Craig Kovatch Posted June 17, 2013 Report Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hello all. Let me first state that I did take the two-day workshop a couple of years ago, but i'd like some advice on wearing the vest. Everything I read states that the vest should be snug around the hips so the weight is taken down through the operators legs. I've been wearing mine a bit higher around my waist. Not entirely around my waiste, but more so than my hips. I find if I wear the vest around my hips, I don't have enough clearance for my legs. It's not bad on a level surface, but completely useless for stairs. The reason I'm asking is it feels like my back is "compressing". I'd like to add additional weight to the sled, but my back tires very quickly. I'm thinking either the vest is too tight, or the spar is in the wrong position. Should the vest be more snug around the hips or shoulders? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Victor Lazaro Posted June 18, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 18, 2013 Hi, I hope someone with more knowledge than me will jump in on this as well. I've been wearing it on the hips without too many issues with stairs but its true that sitting in the vest will be a bit hard. The vest should not compress your chest. You still need to breathe. Maybe your back pain is due to a bad posture (leaning forward or backward, guitar hero... There's a great chapter about that in the operator's handbook) or a setting on your socket block your rig should not fly away from you when you are in your operating position). Also make sure that your vest is aligned properly on your body. The spar should be straight up, even when the rig is on you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Kovatch Posted June 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Thanks for the reply Victor. I think my vest may be on too tight in the chest area. I try to make sure it doesn't shift around when I'm operatiing. It could also be my posture. I can't even take the first step without the rig moving in an undesirable way. I've spent the better part of the last two years just figuring out how to walk. Still don't have it down. Time for another workshop me thinks. I've read that chapter in the operators handbook a number of times, but I think I need to set up a camera and get footage of my technique. Or lack there of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Alan Rencher Posted June 21, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 (edited) Craig, Sometimes I find myself using bad posture because the socket block is slightly out of adjustment, and my body is trying to compensate. there is a little maneuver that I do sometimes to test if my socket block is adjusted properly: With correct posture, put the rig out in front of you. It should rest in one position, and you should be able to control where it goes using only your hips. If the rig goes away from you, adjust (tilt) the socket block in the opposite direction the rig is going. Once it's resting in front of you, you should be able to walk around it without it moving away from you. This movement will exaggerate any imbalance, and if it's not adjusted properly, it will float away. From there adjust the socket block again. Hope this helps. Edited June 21, 2013 by Alan Rencher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Chris Van Campen Posted June 21, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 Interesting topic, as I haven't made it to a workshop yet. This fall hopefully. Anyway, is it easy to quantify the ratio of weight that should be supported by the shoulder section versus on the hips? Is it 60/40 shoulder to hip, 50/50 etc? I've experimented a lot with the spar length adjustment to that end, and trying to dial in the top / shoulder sections to be pretty darn snug, based on the assumption that the tighter up top would lead to less vest rotation and a larger float point. But too tight becomes uncomfortable pretty quickly. I've already removed the pad that sits right on your sternum which helps a lot. Bottom is less of a problem for me since I've been staying up higher than I did initially. Like it says in the book, you should be able to walk up stairs without issues. I used to use a Universal Model 2, and I could never get that vest adjusted right. Had to add foam up top. So the Zephyr vest is a VAST improvement since way back when... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mark Schlicher Posted June 22, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Someone (I think it was Peter Abraham) once suggested to me that ideal was about 60%-70% on hips and 30-40% on shoulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Chris Van Campen Posted June 22, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Thanks Mark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jerry Holway Posted June 23, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Use a mirror (or a camera and a monitor) (or both!) to be sure you are standing with you back straight (vertical, with you shoulders over you hips). Set you threads so the rig floats next to you. Adjust the spar length and the should straps so that you are comfortable - very little weight on the shoulders, and with almost no torque, with the rig close to your body. The torque and weight will increase as the rig is pushed away from you. Jerry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Chris Van Campen Posted June 23, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Use a mirror (or a camera and a monitor) (or both!) to be sure you are standing with you back straight (vertical, with you shoulders over you hips). Set you threads so the rig floats next to you. Adjust the spar length and the should straps so that you are comfortable - very little weight on the shoulders, and with almost no torque, with the rig close to your body. The torque and weight will increase as the rig is pushed away from you. Jerry Thanks as well, Jerry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Kovatch Posted June 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Thanks for all of the input. Jerry, when you mention "very little weight on the shoulders", do you mean the shoulder straps should not be as tight? I've been keeping the chest and shoulder straps pretty tight. I put the vest on tonight and made the waist tighter than I normally would, but kept the chest straps a bit looser. I made sure the vest didn't slide around as I was doing the line dance. I noticed a real difference. Alan, do mean walk AROUND the rig, or walk around WITH the rig. I wasn't sure. One more question... When practicing, I will sometimes let go of the rig at the end of a move just to see of everything is still in balance. Quite often at this point the rig will either move towards or away from me. This tells me I've lost balance at some point during the move. Are you guys still in perfect balance at the end of the move? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Victor Lazaro Posted June 25, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 If the rig moves away or towards you at the end of a move, it means that you are not standing straight. the movement of the rig (away toward from you and right/left) is guided by the position of the socket block, connected to the center spar of the vest, connected to your chest. so keep you back bone straight ant the rig will stay put. lean on it and it will run away from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jerry Holway Posted June 25, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Alan, do mean walk AROUND the rig, or walk around WITH the rig. I wasn't sure. One more question... When practicing, I will sometimes let go of the rig at the end of a move just to see of everything is still in balance. Quite often at this point the rig will either move towards or away from me. This tells me I've lost balance at some point during the move. Are you guys still in perfect balance at the end of the move? Always in balance! otherwise it wont't fly as well or be as steady or you will have fewer choices for tweaking the frame. I suggest that you never walk around a non-moving camera; we would not do it in a shot, so it may teach you a habit that is less than useful. Conversely, always do things (practice shots or exercises) that you might do on set, and do it with the posture you would also use for normal operating. Hanging your arms by you side and moving the sled around with your hips is not how one operates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Alan Rencher Posted June 25, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 I did say walk AROUND the rig. I don't learn bad habits from it. It's just a way to test my socket block adjustment in any position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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