buckingham saddle

[Lumberjack]

I use the ness sadle, and I love it. I have tried the glide on, and it is really bulky, the leg straps aren't comfy, and it looked overly complicated. The ness is like a leg stap saddle and a butt stap mix. The leg staps are like individual butt straps for each leg. When I first got it, I thought that it was weird, but I have grown to like it. The ness is only like $170, an is plenty comfortable to work out of all day every day.


Carl

 

[NickfromWI]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
One thing with the Butterfly is that you can tweek it a lot so that it fits better. One of the most modified saddles I've seen out there.

True dat! I got rid of the plastic slide buckles on the leg straps (replaced those nut crunchers with a few passes from the Singer)

Also added a bridge to two of the lower attachment points.

The fat 2" webbing that you adjust/tighten the saddle, I added velcro, so that once adjusted, I velcro them (the left strap and the right strap) together behind me...they stay out of the way and the saddle does not get bigger as I climb!

I sewed a watch face to the saddle. Set the alarm to go off at lunch time...in case I forget.

Much room for modification on the Master II

love
nick

 

[2 Guys With Saw]

I have a Weaver 4 dee saddle that I have been using for about 2 years now. I find it very comfortable, I like the suspenders that I ordered with it as they hold the saddle in place when donning, freeing both hands for other tasks. As others have said each to his own. What is comfortable to one may not be so to another.

 

[tjk]

I wore a Butterfly for 3 years and loved it. I was told while in Montreal that they will NOT allow the butterfly if it had been modified( replacing the bridge) unless you have written permission from Komet. I've been using a Glide for a while and I feel it is the best replace ment for the butterfly. It did take a few days for rerouting the suspention to lower the center fo gravity like the BF. I also have an Austrian Duo, it is my second favorite harness. I just do not like caribiners on dee rings , too much slop. I have always ran and still do, captive eye caribiners into the bridge of the BF,. and the glide.

 

[NickfromWI]

tjk, When you unclip and reclip your saddle (say...to go around a limb) do you have to unclip the friction hitch and slack tender, right?

love
nick

 

[Hemlock]

Nick, went down to the tack shop the other day and ordered a weaver hand awl (not the cheap kind with the thread in the handle) for stitching heavy webbing and leather. Saddlemaker recommends a flat nylon thread that I've never seen before and I'm thinking about staying with the stock upper belt and building two different bottoms. Bosun's seat and individual leg slings based on the ness. Had some trouble with waxed thread as it got older on some other rigging and need to go to something else. Any suggestions?

 

[tshanefreeman]

Seeing how saddles is the hot topic here, I was wondering if anyone has used the Petzl Navaho Vario. From the first time that I saw this saddle in Sherrill's catologue, I thought that it looked like a good one. Any imput would be appreciated.............

I have attached a photo of the saddle in case anyone is interested.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yea, I had the Navaho for about 48 hrs. Check out this thread, especially my 9th response on the 1st page; http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9882

 

[tjk]

Nick, you are correct. It has not been an issue for me though. Seeing how I do not have to do it very often.

 

[NickfromWI]

Hemlock, the flat thread you refer to is called Sinew. It's great because you can can split it in half length wise to make thinner strands for sewing smaller leather.

You say you had problems in the past with waxed stuff. I'm not sure the wax was the problem. The wax helps keep water out and adds a bit of UV protection and keeps the thread pliable, so if anything, the wax should help. The questions I ask is, "What type of material was the thread made out of?" Cotton, polyester, nylon? Waxed polyester would be the best if you're waxing it. I've used seine twine, which is a tarred polyester. That stuff is awesome for sewing leather. You can get it at sail shops. It's usually (almost always) a three strand line in all sorts of sizes from the thickness of regular sewing thread (that you'd run through the sewing machine) all the way up to stuff just shy of a quarter inch in diameter.

I' also sew a lot of leather on the sewing machine (I have a 1965 Singer 338). I use heavy upholstery thread and have sewn through very thick leather with it (I did one project that cost me about 14 sewing needles because the leather was sew thick!)

love
nick

 

[jamie]

petzl

i was looking at the petzl vario, was thinking of adding the 'podium' seat strap as an extra addition, either that or the petzl mini boss, like rborist

the comments on MBs thread shed some doubts on the vario

jamie

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I played with one for several hours at the MKE TCI.

There was no way I could adjust it to be comfortable. I don't think it was designed with perminant suspention in mind.

There are a number of saddles much better suited. If you want full body, look at Seirra Moreno's Bry-Dan.

It's the one with the silver strapping. I could not find a good picture of it on the web.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Re: petzl

Originally posted by jamie
i was looking at the petzl vario, was thinking of adding the 'podium' seat strap as an extra addition, either that or the petzl mini boss, like rborist

the comments on MBs thread shed some doubts on the vario

jamie

The tip-off for me shoulda been when I noticed the whole thing came in a little bag about the size of a shaving kit.

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[jmchristopher]

Sherrill saddle

I hate the old butt pinching , awkward , double dee mainly because I like the feeling of "dancing" in a tree. My current saddle comes from Sherrill, and is a Pro Master with leg straps, a grommet buckle ( those sliding side straps drove me nuts!) and built in shoulder harness. It was a bit of work getting it spec'd initially, but now 3 other guys in my office have gotten the same thing .The word is that it fits like a glove once it's adjusted right, and is solid enough to hold equipment and saws all day long. It also has the advantage with the shoulder harness, that you can step out of a bucket and into a tree without changing any gear. I'm not a terribly sophisticated technical climber, but have spent a lot of time in a variety of saddles. Feel free to check with me if you have any particular questions.

 

[jmchristopher]

....oh, yeah... Scott Prophett, who currently works for Sherrill, and is a heavy hitter in terms of safety and technical tree work (co-inventor of the Portawrap) helped materially in getting the specs together for my saddle.

 

[jamie]

Petzl Navaho Mini Boss

Sorry to hark back onto the Petzl miniboss but i have another question,

The side rings (not the side d rings) as illustrated in my 'tree spyder styleeee picture below, can they be used when attached with a mallion rapide as the main anchor point? i reckon they can but im not too sure, im still working out of the sky belt that my boss has for me(and liking it, its my harness, no one else wears it).

i just like the idea of the rigid seat (and if im truly honest the colours look good as well)

anyway i'll leave now and stop cluttering up the airwaves

jamie

 

[blue]

JAMIE,
the other climber i work with has one of these harnesses which i have used on a few occasions.it has good points and bad points(as most things in life)which i find are;



1. find it comfortable for spiking on a pole as it has a quite wide back support as opposed to my skybelt.


2. when sat in the bosun's seat i find it very uncomftable when you twist to oneside onto your hips.


3. real pain in the a$$ in a tight crown as the rigid seat seem's to get wedged on branches.

 

[jmchristopher]

EC?

Jamie, Are you restricted to buying EC approved saddles and other climbing gear?

 

[jamie]

sort of

im not too sure on the ins and outs but i think i am.....

at the moment my boss supplies everyhting but im considering buying my own kit (but thats mega bucks when he provides it for free)

why do you ask?

jamie