black diamond bod harness

Discuss caving lights, packs, helmets, clothing, etc.
For rope and vertical equipment, go to the On Rope! forum.
Cave electronics enthusiasts can also visit the Communications and Electronics Section forum.

Moderator: Moderators

black diamond bod harness

Postby machine23 » Jan 14, 2008 12:44 am

i want a harness. this one looks decent. and i dont want to be too cheap, because i know i will have my life depending on it in some situations. anyone own this particular harness? pros? cons?
caves rock...no pun intended
machine23
Infrequent Poster
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Oct 20, 2007 5:12 am
Location: Grass Valley, CA
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby JoeyS » Jan 14, 2008 10:44 am

I used to have that harness for rappelling from towers in Boy Scouts or the occasional rock climbing trip (very rare). It was comfortable as I remember, but that was in the early 90's. They may have nicer stuff out there now.
If you plan to use it for a frog climbing system (sit-stand), it won't work well at all. You'll need to get a harness with a lower attachment point than the Bod. What is your intended use for a harness? What kind of climbing system do you have/ plan to get?
________________
Joey Stuckey
JoeyS
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 402
Joined: Aug 8, 2006 11:22 am
Location: Middle Tennessee
NSS #: 57719
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Nashville Grotto
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby Evan G » Jan 14, 2008 3:55 pm

The Black Diamond bod harness is a great "all round" harness for Mountaineering, Rocking Climbing, Ice Climbing, but very little use in Caving. The bod harness is the one I used originally for caving, but I noticed that it wore out very fast and hung up on the cave a lot.

IMO has many wonderful harness:
http://www.innermountainoutfitters.net/subcategory.php?subcategoryid=13&page=1
and On Rope 1:
http://www.onrope1.com/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=8&pg=1

I personally own a Petzl Fracito for my Alpine ascending system and OR1(On Rope 1) Expedition Goliath Harness for my Frog System. Both are wonderful.
Evan G
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 1128
Joined: Mar 12, 2006 2:52 pm
Location: Breckenridge, CO
Name: EEG
NSS #: 28685
Primary Grotto Affiliation: NRMG
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby Scott McCrea » Jan 14, 2008 4:17 pm

What they said. The Bod is a great harness, but it's not a caving harness. I have one and use it outside sometimes.

:off topic: Evan, what is your "Alpine ascending system?" Is it different from your frog system? Maybe this is worthy of a new topic?
Scott McCrea
SWAYGO
User avatar
Scott McCrea
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 3198
Joined: Sep 5, 2005 3:07 pm
Location: Asheville, NC USA
NSS #: 40839RL
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Flittermouse Grotto
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby Evan G » Jan 14, 2008 4:50 pm

Scott McCrea wrote: :off topic: Evan, what is your "Alpine ascending system?" Is it different from your frog system? Maybe this is worthy of a new topic?


There was a thread on the 3 phase cuddington. Many years ago the 3-phase cuddington was grab by Alpine cavers an used and was nicknamed the "Alpine System". I have seen a 3-phase and maybe over time the Alpine System has change from the 3-phase. It is basically a hybid between the Mitchel, Frog, and Ropewalker.
Evan G
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 1128
Joined: Mar 12, 2006 2:52 pm
Location: Breckenridge, CO
Name: EEG
NSS #: 28685
Primary Grotto Affiliation: NRMG
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby ArCaver » Jan 14, 2008 5:54 pm

Evan wrote:
Scott McCrea wrote: :off topic: Evan, what is your "Alpine ascending system?" Is it different from your frog system? Maybe this is worthy of a new topic?


There was a thread on the 3 phase cuddington. Many years ago the 3-phase cuddington was grab by Alpine cavers an used and was nicknamed the "Alpine System". I have seen a 3-phase and maybe over time the Alpine System has change from the 3-phase. It is basically a hybid between the Mitchel, Frog, and Ropewalker.


I searched for a thread on the 3-phase cuddington and cannot find it. Could you post a link, please? Do you know of any other info on the web for this system?
User avatar
ArCaver
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 568
Joined: Jul 31, 2006 12:42 pm
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby fuzzy-hair-man » Jan 14, 2008 6:06 pm

ArCaver wrote:I searched for a thread on the 3-phase cuddington and cannot find it. Could you post a link, please? Do you know of any other info on the web for this system?


Here it is:
http://forums.caves.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3327&p=26243&hilit=Cuddington#p26243
User avatar
fuzzy-hair-man
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 955
Joined: Apr 6, 2006 2:09 am
Location: Canberra, Australia
Primary Grotto Affiliation: NUCC
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby Scott McCrea » Jan 14, 2008 6:36 pm

Ah, right. I remember that. Thanks, FHM!
Scott McCrea
SWAYGO
User avatar
Scott McCrea
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 3198
Joined: Sep 5, 2005 3:07 pm
Location: Asheville, NC USA
NSS #: 40839RL
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Flittermouse Grotto
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby ek » Jan 14, 2008 7:02 pm

machine23 wrote:i want a harness. this one looks decent. and i dont want to be too cheap, because i know i will have my life depending on it in some situations. anyone own this particular harness? pros? cons?

