Anderson sling customization

[essdub]

I just sewed loops to finish the first round of customizations on the Anderson sling.
I always thought the sling was the most comfy thing I've ever sat in while hanGing fRom a tree. What I didn't like was the built in tether (on the big buck sling I got from JWP I like the built in bridge though -i might keep it as is), and the second"seat/cradle"always seemed to get twisted or just fall out of position, or otherwise get in the way.
I tried making several single"cradle"slings from scratch but I just never got the dimensions quite right. So I decided I'd buy a couple Anderson slings when they came around and "repurpose"/modify one of them.
This first round of modifications:
I cut the tether, and the second" cradle" away and left the webbing long on one cradle. Then I folded the remaining webbing pieces over each other to shape of a large, two - pieces - of- webbing - thick loops and sewed them by hand stitches all over the entire"loop"of two folded pieces. Then I sewed the lower part where the two pieces meet into the two webbing straps that make the seat right at the"v" where they start to separate.
Then, only for the first trials, I attached the coated oblong metal rings and attached the original"belt". The rings and the original belt will not be on the sling when I'm done. I plan to attach a different belt.
After a few" trial hangs" , I decided that the loops are still too far forward and I hooked the carabiner( holding the sling bridge) through the loops AND under the web straps that form the seat to bRing the carabiners closer to my hips and allow a lower (close to chin height) tether and a long -ish bridge. This is the part where I'm gonna have to experiment a few times. I might just make loops on sides to attach lineman belt/flipline and sew on a short permanent webbing bridge. Or I might try to keep moVing the loops unTil I'm happy with their position and use carabiners and any of the myriad bridge options I use on other slings/saddles.
This is the beginning of the project, but I can already tell it's gonna be extra lightweight and comfy. Just gotta iron it out a bit.

Here's a few pics of round 1

 

[essdub]

Here's round 2 of the mods:
A few pics and short video showing the sewn bridge (I sewed it shorter after the video). It's pretty comfy and very very light. It's easy to twist and rotate inside it and I think it'll be a winner once I'm through with it.
In the video you can see me testing it out and rotating around the tree and trying a few different positions with it.

Round 2 Anderson sling mods: http://youtu.be/7cHrPaPNLHw


Then shooting from it from about 15ft. I didn't go higher yet just in case of a failure of parts of the sling I made

Shooting out of modified Anderson sling: https://youtu.be/wUq_NGKYlXo

 

[g2outdoors]

You are a serious tinkerer. I love it!

 

[essdub]

I sewed on a tubular webbing belt last night and camo taped the large loops into a more carabiner friendly shape for attaching lineman belt.
Will try to get out and take some pics of the newest mods after work today

 

[essdub]

Ok. Here's a few pics fRom today. You can see The accessory loop I added in The middle of the back of The sling.
The bridge is still a little too long, so I'm Gonna shorten it again. But you can see the belt I sewed on (gonna get a real buckle), you can see how the outside loops work as lineman belt attachment using the one long rope as tether, and lineman belt. Then you see how the sling fits while sitting (I'll be loosening the belt from this point forward once I'm in position - just keeping it fastened tight enough to prevent the sling from falling down around my knees).
Then you see how I pull the outside loops together abd attach the grigri2 to both sides in the middle to take my weight BEFORE I detach my rope man and bridge. Then I just use the grigri2 and get to the ground.
The sling isn't perfect yet, but it's getting there. Some of the pics didn't get all the pertinent parts in frame where I was switcHing from rope man over to grigri. But you can see the bridge is still weighted when I put the grigri on the lineman loops. After I load the grigri with my weight, then I remove the rope man and bridge from the tether

 

[redsquirrel]

Finally getting to take a vacation starting this weekend. Maybe I can get my anderson sling out and play with and take some pics for you.

 

[essdub]

The more I use this little sling, the better I like it. It's extremely light and pretty comfy. I might have to do some more mods to make it prettier though.