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Where can I buy seat belt webbing?


rocknrich

30-Jun-2009
5:54:53 PM

I've been trying to find some seatbelt webbing, just for makeshift harnesses mainly for taking my little cousins climbing, but also for anyone else that might tag along sometime.

I spent ages looking around bunnings with no luck, you'd think a place that big would have some, useless! Anyone seen it in a shop around Melbourne?

I'd like to get it for the weekend. I might even go old-skool and start using it myself, along with placing machine nuts for protection and belaying with a munter.


nmonteith

30-Jun-2009
5:58:37 PM

Maybe because no one replaces their own seatbelts anymore? Wouldn't climbing tape from your local outdoor retailer suffice for a kids harness?


rocknrich

30-Jun-2009
6:09:00 PM

Yeah, it would, but more surface area would equal more comfort. Doesn't matter so much for kids; they're light, but the idea is to have a cheap "harness" around for anyone that decides to tag along without having to beg borrow or steal a real one.


nmonteith

30-Jun-2009
6:36:45 PM

Just spend the $70 or so and buy a real one! Do you make your own belay device and ropes???! :-)


rocknrich

30-Jun-2009
7:07:35 PM

Thanks ti! There's no stitching involved, you take a length of webbing and fold it in half and poke the bight between your legs from behind, then you bring each of the lengths of webbing around behind their respective thigh to the loop at the front, thread both ends through the loop and double them back in the direction they came from. From there you just wrap both ends around your waist a few times and tie the two ends together with a rethreaded overhand knot. You tie in in a similar way to a normal harness; behind the waist belt and through the loop at the front.

NMonteith, why should I? I mean, while I'm sure there are harnesses made for kids, at best they are going to outgrow them soon, at worst it turns out they never want to climb again. For any friends that might like to come climbing with me, I'm finding a way of providing them with harnesses when the cost of a commercial harness might put them off trying something they may not continue doing. I'm not going to go out and buy a couple new harnesses to have on hand because its not necessary. Rampant consumerism isn't the only way to do things, and can be stop people from giving something a go.

It's a bit different to making your own rope! What happened to the improvisation, DIY, problem solving aesthetic of climbing?


IdratherbeclimbingM9

30-Jun-2009
7:22:47 PM

Provided it hasn't been in a crash and therefore not worth having, you would no doubt get the item even cheaper at a car wrecking place ...
Is volvo webbing safer than holden webbing? Should we have a poll? Heh, heh, heh.

I still use the webbing harness idea if I take a family out introductory climbing, and don't have enough harnesses to go around...


rocknrich

30-Jun-2009
7:27:25 PM

Haha, I think that might be pushing it. Last time I saw it it was only a couple of dollars per metre anyway. So maybe $10 for a harness.


nmonteith

30-Jun-2009
9:28:12 PM

I'd like to think my kids life is worth more than $10 :-)


SwineOfTheTimes

30-Jun-2009
9:38:47 PM

On 30/06/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>I'd like to think my kids life is worth more than $10 :-)

Get your hand of it.
Climbers get by, people who climb consume.


rocknrich

30-Jun-2009
9:47:33 PM

I don't know how to do the quote thing here, but what's your problem with making a harness like this, nmonteith? Or maybe you just trust the more expensive option because its more expensive.

SwineOfTheTimes, I know climbers consume, we all do. I'm not against it. I just don't understand why the inherent trust in a commercial harness, and mistrust of a webbing harness. I asked where I might get seatbelt webbing, and got a response that I should just buy harnesses just for those times that non-climbing friends might come climbing. I don't mean to disrespect nmonteith, he seems to be quite a respected member here.


SwineOfTheTimes

30-Jun-2009
10:16:16 PM

On 30/06/2009 rocknrich wrote:
>I don't mean to disrespect
>nmonteith, he seems to be quite a respected member here.

Maybe here, and with weekenders? But not amongst climbers.


nmonteith

30-Jun-2009
10:33:55 PM

ha ha ha! love it Swino!

