My favorite climbing saddle broke mid-tree last Tuesday...

I was up in a big oak in St. Louis, about 40 feet up, and my old Buckingham saddle just gave out on the left side strap. The stitching started ripping loose with a sound like tearing canvas. I had to hug the trunk and slowly work my way down while calling my ground guy to grab a backup rope. Has anyone else had a harness fail on them like that, or am I just unlucky with this brand?

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leeknight3mo ago

Looked at the harness after you got down? I'm wondering if it was just bad luck with that one saddle or if you had been noticing any wear before the rip. That tearing sound you described gives me the creeps just thinking about it. Did the stitching look okay when you checked it last, or was it a brand new saddle that just blew out?

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victor_carr543mo ago

Yeah, that tearing sound is something you don't forget. I had a strap let go on me once and it was the same kind of noise. Turned out I'd been skipping the little checks before rides, just assuming everything was fine because it looked okay from a few feet away. After that I started running my hand over the stitching every time I saddled up, especially near the stress points where the metal connects. Also swapped to a brand where the stitching is double layered in those spots and that's held up way better.

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