Winter Kiting Jackets?

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Drave_Berts
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Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:35 am
Location: Eagan
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Winter Kiting Jackets?

Post by Drave_Berts »

I've been casually searching for a winter kite jacket for a couple years.. Quite unsuccessful though.. Anyone know of any decent jackets with a hole for your spreader bar? I'm getting close to just modifying a north face but don't want to if I don't have to!
Matt V
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Re: Winter Kiting Jackets?

Post by Matt V »

Maybe not the most helpful reply, but I have been using a seat harness (Ozone Access SB) for my entire snowkiting career and have never needed a special cutout. With the current price on those ($160 or so), and with other kiters success in using climbing harnesses, I am going that route this year. And from what I gathered last year, I will be on of the last converts to a climbing harness. It really makes sense for gliding and since I have "straightened" one of my older Ozone "Assess SB" spreader bar hooks, it has become a necessity for me.

If you are looking to buy a high quality jacket, then I guarantee you will be putting more into it than a climbing harness. Even a WalMart cheapo jacket is going to be at least as expensive as a climbing harness.

The only problem with a seat harness is that most snowkiters never go back to a waist after using a climbing style harness.
Drave_Berts
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Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:35 am
Location: Eagan
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Re: Winter Kiting Jackets?

Post by Drave_Berts »

Good call, thanks Matt!
davepark
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Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:32 pm
Location: Golden Valley

Re: Winter Kiting Jackets?

Post by davepark »

Matt,

Apparently I am the last one to hear about using a climbing harness for snow kiting..... Since this was a new one on me I looked up some stuff on the Google and was curious if you are using a carabiner on the loop or will you feed the chicken loop directly through?
Matt V
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Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:49 am
Location: My Van
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Re: Winter Kiting Jackets?

Post by Matt V »

SWEET FREEDOM LAST DAY OF WORK FOR THE WINTER I AM FREE!!!!! -So far, it looks like I am headed toward Skyline or Idaho soon.

Time to get it on.

I am planning on using double non-locking caribiners and eliminating the belay loop that connects the waist part to the leg loops. Not experienced advice here, but I would stay away from wire gate biners as a side load on the gate could cause failure more easily with them. And that is how it looks like my Mamutt harness will load the gates on occasion. I purchased some Black Diamond "Positron" biners with the straight gate. Given 2 biners, they should take more of a side load than 1 locker. My thought (again, not experience) is that 2 non lockers will make more of a drawn out bend (on the chicken loop) as opposed to one. I am also choosing non lockers because I want to have a chance of getting rid of the kite by opening the biners quickly if the "quick release" on the chicken loop should fail. Just like clearing the "Donkey D--k".

My thought on the Chicken loop directly though the harness is that it could put you in a bad spot if your CL release fails via the mechanism or some tangle of the kill line.
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