A recent report by Steve Knutson in American Caving Accidents indicates that hanging inert in a seat harness for as little as six minutes can cause a blackout. We suspect the type of harness referred to is the commercially available "LEG-SQUEEZER," which ZOTZ long ago rejected as being too uncomfortable and too expensive. For nine years we have used the home-made model pictured above, which features four independent loops. The weight rests on a pompi-sosten (butt support) which can be 2-4 inches in width.
In 1989 we noted how a commercial harness cut off Mitch Ventura's circulation when he hung for two hours at -100 meters, causing pain and panic and leaving him completely unable to walk (Subterráneo #5). That same year a similar problem occurred to Jesús Moreno, but he was using a ZOTZ butt support and walked away smiling. Well, OK, maybe his knees were knocking a little! (Subterráneo #4)
HE WHO SUPPORTS HIS BUTT MAY SAVE HIS ASS!
| SUBTERRANEO WEBMASTER: Luis Rojas ZOTZ WEBMASTER: Chris Lloyd COORDINATOR: John J. Pint ASISTENTE: Susy Ibarra de Pint ARTE: Jesús Moreno TRANSLATORS: Susy Pint, José Luis Zavala, Nani Ibarra, Claudio Chilomer, Luis Rojas U.S. MAILING ADDRESS: ZOTZ, PMB 5-100, 1605-B Pacific Rim Ct, San Diego, CA 92154-7517 DIRECCIÓN EN MÉXICO: Zotz, Apdo 5-100, López Cotilla 1880, CP 44149, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. TELS: (C. Lloyd) (52-3) 151-0119 COPYRIGHT: 2000 by Grupo Espeleológico ZOTZ. (Zotz = murciélago en maya / bat in Mayan) |