Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
| Messages 1 - 8 of total 8 in this topic |
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 24, 2010 - 01:21pm PT
|
How's it goin', eh?
As you have probably read everywhere, I'm a big fan of the Yates Big Wall Harness. I believe it's the best big wall harness made, because it is so thick and cushy, and has so many great sub-racks to hang stuff off of. I've spent 411 nights on the side of El Cap, every damn one of them in this harness, and I couldn't recommend it enough. If you want to hang out on the Big [or not so big] Stone, and haul enormous pigs like me, then this is the harness for you.
Except for one design flaw - the main closure buckle on the belt was a real bugger to close. The problem was that the buckle was symmetric, in that the side of the buckle where you made the double pass was no wider than the side that you make the single pass through. So it was a struggle to put on.
Anyway, John Yates just told me that he has addressed the issue, and if anyone has a Yates Big Wall Harness with an old belt, to please write him at
john [at] yatesgear dot com
and he will send you a new belt for *free*. The new belt has a much friendlier buckle.
Other great stuff of John's that I use are:
 Screamers and Scream-Aids - I can't tell you how many of these things I have deployed over the years. They saved my life at least once, and have made leading really sick aid a[n] [almost] reasonable proposition.
Adjustable daisies - great things, those. Why climb El Cap, when you can simply "pull yourself up" using the 2:1 mechanical advantage that adjustable daisies offer [less friction through the buckle]
Yates Big Wall Rope - stuff made by Bluewater, burly as all get out. Lasts forever, doesn't get abraded when your seconder is jugging it, and it runs across edges. I'm kind of a chickensh|t when I'm climbing most of the time, and I "feel safer" when I'm tied into one of those fat mofo ropes.
Another thing worth mentioning about John is that he usually has stuff in stock, and will ship it to you pretty much right away. You can pick up the phone and call him, talk to him or his wife [I think] directly, and if he's not there, he'll call you back right away.
I'll probably think of a few more products of his that I use and like, maybe you guys use and like some of his stuff, too.
So call this the John Yates Appreciation Thread, if you like.
Anyway, gotta fly, got caving trip reports to write, etc etc.
Cheers and beers,
Pete Zabrok
Big Wall Camper
|
|
rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
|
|
|
Mar 24, 2010 - 07:40pm PT
|
does your buckle thing apply to the Shield harness also? I don't have mine around to look at but I believe the two parts of the buckle are sized differently. But maybe I don't exactly understand what you're talking about.
Two complaints I do have though; I want two donuts. And the damn thing is too big. I have a medium and I usually size stuff between a med and a large. But this just won't tighten up enough around my waste. Seems OKish when I put it on but by the end of a day I can only hope I don't fall upside down; I fear I'd come right out of the thing.
other than that, definitely comfy and burly.
|
|
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 24, 2010 - 07:47pm PT
|
All of those problems have solutions.
I don't own a Shield harness so can't comment on the buckle.
Email or phone John, and he will send you a second donut. Note that if you use two donuts and two adjustable daisies, like I do, there is a SAWING action on the cross-strap of your harness as you weight and unweight each daisy/aider combo. Accordingly this cross-strap will abrade and wear out much faster if you use two donuts. So what I have done is coat my cross-strap in Plasti-Dip, and this has worked really well for me.
As for the sizing, John does make a size between medium and large - just ask!
|
|
rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
|
|
|
Mar 24, 2010 - 07:52pm PT
|
Unfortunately, with the shield you can't put on another donut without stitching it in place. (from pictures I think the Big Wall is different in this regard??) And I'm too lazy and its too late to send off the harness to get fixed. (and of course I never remember during the off season. ha)
|
|
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 25, 2010 - 10:59pm PT
|
Bump for big wall harness owners.
|
|
nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
|
|
|
Mar 25, 2010 - 11:05pm PT
|
Hmmm.... I've owned two
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2010 - 02:14am PT
|
I've climbed the past 15 years almost exclusively in Yates wall harnesses, Shield wall harnesses, and, more lately the Astroman.
John has always been a bro to me and been responsive to feedback
Yeah for Yates.
Seems to me you could squeeze another donut into Shield harness. The ones I've had unbuckle completely so you'd just need to squeeze it through the leg loops
Peace
Karl
|
|
Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
|
|
|
Mar 27, 2010 - 03:53am PT
|
The Yates Big Wall Harness is alot like a lounge-chair, up there.
|
|
| Messages 1 - 8 of total 8 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!