ADVANCED Rope Access Harness Setup - My Daily Setup

One of the most asked questions of late is: "What do you have on your harness?"
So in this video I will show you. It is an ever evolving setup and can change from drop to drop.
I would also call this an advanced setup. There are some tools or pieces of gear on it that require more knowledge on the why and how to use it. Please watch the basic setup first and then see how I have adapted it for my own setup.
Watch this video first for the BASIC harness setup. The one you can do all of your Level 1 with:
kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6ech4iEe8ynn80
Things like a prussik hitch cord and a foot ascender go beyond a basic or beginner setup.
Enjoy
Welcome video where I explain the philosophy behind The Rope Access Channel
kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmnZqmhmoN98qa8
This video is sponsored by:
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Follow the link below to get yours and support the channel:
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A revolutionary digital all-in-one bluetooth dyno / load cell. PPE certified, 1280Hz fast, 30kN WLL, and unique onboard-logging of up to 50 hours. The huge load eyes and 90kN breaking strength make it perfectly suited as a generous master point for any type of rigging challenge.
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:45 The main gear bag
1:00 On the CMC Atom Harness
6:00 In the gear bag

[@tubosolinas]

Yes!I was about to write "add a tibloc with a rollclip" but then i said,just wait,don't rush! 😊

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

hahaha beautifull man! What a great combo that is right👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😃

[@a.r.c8631]

You are the best sir!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Thanks 😀🙏🙏

[@uzzername]

What a good video, however, as always!😊 And very nice set, Alex!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Thank you Uzzer!

[@saschastevenson1231]

Thanks for all the great content! You putting out your knowledge is very helpful! Enjoy a coffee ;)

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Wauw Sascha, Thank you very much!!!!😃😃😃 I appreciate this tremendously🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@techcores]

Your rope access videos are so incredibly educational, well thought out and well narrated!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Wauw, thank you 😀 I appreciate that!!

[@WayneJohn-fq6cn]

This is so cool bro!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Thanks man!!

[@CryNhOuseGamer]

Nice Video... bought the XL Version of the Cross Rope bag because of you.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Good choice! I received mine two weeks ago and like it more than the normal one. That extra hard pocket for safety glasses is great and that extra space means packing up is a lot easier!

[@Wheezie]

That is a sweet bag!!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

I agree Travis! A little bigger would be better and this is great so far👍🏻

[@baatarjavjavkhlan7319]

who makes that bag

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

@@baatarjavjavkhlan7319 Stay sharp bro, it is on screen in the video. I think I put it on screen for everything I talk about. The bag should be in the first minute somewhere

[@spiercevaughn]

Great Video! The Courant bag looks awesome. I've had the Notch Pro Access bag for a couple years now and really like the durability and layout of it. It'd be cool to see a video of some on the job clips.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Thanks man!! I've heard a lot of good things about that bag and just looked it up for the first time. It looks really good. What you mention about the durability seems to be the common theme between the people who have owned the Notch bag. I'm trying to film on during work and the last two years I have had many jobs where it is not allowed to film for whatever reasons. I do have some video's on my "private" channel of some pretty cool jobs (well ate least I think haha). I am also still sitting on some footage where I want to have some more months or longer pass before I release it. The moment I can film and the job is interesting enough I will definitely create a video out of it. I like to watch those from other people too and there are often little take aways as well.

[@spiercevaughn]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel That’s awesome. Sounds great!💪 I understand about the filming on the job thing 👍

[@paulnosek714]

Alex keep the videos coming man!!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Thanks Paul! i am definitely trying haha. If there were only more hours in the days😂😂

[@paulnosek714]

I know! :)) but your efforts are appreciated man. Fantastic content for our industry

[@paulnosek714]

Sorry also when u have a minute, what litre size is the Courant bag? It's cool man

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

@@paulnosek714 it says 54L on the website. It feels more like 45 though. There is als an XL version which is 75L.

[@paulnosek714]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel nice one ill have a look, thanx again

[@FalenAnjel2]

I love CMC and Rock Exotica gear. I still have my CMC Helix which still has till 2028/ 29 till it's retired unless something wears out faster than it won't make it that far. I was 1 year behind before they announced the new ATOM model and I was pissed but eh, I still have a working comfortable harness with quick access and egress (Don/ Doff).

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

It sucks when that happens!!

[@jessemcredmond6006]

Excellent video! Thanks for making such great and informative content!!! I'm an arena/stadium rigger (and I love it) but this channel has givin me a ton of inspiration to get into a more active rigging/rope access career. 🤙 Also the competitions look really fun!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it! I would think rope access can be a nice add on to what you are already doing!

