clear. The second was when an 038 got hung in some big wood when I was doing a crane removal. Not my saw. The boss had told me not to tie the saw to my saddle for just that reason. It was when I was first learning to do crane work. Again, thank God everyone was standing clear.


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## Norwayclimber (Mar 31, 2010)

I've used a big carrytool for a years time, and I'm pleased with it. Never had a saw fall out, but then I usually have a breakaway lanyard attached to the saw as well, so it wouldn't make a big deal.

As for accidentally clipping in to the carrytool, that is a danger, so try and get some distance from your D-ring and be aware.


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## D Mc (Mar 31, 2010)

I use a pear-shaped carabiner clipped in like you would a caritool and find it works well. It will swing flat when moving through the tree so does not snag as many branches but flips out easily when needed. I put one on each side, no saddle mods necessary. I also have a small caritool centered on the back of the saddle for stuff like slings.

Dave


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## squad143 (Apr 1, 2010)

I use a large caritool on my Buckingham Master Classic harness and like it a lot. I use a break-a-way bungee lanyard and clip the free end to a spring loaded clip that is attached to the saddle. With the caritool, I find clipping the ring (near the saw handle) real easy. Removing the saw is just as easy. I keep the caritool at about "4 or 5 o'clock" on my waist, so there is no worry of attaching my lanyard to it.


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## EdenT (Apr 1, 2010)

I've got one of those 'T' shaped chainsaw hooks sewn into my Buckingham Traverse. I also use the break away lanyard. I have a caritool as well (on the other side) but I wouldn't trust it with any weight more than a couple of pounds. Note - If you are going to get your harness modded got to an authorized dealer and get them to do the change and give you paperwork. If you have any problems with the harness OHS will be on you like a rash if you have unauthorized modifications.

My boss climbs in a Petzl Sequoia. Nice harness but nowhere to hang the saw. He ended out getting a lanyard with a screw gate at the end to secure the saw and a snap an the saw end he can latch onto one of the loops on the harness.


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## jmack (Apr 3, 2010)

cari tool nice cuz it wont fold in like a gear beaner i use da buck bungee lanyard and have hu385 on it no probs


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## tree md (Apr 3, 2010)

Yeah, I just attached my bungee lanyard to my saddle so if it does fall off of the Caritool it won't hit the ground. I climbed for about an hour with it last week and it worked fine. I plan to put it to the test this week on a large removal. We'll see how it works out.


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## tree md (Sep 21, 2010)

Revisiting this thread because I am doing some more accessorizing on my saddle and changing things up a little bit. 

I have been using the large caritool on the saddle for some time now and hanging my saw off of it with no problems but I have been paranoid about dropping my saw since I have been doing so. Also, the only position on my saddle where I can place the caritool is right next to either D. I am constantly wary of clipping into the caritool with my safety lanyard, as has been mentioned by others.

Anyway, I moved the caritool to the left side of my saddle where I have my lanyard attached by a locking biner. I only clip in on the right side so that should eliminate any possibility of clipping into the caritool. I bought one of these at Vermeer today to attach my saw to instead of the caritool:

http://www.sherrilltree.com/Professional-Gear/Accessory-Non-locking-/Accessory-Carabiner-49

It is aluminum which I have a lot more faith in than plastic. It is also smaller than the caritool and folds over and lays flat as DMC had mentioned. I like it much better and can have more confidence that I'm not going to drop a saw on anyone. I hate having something like that always nagging in the back of my head while I work.


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 21, 2010)

tree md said:


> Revisiting this thread because I am doing some more accessorizing on my saddle and changing things up a little bit.
> 
> I have been using the large caritool on the saddle for some time now and hanging my saw off of it with no problems but I have been paranoid about dropping my saw since I have been doing so. Also, the only position on my saddle where I can place the caritool is right next to either D. I am constantly wary of clipping into the caritool with my safety lanyard, as has been mentioned by others.
> 
> ...



Looks good, md. I may perform a similar mod to my saddle. Needing to use 2 hands to clip a saw gets old. Seems something like that would make for a much more fluid motion.


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## oscar4883 (Sep 21, 2010)

I have no issues clipping into mine one handed, but the gate on the caritool seems to get out of place easily. Gets in front of the lower "hook" part and then there is no tension. Even had the gate get out of place and fall off once or twice. I know I would pay more forone if it was a little more heavy duty.


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## Mike Cantolina (Sep 21, 2010)

tree md said:


> Revisiting this thread because I am doing some more accessorizing on my saddle and changing things up a little bit.
> 
> I have been using the large caritool on the saddle for some time now and hanging my saw off of it with no problems but I have been paranoid about dropping my saw since I have been doing so. Also, the only position on my saddle where I can place the caritool is right next to either D. I am constantly wary of clipping into the caritool with my safety lanyard, as has been mentioned by others.
> 
> ...



I went to one of those for the big saws also.

Being ambidextrous I find a chainsaw lanyard a real nuisance.


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## 2FatGuys (Sep 22, 2010)

I've been using that pear shaped non-locking biner for my saw for a couple of years now. I have a bungee lanyard on the saw with the lanyard snap hooked to a small accessory loop on my saddle. I hook the "short ring" on the lanyard to the biner. I used to use a saw lanyard with two rings, one on the end and another at the saw loop. Both rings were on the pear shaped biner. I quit doing that when I grabbed for the saw one day and both rings came off of the biner... at the WRONG time!


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## RacerX (Sep 24, 2010)

I'm using a large Caritool with the gate wire tied in the open position. I'm not really worried about the saw coming out of the Caritool since it's secured by a bungee lanyard. The Caritool is nice because it doesn't fold flat like the old pear shaped non-locking carabiner that I had been using. The one advantage of the plastic Caritool is that if it did snag on something big it would likely break away. I've seen guys use open metal hooks which could present a hazard if the hook caught a large cut limb that was falling down.


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## Tim'sTree (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm a fan of the caritool too. I've had no problem hanging my 260 on it (with a tearaway). I like how it is just a handy spot to temporarily clip stuff when I need both hands for something else.

The wire gate disappeared from one once while on a climb. Nice reminder about clipping a lanyard to it. I could see how it could happen- mine's real close to my D.


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