Rocknrich - Do whatever you want mate. I've climbed on webbing harnesses and even with the rope tied round my waist. It was my decision to do so as I knew the risks involved. I just get a little worried when you talk about kids, beginners and homemade gear. I'd like to think if someone was taking me climbing for the first time and I knew nothing about the sport that the guy showing me the ropes was using quality gear like everyone else at the cliff rather than making his own stuff. :-) (Really I'm just bored at home and wanting to turn a benign and reasonable question into something more interesting... I've got entertain the piggies somehow!)
I'd love to see a pic of the finished product when you've made it.


nmonteith

30-Jun-2009
10:43:43 PM

On a side note, why are child harnesses designed to be full body wrapping (chest and waist combo)? I vaguely remember its something to do with them having no hips so they fall out if they flip upside down?


SwineOfTheTimes

30-Jun-2009
10:43:48 PM

On 30/06/2009 nmonteith wrote:

>I'd love to see a pic of the finished product when you've made it.

A sling with a knot in it? Sounds amazing!


nmonteith

30-Jun-2009
10:48:06 PM

Here's a child harness on ebay currently selling for $10
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Petzl-small-size-child-full-body-climbing-harness_W0QQitemZ300326411600QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Climbing_Equipment?hash=item45ecd95d50&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50


Pat

30-Jun-2009
10:53:24 PM

Try the Wilderness Shop (Box Hill) website. They have "seat belt webbing" from 19-48 mm. I don't use it,
but saw it on the catalogue. On a side note Neil - My kids have harnesses and they (the harnesses) are
normal waist climbing types. BD Wild Child I think? The girls are small and skinny. They have no
problems with them and they are great little harnesses.

tris

30-Jun-2009
10:56:52 PM

On 30/06/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>On a side note, why are child harnesses designed to be full body wrapping
>(chest and waist combo)? I vaguely remember its something to do with them
>having no hips so they fall out if they flip upside down?

Got it in one Neil.


rocknrich

30-Jun-2009
11:00:16 PM

OK, I give up. The webbing has a 2000kg breaking strength, it will be new, it is wrapped in a pattern that is similar to a buckled harness, it is tied with a common knot.

Are you against people tying in with a knot they tie themselves, or using slings made from pieces of webbing, or climbing on anchors they've placed themselves? It's good to question practices, yes, but the same goes for commercial gear. Are you saying that a first time climber should not climb in a harness like that I've described, but if its a store bought one it'll be fine, even though there's buckles to be doubled and if it's on too loose.Things need to be questioned, but if it can be explained and reasoned, then is that not ok? I'd prefer the guy taking me climbing for the first time knew what he was doing.

I was asking if anyone had seen the stuff in shops, not if it could be done. On the other hand, if anyone has knowledge of a real issue with a harness like this, and not a 'perceived higher risk', please let me know.


nmonteith

30-Jun-2009
11:12:25 PM

Hey Rich, don't stress! It sounds like you know what you are doing so all is cool. Just remember we have no control over who logs onto these forums, and sometimes we need to be cautious about what advice gets dished out. If you re-read your first post, you said you wanted to make a homemade harness for some kids using stuff bought at Bunnings. Not exactly the best advice to dish out to the many beginner climbers who log onto these forums! I know when I started climbing as a teen I used electrical cord as rope (!) and made ultra painful harnesses from some rope I bought at the local mitre10. It was all very very dangerous on retrospect as I had no clue what I was doing. It's better to question someones motives than to see an accident occur. I hope you have a great weekend out - I'd loan you a harness if you lived in Sydney!


rocknrich

30-Jun-2009
11:16:21 PM

With regards to the chest harness thing, these kids are 6 and 11, maybe you still need a chest harness at those ages? I'll check it out. Why doesn't every skinny, hipless climber need a chest harness though?

As far as starting to buy harnesses goes, yeah a single child's harness is $10. Are you suggesting I buy a collection of harnesses to have on hand to fit various size people?

There are 36 messages in this topic.