Shoulder Strap Release for Backplate Harness

"Charlie Hammond" <hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com> wrote in message
news:Irn9b.4739$Kl6.1458@news.cpqcorp.net...
> In article <joechandler-06D221.12125515092003@news05.east.earthlink.net>,
Chandler <joechandler@earthlink.net> writes:
> >In article <Gsk9b.4708$5T5.3193@news.cpqcorp.net>,
> > hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com (Charlie Hammond) wrote:
> >
> >> Even if I can't re-thread it, I should be able to manage the rig
> >> with the wasit belt and remaining shoulder strap.
> >
> >i suppose you could test this by sliping your left arm out of the
> >harness next time out and see what it feels like.
>
> I've done this on land. I will try it in the water next chance I get.
>
> The backplate is held with three straps -- two shoulder straps plus the
> waist strap. My expectation is that any two of these three are enough
> to allow a safe ascent -- even an exit and ascent. And that doesn't
> count the crotch strap, which I do use.

In the early days everybody dove with a "backplate". We called them
backpacks and they quickly evolved to a fairly comfortable and inexpensive
means to carry a tank.
One of the first things people did was to place quick releases on the
shoulder strap. Usually this was three snaps or a weight belt type buckle.
The plastic came much later and I like it.

My first QUICK RELEASE was from a parachute harness. They
were on both shoulders of the harness.
I've always felt that if they didn't worry about it to much neither would I.
What's more dangerous? Coming out of a harness on the way down from 10,000
feet or having the same happen under water?

Their utility far outweighs any alleged danger.

The statistics show that a very large percentage of SCUBA deaths might have
been avoided had the person released the weight belt.

Are there any that support the idea that a quick release on a shoulder has
caused any problems?

In article <78875a295c6b248062124407d8cf9a16@news.teranews.co m>,
"Mike Painter" <mdotpainteratattdotnet> writes:

>In the early days everybody dove with a "backplate". ...
>One of the first things people did was to place quick releases on the
>shoulder strap. ...
>
>My first QUICK RELEASE was from a parachute harness. They
>were on both shoulders of the harness.
>I've always felt that if they didn't worry about it to much neither would I.
>What's more dangerous? Coming out of a harness on the way down from 10,000
>feet or having the same happen under water?

HMmm... This is interesting. I would not have assumed that quick release
from a parachute harness would be good for a dive harness. Differenet sort
of load, etc. But then I never looked at a parachute quick release closely
enough to really have a good basis for an opinion.

>Their utility far outweighs any alleged danger.

I think this may vary from person to person, but I agree that it can.
Others, obviouly, have other opinions.

>The statistics show that a very large percentage of SCUBA deaths might have
>been avoided had the person released the weight belt.

What statistics? This is some sort of conventional wisdom, but I have
not seen any valid statistics that support the argument. On the other
hand, I have seen (and had!) problems with unintentionally dropped weight
belts, but I've never seen a problem from not dropping one.

>Are there any that support the idea that a quick release on a shoulder has
>caused any problems?

There are. I suspect that they do not have valid statistics to support
their position. Which does not say that they are wrong or right.

--
Charlie Hammond -- Digital Equipment Corporation -- Pompano Beach FL USA
(hammond@peek.ppb.dec.com -- remove "@not" when replying)
All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

<Jim.Greenlee@cc.gatech.edu> wrote:
>One thing that I have noticed about backpacking is that it has a lot in
>common with diving - requires highly specialized equipment, good
>physical conditioning, minimalist approach, etc. In my opinion, the
>whole DIR/Hogarthian philosophy applies as much to backpacking as it
>does to diving - maybe even more so. This is a fact which is fairly
>obvious to me now (and probably should have been a while ago, but
>wasn't .

The same sort of minimalism that DIR espouses has been in the hiking world
for a decade or two. Like with DIR, it can be done wisely, or foolishly
(not being prepared for a storm).

But with regards to the buckles, it's not the same deal. Your air supply
isn't attached to your backpack. One rarely touches the QRs on the shoulders
once the pack is dialed in. Only the secondary waist buckle gets a lot of
use and if it pops, the pack still stays on.

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

<Jim.Greenlee@cc.gatech.edu> wrote in message
news:bk7l2k$jha$1@news-int.gatech.edu...
<snip>
> So to answer your question, I actually have and am giving some serious
> consideration to the issue of "what to do about my pack". I'm reluctant
> to modify it out of fear of hurting its resale value, but I don't think
> I really want to continue using it in its current configuration. So I
> wil probably just get rid of it. If anybody wants a well-used Lowe
> Alpine Contour IV, then please get in touch with me .
>
<snip>

Holy cow... 5500 + 900 in^3... that's a monster pack if I ever saw one...
My current pack isn't half that big...

chrisguynn@sbcglobal.N.O.S.P.A.M.net stopped playing nethack just long enough to say:
>
>Holy cow... 5500 + 900 in^3... that's a monster pack if I ever saw one...
>My current pack isn't half that big...

That's the same conclusion I drew - I figure I need something about
half that size, or probably less.

