Tested the BlackHawk Rigger's or Emergency Rappell Belt today

[MelancholyMutt]

Went out for a little Rappelling off a small cliff in New York City's Central Park today... Spent the day goofing face-first doing Australian Rappells, and since I was wearing the belt, I thought I would do one with it to see how it feels.

I was wearing BDU pants and had the belt well cinched. I hooked a biner to the hook-in point, threaded the figure 8, hooked onto the rope, and stepped to the edge.

The rappell belt worked just as well as any harness to that point, but as I went over the edge, the Belt slid halfway up to my chest, gave me a monster wedgie, and started putting pressure on my kidneys and my hip bones. The sucker bit into my flesh, leaving painful little red marks in the remnants of all them extra donuts I used to eat.

However, the belt held up just fine and after a few seconds, I was on the ground, cursing and trying to dig about a yard of fabric out of my azz. The belt works. It ain't comfortable, but it works. It makes a great safety belt, but a painful rappelling harness, and it's better than nothing.

I do have to admit that the first time I did this, I was wearing nicely fitting jeans and the rappell was quite comfortable. Well fitting jeans form a "seat" or "harness" where the belt is then the base of that harness.

 

[grommit]

So you were depending on the jeans belt loops to hold the repelling "seat" onto the belt? Either I weigh much more than you, or you have immense faith in belt loops.

 

[Banshee]

MelancholyMutt ......


.... nice to hear your personal review of the Rigger's Belt cause I'm getting one for myself.


I would think the the belt would be a last resort for abselling or rapelling and was designed as a non-obstrutive,low-key,last-resort, do-or-die kinda of equipment and a one time devise and could last for the one emergency. Anyway your experience would a least highlight to us the shortcomings of the Rigger's Belt.

Could you perhaps give some suggestions for the followings,
1. Should the rigger's belt be worn through the pants belt loops or on the outside ?
2. How can we avoid the belt from slipping onto our waist or chest as was in your case other than slipping them through the belt loops ? Would wearing the belt lower (ie near the bottom of your hips) or inproving/modifying your technique for rapelling helps??

Thanks

Bob

 

[Lurker]

From my days when I used to do some rock climbing, climbers sometimes wear just a belt instead of a full harness (which would be a belt plus leg loops). In that case, the proper way to wear the climbing belt is as tight as possible around the narrowest part of the waist. Typically that is higher than the waistband of your pants. It would be above your hip bones, below your ribs and covering your belly button. The idea is that it should not be able to slip up around your chest where it can restrict breathing or down past your hips where you can fall out of it. Suspending like this is never comfortable, but can save your life. If your physique (pot-belly) prevents this kind of fit, then effectiveness and safety is compromised and a full harness should be used.

I would speculate that the rigger's belt could/should be used the same way as the climbing belt, but of course wearing it through your belt loops would be the standard way to wear it day-to-day.