Back mount vs. side mount

[Danny Mackenzie]

Hey guys,

 

I am trying to make a case to my employer to switch from my LX vest to the klassen flex. Does anyone know of any health studies or any kind of documentation that shows the benefits of a back mount vest? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Evrim KAYA]

you might wanna also consider the new Fawcett exo-vest. For me, it's best of two worlds.

[James Davis]

Tried Backmount vest again the other day, absolutely no interest in buying one now for sure, i'm also using an LX Vest at present and looking to change, have tried every modern vest on the market, Exo-vest was the best closely followed by the Pro. Strongly considering the Exo at the moment.

[RonBaldwin]

I have both a pro and a klassen. Love them both, but I have nore stamina with my klassen. Never had an issue with doorways. The back mount does put more stress on the arm's socketblock. As far as health benefits!?

 

rb

[Frederic Sturm]

Tried all vests, got an Exo, love it!

 

If you consider at an Exo, Chris Fawcett will be able to provide tons of researched anatomical reasons

for the new design, and thus explain health benefits. After all it has been designed with nothing else

in mind than supporting a Steadicam in the best way to suit human anatomy.

 

You might want to look at the Exovest Brochure and so on, I think there's alot of explanation in there.

Some of that might be applicable to a klassen as well, at least the negative points of a standard front mount,

i.e. compressing internal organs, adverse effects on circulation, putting weight in wrong parts of the body,

resisting torque with a non-optimal small lever-arm etc.

 

Your employer might also like the fact, that experience shows much better operating endurance with

a klassen than a front-mount. While the Exo has had only little time to prove its superiority, by what I've heard,

and since I got mine, felt, that fact completely holds true for the Exo as well.

[Marc R. Berger]

I´ll second Frederic´s opinion about the Exo-I tried it and loved it- but there is another you could take a closer look too: the vests from actioncam. I have got the actioncam vest with my rig and I must say it´s as comfortable like the Exo vest. It´s more like a Klaasen, but a complete own design by actioncam and you can adjust it very fast to different body shapes.

Maybe you should put your employer once in a LX and after that in a Exo or actioncam or Klaasen vest? Quite sure you´ll get your new vest after that without further health studies.

[Danny Mackenzie]

Thanks for the input guys, really helpful. Going to do a bit more research and try and find an Exo that I can demo. Demoing an action in the near future.

 

Thanks again. Also kind of on topic ( one reason for looking at new vest) anyone have foot problems from operating? I am operating 5 to 7 days a week all year sometimes 12 hours a day. I have been having some foot cramping/pain I can't shake. I have great shoes and custom orthotics but wake up every morning with a super sore right foot.

 

Anyone else?

[dash adamson]

Thanks for the input guys, really helpful. Going to do a bit more research and try and find an Exo that I can demo. Demoing an action in the near future.

 

I am in kinda the same boat Danny, I am also looking to move out of my current vest do to some discomfort and wanting to operate longer with less fatigue. I have settled on either the EXO or PRO but at this point I have not had much response form Tiffen with wanting to take my money..... so its looking like I may be in a PRO suit.

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

"If you consider at an Exo, Chris Fawcett will be able to provide tons of researched anatomical reasons

for the new design, and thus explain health benefits."

 

I would be very careful not to state anything about "Health Benefits" since this is all theory at this point. You are still carrying the same load on your body and you don't know how this weight, now distributed to different locations is affecting your body long term.

 

The Exo has no "track record" yet, unlike other, front or back mounted vests that are being used for years or decades...

 

and

 

"I am also looking to move out of my current vest do to some discomfort and wanting to operate longer with less fatigue."

 

Wanting to operate longer with less fatigue, how about taking the rig off whenever you can and exercising more to support your skeleton with stronger muscles.

 

It is not the goal, in my opinion, to be able to carry the rig for extended periods of times "uselessly" since your are still putting all this weight on your joints, even if you don't feel it in your back...

 

I remember Garrett saying something like " hard-mount it and take it off whenever possible"....makes sense to me...

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Foot cramping? That is an issue with overall weight and use. Switching vests will likely do nothing for that! Less time and less weight are the key. Also, I suspect your calves are tight. Its all connected. See a doctor. Maybe try a Foot Roller:

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Back-Company-6312-Roller/dp/B0002Y1C6K

 

but I'M NOT A DOCTOR.

 

As for vests? I owned an old Model 1 for years. Then a Klassen and now a PRO. The Klassen harness caused too many problems with my lower abdomen. Walter and CO are great, but the PRO vest just works for me. Try them all.

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

"The Klassen harness caused too many problems with my lower abdomen. Walter and CO are great, but the PRO vest just works for me. Try them all.".

 

Same here

[Fabrizio Sciarra SOC ACO]

And same here

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

ummm I'm not aware of Chris being a doctor or a Physio, so careful with any claims of Health based designed etc etc. and like others are saying claims of a track record are premature.

[Thomas English]

I really love my Klassen and love Walter and his team. I am sure one day I'll swap my backup front 3a vest for another. Maybe a PRO maybe a EXO. What is certain is my Klassen got me to where I am today. I couldn't praise it more.

[Osvaldo Silvera SOC]

Had a Model 3 first,sold it, then a Pro,sold it when in 2005 got a Klassen with the prototype Dual mount (Adjustable up and down socket, just like the mount on the side). Lost a bunch of weight in 2009 and had my Klassen re-fitted at the factory with me there. Gained like 15 lbs back (over 3 years) and got the small metal spacer for the hinge side, The vest still fits great. But after a couple of shows My left leg would get the tingleys every once in a while.

 

I wanted to try an EXO, wrote to folks at Tiffen, weeks went by, then Frank at Tiffen sent an email and CC'd me to get me one to test out for a week since I was doing the Voice (Spanish Kids version), 5 weeks went by, couldn't continue to wait, Bought a PRO again, Got the right size Pads... All is good now.. The PRO will continue to be my Live show vest and the Klassen the heavyweight vest.

 

Some of the Tiffen stuff is great, Like Rob's Phantom V is excellent!. but if they could have gotten me a vest to try within 3 months time I may have bought it...and the folks at two different networks might have bought them for their in house guys too....Opportunity...LOST.

 

Try out different vests before deciding. The good part is that you can normally find one to try, the bad part is you really have to be in it for a long while to know if its really the right fit. Like a couple of days doing long shots and reaching that acid leak point in your muscles to know if it's gonna pinch somewhere or not. Proper vest fitting is key as well.

 

Just my.03C worth