In fairness to myself, I bought the "big pack" when my children were
much younger, and thus I had to carry much more than my "fair share".
When everyone you are backpacking with weighs 100 lbs or less (and that
includes my wife), it's kind of hard to spread the load around.

Thankfully that situation has changed, so I'm looking at ways to
"downsize". I recently picked up Ray Jardine's book "Beyond
Backpacking" - I'm not done with it yet, but it has been a real
eye-opening read. I've already been doing a few of the things that he
suggests. For example, I gave up using a tent several years ago in
favor of a tarp and groundcloth.

Just for fun last month, I managed to stuff everything I would need for
a three day backpacking trip into a CamelBak Cloudwalker that I have.
Well actually, I had the tarp and groundcloth and a couple of Nalgene
bottles strapped to the outside. The Cloudwalker is really just a
hydration pack - less than 1400 cubic ins, and weighs less than 2 lbs
without the water. The total pack weight when I got done was well under
20 lbs, including almost a gallon of water.

I wound up not taking it on the trip, but only because it was a little
"overstuffed" and could not be carried comfortably.

So I am getting there. Just need to unload some of the "stroke"
backpacking gear that I have now, so I can buy some nice new DIR
backpacking gear .

-JimG

--
Jim Greenlee (jkg@cc.gatech.edu) Microsoft Windows definition
College of Computing of multitasking: Software that
Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA 30332 sucks and blows at the same time

In article <bk85du$1ch$1@news-int.gatech.edu>,
<Jim.Greenlee@cc.gatech.edu> wrote:

€ That's the same conclusion I drew - I figure I need something about
€ half that size, or probably less.

I would hope. That's a lot of matches.

--
"C'mon, you sons of bitches, you want to live forever?"
-Sergeant Major Dan Daly

Charlie Hammond wrote

> As for interfering with other gear -- I sould be able to work that
> out, I think, when/if it becomes a problem. I have dived with lights
> on both chest rings, and I think that if both the buckle and light
> were properly placed this would not be an problem, but it is an
> issue to be considred.

Originally, I dove with two backup lights because I figured that any time I
needed a light, I needed a backup and, if I really needed it, then my need
for redundant backups was quite similar to that of cave divers. I've since
changed my opinion a bit. Since my primary, a UK-400 seems to be more
reliable than some of the much more expensive cannister lights, I've not had
a need for even one backup, let alone two. Still, if I need a light, I
still prefer to have a backup. Sometimes, I still wear two backups, partly
because it makes me feel cool (hey, I'm not completely safe from such
things), but mostly because there's no real reason not to. If I shared your
desire to put a buckle on on side of my harness, I think I could be quite
happy with my redundant backup staying in my dive bag.

I'm not sure where you would find them these days, but a weightbelt buckle
is not the only type of metal quick release invented. Before I went with
one, I'd research other options.

Lee

In article <VnP9b.26070$NM1.16235@newsread2.news.atl.earthlin k.net>,
"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> writes:

>I'm not sure where you would find them these days, but a weightbelt buckle
>is not the only type of metal quick release invented. Before I went with
>one, I'd research other options.

Good idea. Any ideas where to start looking?

--
Charlie Hammond -- Digital Equipment Corporation -- Pompano Beach FL USA
(hammond@peek.ppb.dec.com -- remove "@not" when replying)
All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

<Jim.Greenlee@cc.gatech.edu> wrote in message
news:bk85du$1ch$1@news-int.gatech.edu...
> chrisguynn@sbcglobal.N.O.S.P.A.M.net stopped playing nethack just long
enough to say:
> >
> >Holy cow... 5500 + 900 in^3... that's a monster pack if I ever saw one...
> >My current pack isn't half that big...
>
> That's the same conclusion I drew - I figure I need something about
> half that size, or probably less.

A few years ago, I would have probably been extremely interested in this
particular pack. Since then, I've realized that 95% of my backpacking is
going to be in warm/hot weather climates and that an external frame pack is
really my better option (for comfort). Also, I can't imagine needing more
than 4000 ci (unless I'm carrying for multiple people like you were). Now,
I'm perfectly happy with the pack I've used since I was 16 and I only look
at the internal frame packs because I think they are neat. If I were to
move farther north or started doing more trailblazing I would probably be
interested in the internals, but I'll stick with my bright orange external
for now.
<snip>

C Guynn

No, I just barely recall what one of them looks like.

Lee

"Charlie Hammond" <hammond@not@peek.enet.dec.com> wrote in message
news:l_Z9b.4925$Qu.107@news.cpqcorp.net...
> In article <VnP9b.26070$NM1.16235@newsread2.news.atl.earthlin k.net>,
> "Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> writes:
>
> >I'm not sure where you would find them these days, but a weightbelt
buckle
> >is not the only type of metal quick release invented. Before I went with
> >one, I'd research other options.
>
> Good idea. Any ideas where to start looking?
>
> --
> Charlie Hammond -- Digital Equipment Corporation -- Pompano Beach FL
USA
> (hammond@peek.ppb.dec.com -- remove "@not" when replying)
> All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.
>