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USnavy
Feb 10, 2009, 8:32 AM
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Can someone suggest me a basic super lightweight belay seat? Something that is compact enough for me to clip to the back of my harness for I won’t have a pack with me on the route I will need it on. I have looked around and found a few things but nothing really stands out all that much.
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a-e-jones
Feb 10, 2009, 9:31 AM
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http://www.bdel.com/gear/bosuns_chair.php
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altelis
Feb 10, 2009, 1:11 PM
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this for your red rocks trip?
what route you looking at?
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ptlong
Feb 10, 2009, 3:56 PM
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Mountain Tools and Yates (and others) sell a belay seat (aka "butt bag"). You've probably already seen them. They're just a rectangle of nylon with slings sewn in. Way better than just hanging in a harness but definately not as comfy as the plywood/ensolite/duct tape routine. But you can roll one up and clip it to your harness or stick it in your pants pocket. Try that with a big piece of plywood.
That BD seat mentioned above is a poor compromise in my opinion. It's not all that comfortable and it's bulky.
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strider
Feb 10, 2009, 10:21 PM
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Hennessey
Feb 10, 2009, 10:28 PM
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Black Diamond Bosun chair. seen it on Mountain gear. Weighs only two pounds. I don't think it's gonna fit in your pocket though
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ptlong
Feb 11, 2009, 12:17 AM
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strider wrote: I bought the large Haul bag from BD and it comes with a lightweight belay seat that also doubles as padding when you are humping the pig to and fro. I don't know if BD sells it separately or not but might be worth looking into. It isn't as beefy as the one that was posted above which is rigid.
Well maybe I haven't seen the BD Bosun's Chair afterall. I climbed with a partner who has the Zion bag and he showed me a belay seat that was sort of flimsy and flexible. We used my homemade seat instead.
Just for comparison, my seat is made of 3/4" wood, ensolite, duct tape and supertape, all stuff sitting around so cost was negligable. It's about 20" by 12" and weighs around 4 lbs. So comfy!
My nylon butt bag weighs 3 ounces and folds up tiny. Not as comfortable to be sure but sometimes worth having on routes where taking a rigid seat would be ridiculous.
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strider
Feb 11, 2009, 12:29 AM
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Yeah, the official BD bosun chair is a knock-off of the A5 one which is padded and rigid.
The one you saw with your friend is the same one I have which is flexible and thin.
To be honest, having used my belay seat and a full sized A5 bosun chair, I still hate the damn things. If you are at a belay long enough to need one then something is wrong with your partner's freeclimbing or you are aid climbing. If you are aidclimbing you should have a pig to sit on or a portaledge to lounge on. Even a hanging belay is tolerable (at least for me) for several hours without a seat.
A belay seat also just adds to the clusterfu^k of a belay and adds to the weight and awkwardness of the hump in and out.
Suck it up buttercup and tough it out.
-n
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ptlong
Feb 11, 2009, 12:36 AM
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strider wrote: To be honest, having used my belay seat and a full sized A5 bosun chair, I still hate the damn things. If you are at a belay long enough to need one then something is wrong with your partner's freeclimbing or you are aid climbing. If you are aidclimbing you should have a pig to sit on or a portaledge to lounge on. Even a hanging belay is tolerable (at least for me) for several hours without a seat. A belay seat also just adds to the clusterfu^k of a belay and adds to the weight and awkwardness of the hump in and out. Suck it up buttercup and tough it out. -n
Well to each their own. On some aid routes I'd be in pain if I had to hang all the time. My body just isn't designed for that. And setting up the portaledge or flagging it isn't always that attractive an option.
Clusterfuck at the belay? Too much to hump out? I think you're exaggerating.
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strider
Feb 11, 2009, 12:41 AM
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No exaggeration. I just have different priorities I guess. You mention your seat weight close to 4lbs. I would rather have an extra 1/2 gallon of water or extra cams, extra food, comfy descent shoes, etc...
