# Rigging supplies checklist



## DuckJordan (Feb 16, 2013)

So I'm planning on getting a small set of rigging supplies.
So far on the list is
a harness
a double lanyard
100ft of rope (not sure if this is enough) but I think it is.
a carabiner or two
a work positioning lanyard (not for fall arrest but so i can hang off the side of a tower or truss to be able to use both hands)
anything else?


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## techieman33 (Feb 16, 2013)

Rope length depends entirely on the venues your planning on working in. A sheave can be useful, so your ground rigger can help pull up some of the heavier loads.


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## avkid (Feb 16, 2013)

Pulley, preferably split side
I use this:
Product Specification for The CMI RP101 Pulley

A few short nylon slings for choking beams and pipes to attach a pulley
I like Sterling Ropes for these:
Sterling Rope

Chalk, a few colors at least


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## What Rigger? (Feb 16, 2013)

DuckJordan said:


> So I'm planning on getting a small set of rigging supplies.
> So far on the list is
> a harness
> a double lanyard
> ...




What kind of harness? Not a rock climbing/recreational harness, right? Right!
Double lanyard: take into account how much room underneath you you have to have in order for this to deploy fully. If it needs 20 feet, and you're only 12 feet up, guess what?
100 foot rope: Is this a work rope? Or a climbing rope. Depending on what you want to do with it will determine what kind you need. If you're climbing it, you need two ropes anyway. 
Carabiners: minimum of a 2 stage locking action. No wire gates! No single action gates. Many employers will want steel 'biners stamped with ANSI Z359.1 2007 markings. (At least this is my experience.)
Work positioning: see what is legal in your part of the world. Daisy chains are not acceptable in many industrial applications and you might have to go with something more akin to the Petzl Grillon. 

Get a helmet. I like the Petzl Vertex. Make sure again that the venues you are in don't have further requirements. 
Headlamp for the helmet. 
Have a set of gloves just in case. Something snug and low profile. Regular leather work gloves aren't a personal favorite. I usually rock the Metolius climbing gloves. Fingerless for dexterity. 

There are also various oversize tool/"chalk" bags that will accomodate a spud wrench or other large instruments.


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## DuckJordan (Feb 16, 2013)

Yeah no the harness i am looking at is Sapsis Rigging Inc.: ProPlus™ - The Technician Harness
and the rope is purely for pulling points. Every venue in my area has a walkable grid so no climbing required. Sapsis Rigging Inc.: ProPlus™ Carabiner
thats the carabiner I am looking at. Forgot about helmet but one of the venues I work in has a helmet requirement so that was just on my stage tools list. I've found I like mechanics for when I'm pulling rope at the main space i work (they have a grid deck where harnesses aren't required due to a steel grate floor under your feet. I've never thought about the head lamp but would be a good addition. Daisy chaining is allowed at least at the two venues and companies that i work for. and its a 6 foot lanyard so it needs 8 foot of travel.


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## cmckeeman (Feb 17, 2013)

i always have atleast 2 or 3 slings with 5 biners on me, one for setting up a pully, one for positioning, and one incase i need to tie off to something besideds lifelines. and the rule i use for rope is 10 ft over what you expect to pull to, if you usually two man ropes add 30 ft also make sure you can hang comfortably in your harness, it doesn't look like it's designed for sitting and doesn't have a waist D, which you can rig up something from your side rings but that would be more equipment and might not be easy to work from


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## LavaASU (Feb 17, 2013)

DuckJordan, A 6 foot lanyard deploys to a lot more than 8 feet. Last one I looked at specs for required a 17' clear area under it. 

I have a harness quite similar to that that I use for a variety of things. Hanging it it is one I try to avoid because it's very uncomfortable for that. It's not a seat harness, if one of your main uses is hanging in it get a full body rescue/ rope access harness. These take are designed so a lot of your weight is supported by the leg loops, like a recreational climbing harness, but they are full body and have the dorsal fall arrest point. I'm sure What Rigger? can give you suggestions. The hip points on the harness you linked to are for the type of positioning where you lean back against a belt (which is how those will support you) while standing on something.

