Top Heavy Rappellers

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Top Heavy Rappellers

Postby Mike Cato » Jul 17, 2007 1:51 pm

I'm top heavy and don't have any problem rappelling against a wall but when I hit free hang my body rocks backwards and, if I'm lucky, I finish the rappel in "couch position". Makes me worried I'll continue over backwards and come out of the harness. Wearing the harness high on the back or front doesn't help.

Any viable solutions out there? I'm in the process of losing weight to hopefully change my center of gravity but was wondering if there are any simple solutions. Almost everything I can think of ends up not working because of interfering with the rack.

Best idea, yet untried, is to get some pants with leg or calf pockets and put in a couple of rocks before the rappel to change my CG.

Ideas?

:help:
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Postby NZcaver » Jul 17, 2007 1:58 pm

What type of climbing system do you use? If you use a Frog, wearing a chest harness like the one Gonzo Guano Gear shown here should provide a little upper body "balance" and support while rappelling. Plus in my experience, it's highly unlikely that you'll fall out of a maillon-type harness (like most froggers use) even if you do invert.
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Postby Mike Cato » Jul 17, 2007 2:02 pm

I've got a Mitchell system with double-roller chest plate.
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Postby Mike Cato » Jul 17, 2007 2:05 pm

Oh yeah, I've also got this harness (non-frog):

http://www.onrope1.com/store/index.php? ... 5&parent=8
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Postby NZcaver » Jul 17, 2007 2:06 pm

Oh, I see. Maybe you could try connecting the front of your seat harness to the bottom of your chest plate with a short length of webbing or something similar?
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Postby Mike Cato » Jul 17, 2007 2:25 pm

NZ,

There's not room for the rack between the belay loop/carabiner attachment on the harness and my chest plate...

...or at least that's the way I remember it.

Guess I need to get on the practice rope and find out.
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Postby Mike Cato » Jul 17, 2007 2:26 pm

NZcaver wrote:Oh, I see. Maybe you could try connecting the front of your seat harness to the bottom of your chest plate with a short length of webbing or something similar?


That won't chang my CG, though, will it?
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Postby Scott McCrea » Jul 17, 2007 2:32 pm

We had a caver at a vertical session that was having the same problem--couldn't keep himself upright, easily. We tried a number of things that didn't help much. Finally, we found something that worked. He tightened up his harness. He had it snug to begin with, but after he got it tight, especially the leg loops, tight and up under the butt as far as possible, much better. I believe the loose leg loops were pushing the legs up and moving the center of gravity up and back. Higher, tighter leg loops lets the legs hang more downward, pulling the CoG closer to the rope.

If it doesn't work, at least it's free.
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Postby Mike Cato » Jul 17, 2007 2:37 pm

Thanks Scott.

I keep the belt and leg loops tight. I'll see if tighter (ow) works.

Most effective solution still appears to be LOSE WEIGHT.

:exactly:
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Postby Ralph E. Powers » Jul 17, 2007 3:36 pm

Well for some people "losing weight" is easier said than done. In my experience as an instructor I've always taught that as long as the feet of the rappeller (in a free hang) remain underneath the buttocks and that if their "free hand" (non-brake hand) is loosely gripping the rope ABOVE the rappel device or around the rack body itself (if using that) then they shouldn't have any difficulty in remaining "upright" during their descent.
However; most people still allow gravity to take over and pull that upper body mass downward towards earth's center. Knowing where one's center mass, center of gravity (everyone has one) goes a long way in helping this problem. It's like having the internal gyroscope in your head (everyone has one of those too) telling you when you're off from your center mass. We do this all the time while walking on level ground and up and down hills and stairs and where-ever but it's subconciously done. It's just a simple trick to bring it to the forefront of your mind and be aware of it ... among the half dozen other things you need to be aware of whilst rappelling.
This like any other SRT takes practice and even more practice... then it takes practice.

It's either that or rig a small pulley on to the/a chest harness and placed above the rappelling device. But this can cause problems in-of-by-itself.
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Upper body support

Postby pacaver » Jul 17, 2007 3:56 pm

I snap a non-locking 'biner into my chest roller and then hook it into the eye of my rack. You may need 2 to accomplish this and all non-lockers aren't the same. It seems only certain ones will fit into the chest roller. I have an OR1 Hammock chest harness and this works pretty good. Of course, YMMV.
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Postby Tim White » Jul 18, 2007 8:09 am

I’ve worked setting up SRT rigs for folks with your “shape”. The most comfortable solution seems to be a variation on what pacaver suggested. What I have folks do is attach a small diameter cord 5 – 8mm to their seat harness, run it up and through their chest roller, then clip it into the top of the rack with a non-locking biner. Experiment with the proper length to give you the most support and comfort.
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Postby Mike Cato » Jul 18, 2007 9:43 am

All right!

Excellent input, folks.

I'll give some feedback after trying them.

Thanks.
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