Your life will depend on your harness *every* time you use it!

I have used the Bod harness quite a bit for rock and ice climbing. It works well, though I believe there are now substantially lighter and more comfortable models of climbing harnesses.

But I will agree with those who have been saying that it is not a caving harness. In very wet, muddy environments, its padding will absorb water, puff up, and eventually come off. But more importantly, the Bod harness, like most climbing harnesses, is unsuitable for caving because it does not provide the expected redundancy. A caving harness should be constructed so that when the harness is worn properly, the complete cutting at *any* point does not result in the user being dropped. Harnesses that use a waist strap and two leg loops (there are other designs) must therefore have loading-bearing leg loops. Loops that do not merely hold your legs in the correct positions, but which can withstand significant forces even in the absence of a functioning waist strap. This way, if the waist strap is cut, or even if the junction between the waist strap and one of the leg loop is cut (leaving only the other leg loop functioning), something still holds you up. The Bod does not meet this requirement because the leg loops are not load-bearing in this sense (as evidenced by the cheap plastic buckles that are used to attach them, providing excellent convenience but not providing significant security beyond what is provided by the waist strap.

The Bod will specifically work poorly, as JoeyS, says, for a frog system, because you will have a very short step and will waste huge amounts of valuable energy getting up the rope.

I currently use the Gonzo Guano Gear Caver Seat Harness. I recommend it highly, though different harnesses will fit different people differently--try on a harness before buying it, if you can. The GGG Caver Seat Harness is pretty light and inexpensive, compared to most other vertical caving harnesses.
Eliah Kagan
NSS 57892
Syracuse University Outing Club

Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
User avatar
ek
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 1040
Joined: Apr 3, 2007 2:45 am
Location: Syracuse, NY
Name: Eliah Kagan
NSS #: 57892
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Syracuse University Outing Club
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby ArCaver » Jan 14, 2008 7:04 pm

fuzzy-hair-man wrote:
ArCaver wrote:I searched for a thread on the 3-phase cuddington and cannot find it. Could you post a link, please? Do you know of any other info on the web for this system?


Here it is:
http://forums.caves.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3327&p=26243&hilit=Cuddington#p26243


Thanks!
:thanks:
User avatar
ArCaver
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 568
Joined: Jul 31, 2006 12:42 pm
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby David Grimes » Jan 16, 2008 3:51 pm

ek wrote:The Bod does not meet this requirement because the leg loops are not load-bearing in this sense (as evidenced by the cheap plastic buckles that are used to attach them, providing excellent convenience but not providing significant security beyond what is provided by the waist strap.


I may have an older Bod harness but mine has steel buckles on the leg loops. I agree that a caving harness would be much better though especially since the padding will hold water and cause the harness to rot. I use the PMI Pit Viper for $50 it is a good investment for a frog system.
User avatar
David Grimes
Admin
 
Posts: 1297
Joined: Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Location: Port Richey, Fl / Harrison County, In
NSS #: 59533
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Indiana Underground Society
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby ek » Jan 16, 2008 5:00 pm

The steel buckles are potentially stronger...but that doesn't mean the harness was ever tested to establish a minimum breaking strength of the leg loops used alone.

I've heard a lot of people talking about how climbing harnesses with water-absorbing padding will rot if kept wet too long. While flora might start growing on them, I doubt that an all-synthetic harness would ever *rot out*. I think that, instead, the padding depletes by being slowly rubbed off by grit. But I might be wrong about that.
Eliah Kagan
NSS 57892
Syracuse University Outing Club

Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
User avatar
ek
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 1040
Joined: Apr 3, 2007 2:45 am
Location: Syracuse, NY
Name: Eliah Kagan
NSS #: 57892
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Syracuse University Outing Club
  

Re: black diamond bod harness

Postby David Grimes » Jan 16, 2008 5:06 pm

I was just pointing out that some have steel buckles but either way I do not know positively that it will rot if it is left wet for a long time but it does seem reasonable but probably not very quickly. I only used mine once for caving when I first started vertical. I would say if it was the only harness available at the time it is still ok to use not ideal but you can still get in and out of the cave with it in a frog system.
User avatar
David Grimes
Admin
 
Posts: 1297
Joined: Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Location: Port Richey, Fl / Harrison County, In
NSS #: 59533
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Indiana Underground Society
  


Return to Equipment Forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users