Besides possibly the HSS linesman belt does anyone use something else for a linesman belt? I'd possibly like to use a heavy duty rope type.....and use the sliding hitch loop, if I can find the right rope. I'm getting too old to be hanging on for dear life while hanging stands. What do you guys use?
Greg, you should be able to use ANY harness as a lineman's belt -- even the "el cheapos" that come standard with stands like Summit's (which are actually pretty darn nice as "freebies"... All the harnesses I've seen have "D-loops" sewn into the belt of the actual harness. Take your rope that has a prussic knot on it and thread it through one of the loops (that rope should have a loop at one end of it as well where you'd run it back through itself to put it around a tree with the prussic knot on the long tag end)... continue threading through until you come to that loop on the rope and then push the other end of that rope through the loop so that you've looped around the D-loop on your harness. Do the same thing with the long tag end of the prussic knot on the opposite D-loop on the harness, and now you can lengthen, shorten or adjust as necessary the long rope that wraps aournd the tree, but now it's attached to both D-loops and serves as a perfect lineman's belt for hanging stands.
if you have a store that sells a lot of construction gear sometimes you can find em there... one of my buddies cuts trees for the city of Madison and thats where they get em... i use the hss
I use the rope that came with the LW harness as the belt. Cinch through the loop on one side of my LW harness as Greg/MO describes with a D-loop except I just put it on the harness itself. Then clip the caribiner to the other side of my harness after going around the tree.
Send a PM to TreeHopper - He should have what you are looking for. I LOVE the one I got from him! If you have to, check out the Team 18 thread, he's posted in there quite a bit.
I use my old lineman's body belt left over from my craft days with what is now Verizon. When i get a HSS I will get their lineman's belt as an add on though since it is far lighter and can coil up in the pocket of the vest. Putting up stands with 2 hands available is much easier especially for us "older folks".:D
Didn't get one with mine Matt, and the supplied strap is not large enough around for me to use while hanging stands. I just want mine for balance so I can lean back or around a tree to safely hang stands.
Thats what I used for my pole climbing classes and to gain my certification. As you said, sort of heavy and cumbersome for my needs. Greg, I found that the Lone Wolf and similiar belts or straps are simply not long enough in some situations for me. I have a couple of stands that can be hung in very large trees. Thanks fellas, I'll check out the Treehopper. Also just got a lead on another guy that makes them.
My tree saddle has a linesman's belt that comes with it. I also have a HSS belt. The LW treestand strap works good too. If I'm way up high in a tree with alot of limbs I'll carry two belts, that way one's always attached.