Hell, my backpacking tent weighs just under 4lbs and I think that is too heavy.
As you say, to each their own.
-n
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ptlong
Feb 11, 2009, 2:56 AM
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If I could hang at belays in my harness or straddle the pig and smile I'd agree with you one hundred percent that a four pound piece of lumber is just extra ballast.
But in theory you could say the same about a ledge and a fly and sleeping bags. Why take 20 lbs of junk when you could sleep in hammocks and down jackets? Hell, you could just stand in slings all night or keep on climbin'.
Well, I can't do that. That 4 pounds of ballast didn't bother me one single bit when my Zion haulbag toting partner carried it down. We had enough of a rack, plenty of beer and even hauled way too much water.
Now if I was going to hike 20 miles into the backcountry to climb a wall we'd do without a rigid belay seat for sure.
Anyway, cheers mate!
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USnavy
Feb 11, 2009, 4:34 AM
Post #13 of 21
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Hennessey wrote: Black Diamond Bosun chair. seen it on Mountain gear. Weighs only two pounds. I don't think it's gonna fit in your pocket though
I am not bringing a pack on POD and Unimpeachable. Just a small waste belt 1.2 liter Camelpack. I am not kidding around when I say weight makes a difference. I am trying to be as light as possible. So because of that I have no way to carry that. Plus that thing is too heavy.
I am thinking the Yates belay seat is the best option. Its only 4 Oz. and its compact and cheap.
(This post was edited by USnavy on Feb 11, 2009, 4:40 AM)
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USnavy
Feb 11, 2009, 4:35 AM
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altelis wrote: this for your red rocks trip? what route you looking at?
Prince of Darkness and Unimpeachable Groping to name a few. Those are the two on my list that have the most painful hanging belays.
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pmyche
Feb 11, 2009, 5:03 PM
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ptlong
Feb 11, 2009, 7:57 PM
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pmyche wrote: I found a Yates seat a couple of weeks ago and gave it a sit. I have a 32" waist and it was way too small for any serious comfort. My wall harness is more comfortable.
The Mountain Tools butt bag that I have has the same problem. It's 10-12" too short so the straps cut into my sides. It could be wider too. Despite the flaws it's still better than hanging in my cragging harness.
If you have a sewing machine and some time making a butt bag would be dead easy. And cheap.
In reply to: Especially in Black Velvet Cyn; not vert and not featureless.
I sort of remember Prince of Darkness as having uncomfortable belays.
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anykineclimb
Feb 15, 2009, 4:14 AM
Post #17 of 21
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How about a Misty Titan or Cadillac? I think some of the other harnesses might be too bulky for free climbing. YMMV
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the_climber
Feb 25, 2009, 3:43 PM
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anykineclimb wrote: How about a Misty Titan or Cadillac? I think some of the other harnesses might be too bulky for free climbing. YMMV
A poor climber blames his harness for not sending.
Truth is I used to think of Big Wall harnesses as too bulky for free climbing untill I started climbing in one for new routing. Now it's my first choice for everything but alpine. Despite how comfortable it is on 4+ hour belays (many times hanging) while climbing new ground I'm still making a belay seat for next rock season.
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elcapinyoazz
Feb 25, 2009, 4:15 PM
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USnavy wrote: Prince of Darkness and Unimpeachable Groping to name a few. Those are the two on my list that have the most painful hanging belays.
Painful? Good lord, are you named Dainty McPoofter or something?
You don't need a belay seat for either of those. Slightly uncomfortable at a couple of belays on each, and unless your team is super slowmo you won't be on any of those belays for more than 15 min if you led to that anchor and are swinging leads, and if you followed to that anchor you'll be there <2min.
Too much gear wankery, too much planning and scheduling and trying to compensate for inexperience with gear and "tactics". They aren't himalayan expeditions. You're talking about Grade II sport climbs next to the road.
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