RRC Archives

BD Bullet pack is great for water, food, camera, approach shoes and a wind breaker. And it's not very cumbersome either unless you have to deal with a chimney but then you can just hang it from a runner off your harness for the chimeny section. Has a hole in the top for the bladder hose and clips to the shoulder strap perfect to take a drink even while climbing through the crux if you want.

Yates SHIELD HARNESS is comfy for extended hanging belays.

protip: use your shell and microfleece as the backpad.

On shorter routes just fidget and move around, stand in your aiders if you have them. On day climbs I never found hanging belays uncomfortable enough to bother with a butt bag, though they easily fit in a back pocket. On big walls the haul bag can provide a very welcome stance and is much appreciated.

My buddy and I once did 15 pitches at seneca non stop and we had a camel back with water and some protein bars which seemed to work well, even in a few of the chimneys. Of course for me, I tend to pre-hydrate and then not drink enough on the walls, which usually leaves me with a huge friggin headache for dehydration... I seem to remember one hanging belay there but as others have said the fidgeting works usually because you are only sitting there for a few minutes (depending on your partner).

Now, I don't own one of these bad boys but I have heard the new Arcteryx Harnesses...you know the space age ones are SUPPOSED to be awesome for hanging belays....don't know for sure, don't own one but if your are doing a lot of hanging with increased amount of pitches it might be worth the denari?

A little camalbak is what I have used before. Seems to work out well to have the 2nd carry the pack.

I hang in my harness a lot, and not just while climbing. The misty Cadillac is pretty cush, though I have spent an hour or so in a petzl sporty harness, which was a little bit less fun. I couldn't see bringing a chair, unless you are already hauling a pig or something.

I climb with a backpack on most long routes. I just sling it off my belay loop for chimney's. I use a camel back if I am rock climbing and nalgene's if I am in the alpine.
Whitesides is pretty short; I sometimes do it with out a pack and water. As far as the taking weight off your legs; I will put a few mountaineer coils on and use those to lean back on. Sometimes I will put an improvised chest harness on with a 4 foot sling other times I have used an improvised chair made of a longer sling or a cord.

Wes wrote:

.....I hang in my harness a lot, and not just while climbing.

hmmmmm sounds err...fun.

p0bray01 wrote:

Wes wrote:

.....I hang in my harness a lot, and not just while climbing.

hmmmmm sounds err...fun.

It is! Put in a couple hours hanging today while rebolting Wheel of time.

Chouinard made those rip-stop nylon belay seats years ago, they were a rectangular piece of nylon with a lightweight webbing loop system for sitting in, they weighed a few ounces at most and would stuff in a shirt pocket- doesn't everybody have one of those?

I have done a lot of hanging belays. The leader climbs with a small camel pack 2L and the follower carrys a small pack with around 2-4 L depending on the climb. Half day (12 hours) 2L and full day (24 hours) 4L. Also in the followers back you have bars and other stuff needed for the climb. it works out pretty well.

for hanging belays you can use a belay seat, which make it a lot more comfortable, but it sucks to carry unless you are already hauling a small pack.

you can use a thin rope (7mm) as a tag/haul line and have the leader at the end of the pitch hand over hand the pack with water and everything else in it up to the top of the pitch. This is nice, because nobody has to climb with a pack on, but you do have to carry an extra rope and deal with it at belays. not really a big deal once you have done it a few times.