Ok I am definitely not meaning to offend or insult anyone with this post but I watched some older videos of this same guy swearing he does not saddle hunt but “knows enough to be dangerous” and that the tacit saddle was the greatest saddle ever created. Now he’s using a rock climbing harness, which many of us did years ago as a back up to sit drags. Yes I know this post mentions using a hang on with a saddle so I have some thoughts and perhaps others have mentioned these points as well? Again Not to belittle anyone but i am stating his comments from other videos. Now onto the bigger issue with this video. A) he mentions clipping into the metal rings for lineman’s loops which works and is strong but most of us try desperately to avoid metal on metal contact points and to save weight when practical. I good large FIRM lineman’s loop will clip in just as easily as that metal ring and be just as safe without extra weight or noise! B) he is tethering into only the top loop of the harness which he claims is just as safe and strong because rock climbers and arborists said so... Most arborist saddles if not all, are work positioning saddles that contain either metal d rings to tie in on the sides or the have a short fixed bridge. This is because short bridges and side connection cause more inward pinch. It keeps you in the harness more firmly for obvious safety reasons such as a cut branch swinging out and knocking you unconscious. You are taught not to add slack in your system because the arborist saddle is not a fall arresting harness it’s made for work positioning. So if you are hit and you fall like 8 or 10” and flip sideways or upside down, the harness will without a doubt keep you in it even if the belt is not completely tightened. The leg straps on an arborist saddle while large, usually padded and connected in the front and the back of the harness are weight bearing but not necessarily fall arresting in strength (there is a difference). By comparison a rock climbing harness has no bridge. Your tie in points are the loops in the belt portion and leg strap portion. The belay loop is for belay only and even though it is strong enough to support you, it is not intended for constant load in and of itself. This is because they are designed to apply more pressure to the legs and less to the upper torso during rappelling. Due to the lack of even weight distribution, they aren’t recommended to be used for climbs or falls. Well it’s the same in reverse when you connect to only the top loop of rock harnesses. See in the event of a fall the initial dynamic load will be applied to the area on the harness that tightens first. In his hook up, that is the top. So he will have nearly all the initial force applied to his torso before the leg portion helps absorb the force. He mentions slips or cut outs and falls on his linesman belt as hurting and removing him from the hunt for days. Well the way he is hooking up, it will be no different at all. When your torso absorbs the force, you can do more than be sore, you can break your spine and or crush internal organs, not just bruise up, when you have a fall. And it doesn’t matter your fall distance as much as your fall factor ie how high about your rope or tether in relation to the amount of slack. A 2’ fall in a 1 to 1 fall factor will generate nearly the same force as a 6’ fall on the same 1 to 1. Long story short rock climbing harnesses are designed to be used with dynamic ropes so that they can arrest a fall safely and they are designed to be tied into the proper way not on the belay loop or just on the top connection. Furthermore if you are stand hunting, use the proper fall arresting harness, saddles are not intended to arrest a fall, they are intended to keep you from falling in the first place when properly used.
It is the misunderstanding of harnesses and their designs that lead to bad information being spread. Bad information from you tube can lead to injuries or death. Injuries and death lead to expensive insurance for hunting products as well as increased medical for you and increased rates across the board for everyone. Unless we all want gear to cost $350 per saddle and for our medical insurance to continue jumping up every year, we need to try to spread good safe information and use products in the manner they are intended. I love hunting. I’m not at all afraid of heights or falls. I also do not want to pay an arm and a leg for safe hunting gear for me and my family so that we can enjoy going into the woods and shooting some game. Anyway rant over!