[@dylandtime]

Do a pitch head haul with the gear on your harness 💪

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Yes I will, that is on the long list of things to film and one of my favorite exercises! Any L3 should be able to do that in my opinion..

[@AWD295]

The cowstail with the progress adjust is a nice touch. I cant find anyone that sells the adjust lanyard in parts though, so cant bring my self to buy a complete one just to pull it apart :(

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Haha, if you do what I did you won’t have a choice. Just use it normally and at one point the rope will damage and suddenly you have some loose parts to create your own version. (After a proper risk assessment)

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

I got it CMC Atom Harness

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Good. It is very very comfortable! Let me rephrase as this is such a personal preference thing, for me the Atom is very comfortable.

[@biT516]

Do you have the link or the brand of those tools lanyards?

[@emmmanuelsotomonroy7367]

Im interested getting to know more about the Mad Rock Safeguard, maybe put that on my personal gear, but I haven't seen any review of someone that does rope access for living, only reviews for hunting and that kind of stuff ... Do you mind to do a review of that ? Btw I love your videos, thanks for sharing your knowledge !

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

I can do that for sure! The last time I looked it is only certified as a belay device (EN15151-1 or something) So that is why it is not often used in rope access. I will make a video about it and my reasoning for using it.

[@crapp0]

The difference between this harness weight and the one im familiar with, the peztl astro bod fast international is rather negligible, but its not as light as some of the singin rock harnesses, but those are very uncomfortable. Ive heard that the edelrid vector harnesses are lighter and are as comfortable as the petzls. Good to know the cows tails are the beal top gun 2's, been using them for some years now.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

You are correct it is only like 250 grams between the two. I used to climb it the astro and that is only 2100grams I think. That weight difference you feel It is about 1/5th lighter. Part of it is also that the Atom feels heavier because of the thicker padding. It is bulkier. It is funny when judging these things by feel how little it can vary. So far I don't mind the weight. The comfort level is way higher. Ive tried two Edelrid harnesses and 3 tops. unfortunately only in size 2, so way to big for me. Even then they felt ok though. It almost felt like the version with the X strap (or whatever it's called) would be a great setup for people who really like to finetune their setup and do competitions.

[@brianbodnar3969]

Looks like my harness setup 😁 a bit heavy but you can do everything. Most ppl complaining about how heavy is my harness but I don’t care. From the time I cut my tendons on my hand started carrying first aid kit as well (trauma kit). Go heavy or go home 😂 nice video ✌️

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

When walking it is heavy, but on the ropes we don't really notice it right. And it varies per job to. Sometimes, when on supervision, I carry all the extra bits in a small bag with me and leave that where I stand. When the SHTF I can just grab and go. The first aid kit is a good point. Did you make your own kit or buy I standard one? How do you carry it?

[@brianbodnar3969]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel I’ll send you video on IG 😉

[@vangeliseleftheriou119]

Really nice video but just a question because more or less i have all that gear as well some same brand some other but if you see my gear everything is looks like used and mostly dirty because of the job. all yours looks amazing clean and like new. You are working with them or just have them in the bag or you clean them everyday? What kind of job??

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Haha nice one. It does look like new he! All the textiles are new. less than a year old. I am in this terrible cycle of the last couple of years where everything gets dated and needs to be replaced. For years I have only used gear from companies and my own gear was used for specific setups. When the job is dirty I'll take company gear if possible. So you are right. My stuff is not used on every job, every day and hardly ever on dirty jobs. Until now though. the last few months I have been trying to use certain pieces more because of durability testing. And still, some companies do not allow you to use your own gear.....

[@SmittyAccess]

Really like the videos. You have a lot of alternative ways to do thing, which is great, really help you think of better ways of doing thing. I really wish my company would let us use our own harnesses instead we have to use what the company provides. (Insurance reasons) The company I work for has petzl ASTRO BOD Fast U Harness, and I hate them, you can never keep the stapes tight. They also make us use steel carabiner, we all know how much weight that adds. Thanks from. Houston Tx

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Thanks man! I feel you! I work for a few companies who do the same thing. In reality, you could use your own gear as long as it is registered in their own system and inspections. Then it would not be a problem. It just needs to comply to the relevant local rules regarding inspections and such. But it means extra work for them so no is always easier (for them)... And to add to that... I sometimes really want to use company gear haha. when greasing cables for instance...

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

You can always work somewhere else, with folks who will listen to their people? Being uncomfortable (unreasonably) is Not safe, if you have to constantly adjust and readjust your gear while climbing, then you can not really stay focused on your safety. Just a thought, Jim.

