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Knaider/Swaider tutorial

Parts List:

I think this is everything.....

1 inch tubular webbing
1/2 inch flat webbing for the calf strap on the knaider
1/2 buckle for the calf strap
1 inch metal hook for knaider
castration straps to cinch webbing to my feet (zip ties work as well)
short piece of shock chord (you can sacrifice one of your bungee hooks that you use to strap stuff down)
Cheap hardware store carabiner for the bungee (hooks to your harness)
A REAL carabiner rated for 24KN or better for the swaider (will hook to the step)
Two 1 inch strap adjusters. Now you can actually get four of these and you can get around having to sew anything, but I figured the less things that can be adjusted, or go out of adjustment, the better. I used the easy stitcher to do all of my sewing.

I used bungee hog cinch rings to cinch the bungees. But you can make your own with stiff wire. You want the bungee fastened tightly to the carabiner that hooks to the step so the bungee cannot slide out of position. I can't stress how convenient it is to have the bungee flip the carabiner over for unhooking as you climb.

As for the hook. There was talk about using a larger hook. It is not needed, or wanted. Once you latch on it is not coming unhooked. Anything larger will make it actually too hard to unhook. I am locked in.

I wrapped the hook and carabiner with duct tape to silence them. It works fine.

Everything can be purchased, except for the shock chord, at strapworks.com.
 
Peterk1234 said:
The only thing I have modified since these pics were taken was to replace the zip ties at the foot loops with castration bands. The credit for that one goes to @swampsnyper, who was kind enough to send me a few. They work much better.

View attachment 5216 View attachment 5217
Click to expand...

Do you think this could be done with Amsteel instead of webbing? It could weigh basically nothing then!


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So I watched the earlier video & it didn’t do it justice. This is awesome, thanks for taking time to break it down!!
 
IkemanTX said:
Do you think this could be done with Amsteel instead of webbing? It could weigh basically nothing then!


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Click to expand...
I tried the amsteel. I found it too narrow (1/8 inch) and it cut into the boot making it uncomfortable. I have a whoopie aider as a backup but it is threaded through some webbing to provide comfort for the foot. I think you need the width of the webbing. There really is very little weight here anyway. Pete
 
Thank you Pete. You saved me a video! Also, thank you for the knaider. It changed my world this year. I'm carry 5 steps this year which allows me to climb up to 35 feet with a multistep aider and to about 28 feet with your knaider and a single step aider.

What I liked about your video the most was the emphasis on the lineman's belt. I think this aspect is missed with a lot of novice climbers. Even with the Cain method, a lot of guys fail to utilize the lineman's belt got positioning. You did this well and I give you a world's worth of credit putting out such an informative video.

Thank you again and good luck this fall.

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@BassBoysLLP thank you for the kind words. Up until I started experimenting with a saddle, I am embarrassed to say I never climbed with a linesman's belt, or tether. Call me stupid and lucky. At first the lineman's belt was awkward. You can see it in my earlier vids experimenting with the knaider. However, once I figured out how to use it effectively, it added a huge level of safety and ease because I was frictioned against a tree and can use it as leverage while climbing. Safety is becoming more important to me as I age. I have committed to either be tethered to the tree or use a linesman belt. Any safety mechanism that is not directly attached to a tree is an unacceptable risk to me. While the lineman's belt still can end up in a fall to the bottom, I think the risk is low and worst case you will slide a few feet and suffer some "tree burn". I can live with that.

I had two objectives. Safety and have a method that I can use into my later years. I think this method checks both boxes. Worst case I am not getting five plus feet between steps. Maybe it becomes four feet when I am 70 years of age :)

Pete
 
Black vinyl coated hooks, as suggested by Swampsnyper in Pete's original thread, are available through Walmart. US Cargo Control, the manufacturer, doesn't seem to offer online purchasing.

393867b6-6144-41e5-9401-0994c071eb7b_1.eb25db0b772eebaaedf65824d6fa43b6.jpeg

1" Heavy Duty Wire Hook w/ Black Vinyl Coating - 2 Pack
Average rating:0out of5stars, based on0reviewsWrite a review
$4.95
 
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