Also, in nearly all positioning systems you need a backup, either a second positioning system or a fall arrest device. Basically normal fall arrest is backup for falling off whatever you're standing on. Positioning is your primary support so you need a backup for it failing.


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## DuckJordan (Feb 17, 2013)

I think its a little miss comunication. 8 foot is the extend distance so 8 + 6 is 14 ft. I'm never planning on being support by hanging from the harness. Leaning against it yes but not sitting in it. I also understand that the positioning is just that, positioning. Thats what the double lanyard is for is for the fall arrest.


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## soundman (Feb 17, 2013)

What about a plumb bob laser? The  PLS 3 should do the trick. Personally I haven't been able to come up with a use for the five yet. If you are working below a truss often I would suggest some Stirrups to make it easier to raise and lower yourself below the truss. 

As you gain experience you will find pieces of kit that you don't use often and start leaving them on the ground unless you know you will need them. There is no need to carry everything in your bag up with you just in case. As long as you have a rope and a guy on the ground you will be OK.


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## erosing (Feb 17, 2013)

I agree with soundman, a plum bob laser is great. I got away with the Bosch 3-point, but I'm not doing arena work. I would also say that if you don't already have them a 100' (or more) fiberglass measuring tape is good, and a 100' steel tape is nice too because of the small footprint. Of course a laser distance meter/tape measure is great too, but I guess these three depend on what you're doing exactly and what you're supplied with. Depending on what you're supplied with and what you're doing again, C-7s are good to have around (or other brand). A pocketknife with a marlinspike and shackle buster can be nice (most will come with a tie-off point), but not necessary. Most importantly, only take up what you need.


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## cmckeeman (Feb 17, 2013)

Have you rigged before ore are you new to it?


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## DuckJordan (Feb 18, 2013)

I've rigged before but 90% of the time ill be a ground rigger, I've got the brains but not a lot of brawn


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## techieman33 (Feb 18, 2013)

If your primarily down rigging the laser should be your first purchase, it will make your life a lot easier. I've seen guys get calls over other because the guy making the call knew one had the laser.


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## soundman (Feb 18, 2013)

techieman33 said:


> If your primarily down rigging the laser should be your first purchase, it will make your life a lot easier. I've seen guys get calls over other because the guy making the call knew one had the laser.



Few things frustrate me more than walking into a building, marking out the floor and then having the locals say they don't have any lasers and need to borrow mine. Down riggers are often in a higher pay grade than the average hand, they should be able to afford the tools their job requires.


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## DuckJordan (Feb 18, 2013)

Gotcha so laser distance finder high on the list.


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## soundman (Feb 18, 2013)

DuckJordan said:


> Gotcha so laser distance finder high on the list.



A distance finder is great at telling you how far away something is, great for checking how high the steel is at a certain point in a domed roof or confirming you have enough hook height. It is not good at letting the up riggers where the point is. A plumb bob laser is what you want to let the up riggers know exactly where the next point is. It has a leveling system built in so that the dot in the roof is directly above where you want the point. A laser disto set on its base is susceptible to an out of level floor and can be off by a few degree which at 90' can be a few feet.


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## cmckeeman (Feb 18, 2013)

DuckJordan said:


> Gotcha so laser distance finder high on the list.



oh yahh, and i would have a disto and a leveling laser, and make sure your brain bucket is comfortable when you are looking up for most of the time and stays on. also you might want to get a rigging app for your phone.


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## erosing (Feb 18, 2013)

avkid said:


> Chalk, a few colors at least



On that thought, has anyone tried those liquid chalk pen/markers?


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## DuckJordan (Feb 18, 2013)

We just had some ccome through our venue. I hate them hard to get off a wood deck.


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## erosing (Feb 18, 2013)

DuckJordan said:


> We just had some ccome through our venue. I hate them hard to get off a wood deck.



Yeah, I kind of figured that'd be the case.


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