[@SmittyAccess]

@@aerialrescuesolutions3277 You are absolute right about everything you said. But where I am located the majority of the company’s all supply equipment and don’t allow you bring any of your own equipment.

[@SmittyAccess]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel Yes there is times I’m glade the equipment isn’t mine. We do a lot of climbing in ballast tanks, it slimy muddy and everything gets covered in salt water, you don’t want any of that stuff on your gear.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

@@SmittyAccess Petzl do sell these little clips you can put in the buckles that limit the slip a lot more. I bought a new Top Croll recently and it came with it. Maybe you can bring that to their attention?

[@montanaranger7376]

How do you attach your chest ascender? Love the channel.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

With the maillon the harness came with. You can find that on the CMC site probably

[@PeterSkovgaard]

Hi buddy are you still happy with the bag ?

[@AlexMatic-kh6ok]

Did u use those elastic lanyards for window squeegee ?

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Probably… I have used them for anything from a camera to a impact driver and anything in between

[@Gardner116]

Hello! Do you ever experience back problems from rope access work? I have been window cleaning for 4 years and have been sidelined because of back pain. I want to know if you have any advice for just working in the harness (no seat/no chair). Do you think just working in the harness would eliminate back pain?

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

I cant really help you with that sorry. The standard advice is, get a harnass that suits your body and use a work seat. Play around with the various adjustable settings you have. And train core. core core.. You cant have too much core. For me when I work suspended, I always have a Podium or work seat. always...

[@unrealkitty]

Hi, Sir, I have a question about the equipments. I saw a lot of caver only use single rope to get down and up. It seems not safe. but if they carry more, like what you pull out in the trunk.. That seems very heavy... so my question is how to balance it.. and is it recommand to use two ropes and backup systems( asap lock) for caving, thank you.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Good question and I have no experience in that field. If it is work related I would say a two rope system and weight is less of an issue. The job will just take a little bit longer. If it is recreational you do you boo.. In rock and alpine everyone uses one rope right. Big wallers jugging hundreds of meters on a single strand semi static. Experience should enable you to make an on the fly risk assessment on how to approach it. Talk to guides and instructors on it. As long as you rig properly and avoid rope rubbing on (sharp) rock one rope will probably be supergoodenough. I can also imagine that an ASAP in a cave will not last long. I have some ideas how I would do it and like I said, I have no experience with it. I have had a couple of interactions with instagram.com/petzlprincess/ and she seems very very knowledgeable on all things caving. A question like this is better directed to someone with her experience.

[@unrealkitty]

​@@TheRopeAccessChannel Thank you for your suggestion. So I get the point of your words is the caving is safe. even using single rope. but need more experience. is it right? And I followed petzlprincess, very nice toturials in it.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

@@unrealkitty Not really. I am saying that when it is work there are rules to follow. If it is recreational you can do a lot more things freely. And I am not a caver and not the right person to give any advice on how to operate in a cave. I can say this, after 25 years on rope, I have never seen a rope break under normal use with proper rigging. So ascending and descending a single rope that is not touching anything and bombproof anchors should not be a big deal.. And who decides if an anchor is bomber? Take courses. practice in a safe environment and hook up with experienced people. There are no shortcuts.. I cant really help you on this

[@unrealkitty]

​@@TheRopeAccessChannel @The Rope Access Channel "I have never seen a rope break under normal use with proper rigging. So ascending and descending a single rope that is not touching anything not be a big deal.." Thank you for your experienced words. Now I can sit on a rope with peace of mind. Sometimes, you know, I have a little restless and nervous..haha

[@Teme531]

I think you mixed up the sponsored message and in the gear bag on the timeline, wrong way around :D

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Classic copy/paste mistake. I removed it👍🏼. Thanks for the tip

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

Alex, what is the name and brand of the saddle your friend loaned you to try here? I'm thinking about getting one, I have two Camp XT pro models now. JIm H.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Have you tried any other harnesses for rope access?

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel Singing Rock, and a few others I don't remember. Class 3 arborist harness's are way more comfortable, and meet or exceed the EN, ANSI, OSHA...etc requirements. There is no reason that a harness can't have large padded leg loops!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

@@aerialrescuesolutions3277 I used to work in the Petzl arb harness. For some jobs it was a bit to unstable when working suspended with a lot of heavy gear on the harness. And I had a very exciting moment replacing windows and I got to close with the bridge to the glass…. No harm done in the end and lessons learned. For a lot of work those harnesses are way more comfortable! The big leg loops of the Atom give it a same kind of feel.

[@leandromata3104]

How I get one bag pack this model? Only sell in you country?

