How to Make a Swiss Seat From Rope
A Swiss Seat is a simple rappelling harness made from a length of rope. If you forget your harness or it starts to fray, a Swiss Seat is a great way to finish your climb safely.
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Instructions
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Make a Swiss Seat From Rope
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1
Double the rope, holding the ends in your right hand and the looped end in your left hand.
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2
Place the looped end of the rope on your left hip.
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3
Bring one end of the rope around toward the front of your body. Take the other end of the rope around the back of your body. Hold both ends of the rope in front of you. The tail of the rope that is in your left hand will be longer than the tail of the rope that is in your right hand.
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4
Tie a double overhand knot at your navel by crossing the right tail of the rope over the left tail. Then bring the left tail up and over the right tail. Take the right tail behind and over the left tail. Let go of the rope, allowing the tails to fall down in front of you.
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5
Take the right tail between your legs and around the back side of your right thigh. Bring the end of this rope down between the waist rope and your waist, pulling it snug. The rope should dissect the back pocket area.
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6
Repeat this process on the other side by taking the left tail between your legs and around the back side of your left thigh. Bring the end of this rope down between the waist rope and your waist, pulling it snug. The rope should dissect the back pocket area.
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7
Grab the right tail with your right hand and the left tail with your left hand. Tighten the seat by squatting down and pulling on the tails of the rope.
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8
Working with the left tail, bring the rope back between the waist rope and your waist and then underneath the rope going across the back pocket area.Repeat this process on the other side by bringing the right tail back between the waist rope and your waist and then underneath the rope going across the back pocket area.
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9
Bring both tails to your left hip and tie a square knot (left over right and then right over left).
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10
Using the right tail, tie two overhand knots to the right of the square knot.Using the left tail, tie two overhand knots to the left of the square knot.
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11
Secure the excess rope tails.
Connecting the Snap Link to Your Swiss Seat
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Hold the snap link with hinge side down, facing toward you.
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13
Catch the waist rope and the double-hand knot with the snap link.
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14
Rotate the snap link so that the gate is facing away from you.
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Tips & Warnings
Individuals whose brake hand (strong hand) is not their right hand need to start and finish the Swiss Seat at their right hip.
Always make sure that you are using the properly rated rappelling rope when making your Swiss Seat.
Always make sure that you are using the properly rated snap link when you are rappelling.
Always follow standard rappelling safety guidelines when using this Swiss Seat or other rappelling equipment.
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Comments
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sidelclimbing
Sep 20, 2009
1) Length of rope or sling required varies with climber's size - I need at least 11 feet - (I'm 5'10", 164 lbs, ~35" waist) -- best to use a sling about a foot longer than minimum needed. 2) What I learned as a "Swiss Seat" back in 1982 was different, but worked well (maybe better). It took a couple of feet more rope or sling than the method you described. step 1) double the sling with one end about a foot longer than the other. step 2) Hold the top of the bight (loop) in front, slightly below your waist - short end on the brake-hand side. step 3) run each end between the legs and around the thigh (at top of the thight) step 4) loop each end through that initial top bight and pull it back around the back - the long end crossing the front - to where they meet on the guide-hand side. step 5) pulle everything tight. step 6) tie the ends with square-knot and overhand (fisherman's kn...
