2004Vests forum
Garrett's dual front/back mount Steadicam vest design and field experience
22 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- A hybrid vest design combines front-mounted and back-mounted harness characteristics by stiffening the right side of a front-mounted vest to function like a back-mounted arm without a protruding carbon arm.
- The socket block position was moved approximately six inches to the right to match the position found on traditional back-mounted vests.
- Operators who tried the dual-mount vest reported it felt similar to a back-mounted harness when mounted in front, but some found traditional back-mounting remained more comfortable after extended use.
- The dual-mount design allows switching between front and back-mounted modes in less than one minute by removing the carbon arm, flipping the socket, and adjusting shoulder straps.
- Dual-mount vests provide improved clearance through doorways and tight spaces compared to traditional back-mounted harnesses, while maintaining better control than standard front-mounted vests.
- Socket block height must be positioned at the top of the front door for proper ergonomics; if positioned too high, operators feel like their elbows are elevated.
- A metal hinge on the front door is required for adequate rigidity when using a modified Universal harness in dual-mount configuration; ratchets alone are insufficient.
- Some operators experienced difficulty achieving proper fore-and-aft balance on the sled with fixed front-mount socket positioning, with wedge adjustments potentially needed to tilt the rig toward the operator.
- Extended back-mount use over multiple years reportedly eliminates leg numbness concerns, with initial hip muscle soreness resolving after the first day of use.
- Back-mounted harnesses enabled sustained operation with heavy rigs for extended periods, whereas equivalent front-mounted use resulted in significant physical fatigue.
Depends on
- The design may only be versatile as fixed left-side or right-side versions, limiting adaptability for different operator preferences.
- Socket block adjustability for fore-and-aft balance was not implemented in the initial design, requiring potential wedge modifications.
- Limited long-term data exists since the design was relatively new at the time of discussion (2004).
- Field experience reported comes from a small number of operators rather than widespread deployment.
- Comfort comparisons are subjective and based on individual operator preferences and experience history.