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Courant is just about available worldwide. Otherwise contact Industrieel Klimmen and see what they can do for you

[@biT516]

Do you have the link for buy the little rope with 2 carabiners?

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Do you mean the thing i call a "rescue set"?

[@biT516]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel no the long rope that looks utilities cord for lift heavy loads

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Oh right. No I do not. But it is just a basic accessory cord. Anything 6 or 7 mm will work. 5 mm too maybe. Something like this industrieelklimmen.nl/product/beal-6mm-accessory-cord-blauw/ If you use my codes and links through the description you’ll support the channel

[@michaelward6048]

Yes I would like the information on what you are calling the "rescue set" please.

[@noorhz8650]

6:22 what’s the brand of your bag and the model ?

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

You mean the blue one? The one I mentioned in the beginnign of the video about a minute in? I think I mentioned every piece of kit

[@noorhz8650]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel yes exactly

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

😜

[@LOVE3879A]

최고 입니다. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmm4hnSCequtY6M

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

What is that about?

[@maltekoch1632]

As a rock climber the harness setup looks pretty heavy.😅

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

As an industrial climber I can tell you it is🤣. But it is not to bad and I take some things if I am sure that I don’t need them. Hell man, you should see us when we actually put on the tools and working equipment 🤯

[@maltekoch1632]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel Already feeling heavy when route setting in the gym with a bucket of holds on the harness.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

@@maltekoch1632 haha, the difference is that we often take the stairs or elevator up and work with gravity. So weight is not a big issue😉

[@VisinskiRadoviBeograd]

I really like watching your videos, but this time, big minus, throwing your gear bag like that. Completely unnecesary to put it mildly. Else, the litlle double pulley you showed is probably ISC small REDIRECT pulley... And please, go a little slower so we can catch everything... Keep up the good work!

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

Haha, I knew somebody would object to this when I was editting haha. You are partly right. Thanks for mentioning it. This is a good topic for a video as well I think . Do you feel that dropping climbing gear in a well padded bag from 50 cm is going to damage the gear inside? At least I'm assuming that is the reason you say it is a big minus? I am not sure what you are trying to say regarding the ISC pulley, and yes, that ISC double pulley is (as it says on screen at 8:26), the ISC double REDIRECT pulley. Do you think it is the wrong name? Now, about the speed thing... I don't want to be a D, and I'm going to be a D :-D haha. All the items are mentioned on screen and you can pause the video if you want to have a longer look. If you want more info, reach out and I can make a dedicated video on a group of devices where I can dive in a little deeper. I have all the major device groups already on the "To do" list and if you have more, please let me know. Any idea is welcome. Also remember with our attention span these days, if I would show every item for 10 seconds people would fall asleep. So I show, mention it, put the name on screen so you can look it up and move on. Things like that are a difficult choice for content creators, or let's just say for me. I want to create educational, engaging and entertaining content that reaches as many people as possible. For some this moves to slow, for some to fast, I think for most it would be about right. If people switch off because it is to slow it doesn't reach as many. Do you see the choice there. I'm striving for a happy medium in these things and I am learning all the time. And that is because people speak up like you. Thank you for that!

[@VisinskiRadoviBeograd]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel No, I didn't say minus because I was afraid that your gear will be broken. But because of the gesture itself, negligent or arrogant, as it is. Not suitable for an L3 at all. About the pulley, at 8, 26 you said that you use this pulley for double systems, and I recognized the pulley, it is without the third plate and I wrote this as a warning, ISC sells it as a REDIRECT pulley, so maybe better stick to its original purpose... About the speed, there are, I believe many of us following your channel from abroad...

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

@@TheRopeAccessChannel Well said Alex.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

@@VisinskiRadoviBeograd That is good to hear. There are too many walking around thinking our gear will break at the slightest bump. I would not dare my life on gear that fragile😉. And of course I disagree with your negligent/arrogant statement. Do I throw my bag around like that every day all day, no and nothing bad will happen doing this once in a while. It’s just a gear bag with steel and aluminum items in it. Not an Actsafe winch, UT/ET set or a camera bag. Those things are really fragile.

[@TheRopeAccessChannel]

@@VisinskiRadoviBeograd that pulley is a double sheave pulley complying to EN 12278. It’s a pulley standard. Not a redirect pulley standard, has a MBs of 30KN. I call it a double pulley I use for double rope systems. You can use it exactly like any other double pulley. Maybe you need to pay attention a bit more when ropes twist and not having that middle plate can certainly be an advantage. I would say I use it for more advanced purposes and it’s in a video called advanced. That means risk assess job and act accordingly. In short it’s a double pulley like any other.