BII harness questions - suspenders and belt slip

[moss]

I have two questions for climbers who use a Komet BII harness. My BII wants to drop to my knees after an hour or so of climbing, especially if it's overloaded with gear. Suspenders would help but it would be nice if the waist belt length adjuster wouldn't slip.

1. Any suggestions for a pair of suspenders that work well off the shelf with the BII?

2. How do do you keep the waist belt from loosening while you climb?

Thanks!
-moss

 

[Jim1NZ]

Is the harness new? What harness did you have previously?

If so, do your climbing - pruning on your butterfly and your take downs on your old harness.

This way you can ware your new harness in without having a big saw hanging off you. Also always fasten your waist belt to the same position, don't let others climb in your gear.

 

[Bermie]

Ha! Good questions
I have a B'fly 1, and yeah, it does head south with a lot of kit on it, not so much from the waist strap loosening badly, it does creep a little, but I'm so small it's hard to keep a heavily loaded belt up! Luckily for me, my hips catch it from going too far.
I would also like to know if anyone has retrofit braces on it, or any other kind of harness for that matter.

 

[JTinaTree]

I have a butterfly 2 as well, Is the black loop still on your waist strap to keep the strap up against the buckle? I don't have much problem with waist, But the leg straps do loosen up from time to time. I found if you keep the black loop tight up against the buckle it helps to keep it tight somewhat.. I am going to use my new 260pro some this weekend, my saddle will probably be pulled down from the weight of this saw. I would be interested in some suspenders too if I could find some... Hope this helps?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Not familiar with the BF saddles. My $.02 is that if you get a suspender, do not get the elastic ones, they give very little support with gear & saw.

I have the same problem with my 7 Y/O B'ham Master, the sinch straps slip adter 45 min with a chainsaw on. I'm looking at the same saddle with dedicated suspenders on it as a replacement.

 

[M.P]

b2

hi I'm back to using my b1 because after i got a b2 and after 2 weeks! the leg loops kept slipping wider and the stitching came apart on the back support! not very impressed with the upgrade b2. very poor quality on the b2!!!

 

[woodchux]

I am wondering if any of y'all have converted your butterfly to a dragon fly, or buttstrap? The dragonfly with buttstrap just looks more comfortable than the leg strap version.

 

[Jim1NZ]

Yea i prefer the b1 also, its lighter

 

[moss]

Is the harness new? What harness did you have previously?

If so, do your climbing - pruning on your butterfly and your take downs on your old harness.

This way you can ware your new harness in without having a big saw hanging off you. Also always fasten your waist belt to the same position, don't let others climb in your gear.

I've been climbing on my BII for about 9 months. I'm very happy with it except the belt slip. The build quality (stitching etc.) on mine is very good. I'm a part-time rec climbing instructor so I load my harness heavy with gear and multiple ropes when I'm prepping the tree and setting ropes. My heaviest saw is my Ibuki I prune to remove dead branch hazards for my climbers so I'm not doing any takedowns, no need for the chain saw, yet. I also climb on NT/Ness harnesses but like the positional capability and free leg movement of the BII.

Well, I solved it. It figures... it took posting the question for me to take a harder look at it. I took the tail of the belt strap and tucked it back through the top part of the adjustment buckle closest to the closure/snap. Climbed on it 4 hours, no slip. At first glance it doesn't look like you can tuck anything back through the buckle but if you fiddle with it you'll see.

Thanks for the comments. I'll let you BII folks know if I find a good suspender setup.
-moss

 

[JTinaTree]

I am wondering if any of y'all have converted your butterfly to a dragon fly, or buttstrap? The dragonfly with buttstrap just looks more comfortable than the leg strap version.

I bought a dragonfly for mine a while back, It is very comfy although the only time I use it is when I am climbing spikeless, ie doing alot of hanging. That is why I bought it, For me it was a must have when not on spikes. It can be switched out very easly in a couple of minutes back to the leg straps..

 

[woodchux]

Thanks Hooterville, You're the only one around here using the Dragonfly i think. I've just about decided that it will be my next saddle. Any drawbacks or complaints that you can think of?

 

[JEff B]

Thanks Hooterville, You're the only one around here using the Dragonfly i think. I've just about decided that it will be my next saddle. Any drawbacks or complaints that you can think of?

in my opinion there are better bounsun seat style saddles out there then the dragonfly. the reason i got the BII is for the light weight and sleekness of it. having a bouson seat on there kind of throws that out the window. i don't find anything particular special about the support bridge and its not all that durable. nonetheless, it is definatly a comfortable saddle and real nice to sit in for a long day

 

[pigwot]

I looked a long time before I passed up on the Butterfly saddles, and got a New Tribe ProGear Work saddle. It seems a little bit bulkier than the Butterflies, but very comfortable. You can have them customize them to your liking. The leg pads are quite comfortable, as is the waist strap/back pad. I am very happy with the fit and after a day of climbing it is much more comfortable than the old buttstrap saddle I suffered with for years. I wasn't sure I'd like the static attachment point as compared to the sliding bridge, but so far I have no complaints at all. They have a very simple shoulder strap suspender ( you can use just one to support side of saddle that saw hangs on, or get two for full suspender style) that is inexpensive and works nicely. At $215 it is very competitive with other saddles in that range and more comfortable than some costing more than that. I tried the "treeMotion" saddle at Sherrill's booth at TCI Expo, and though it is full of adjustability and fancy clips and feels like it is part of you, it is $489 and a couple months wait time! The New Tribe is available now and as I said in another post, until this New Tribe wears out, I don't have a good reason to consider the treeMotion.
Take a look at the New Tribe:

http://www.newtribe.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=33&products_id=180

Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in New Tribe, just a satisfied customer.

 

[Doctor Dave]

I use a Weaver saddle, with old-style fairly narrow leather leg loops. Problem is, I bought one that's too big---I have the leg straps and waist at the last notch.
I'm going to have to look in to getting suspenders; I'm constantly yanking up on it when I'm climbing. It actually feels like I could fall out of it at times.

I thought I needed a large size, to fit over some insulated coveralls, which I never use; I generate so much heat that I often work in thermal underwear (I do wear pants!) in temps in the 40's. It didn't help that I lost 15 lbs either, mostly from my waist, or that I basically have no butt.

I'm actually thinking maybe I should sell it; it's broken-in, but not worn; would be good for someone with a 36-40 waist and big thighs.