Comment by katbyte | Hacker News Reader

Comment by katbyte | Hacker News Reader

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I personally climb bridges (in fact suspensions just like this) and other structures for photography now and then, and i would never do what they did without a harness and safety system preventing me, or any of my gear, from falling. Unfortunately not everyone is safe about it,

things from his post: > A slip of the foot could result in certain death. But We rolled the dice – flipped the coin. > Needing to get above the streetlights and not having time for fall protection I reminded myself to fall to the left should I slip. > https://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5315871803_95f74f1027_b...

Scream "this is some young kid who probably should not be doing this". Safety should always be the most important thing when doing anything like that.

Did you read onwards? He clipped himself in with safety lanyards once he was above the level of the streetlights...

"Safety lanyards" could be anything, and there's a whole lot of personal anchors that people think will protect them, but actually won't. The problem being that even in a short fall, your body will generate pretty amazing forces on static equipment.

Black Diamond did a great article about it, though they are going through some growing pains right now with a new website. The article was, "Daisy Chain Dangers"

"I hooked up [two] my shock absorbing lanyards"

You really didn't read it, did you?

"shock absorbing lanyards" could be anything, and there's a whole lot of personal anchors that people think will protect them, but actually won't.

Better?

How could he have been more specific that he was using an adequate safety device? Were you expecting him to include the brand?

If he attached the lanyards to anything other than a harness, a fall would end poorly. I've seen people mis-rig harnesses - actual paid professionals who got hurried and got stupid - in ways that would have maimed or killed them if they fell.

A snapshot of his setup would have been nice. Not so much for the gear Nazis, but to keep gear on the radar for readers who decide to try this themselves.

unlike the total lack of gear shown in this photo https://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5315871803_95f74f1027_b... ?

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