Petzl Sequoia & Sequoia SRT: What’s the Difference!?

Whether you’re climbing trees as a profession or recreationally, few names stand out and amongst those names, Petzl has a dominating force behind it! Petzl has become a company known for its innovative and top-notch tree climbing gear, but that’s not all Petzl is about. Despite having such a strong presence in the tree care industry, they are widely known for rock climbing, mountaineering, alpinism, rope access work, and I might be missing some here but the point being is, they are spread across other industries. Back to the matter at hand, in the arborist community, the Petzl Sequoia harness is regarded as one of the best. In this blog, we’ll highlight its features, benefits, and the differences when it comes to the Sequoia SRT.

Quick History

The legend begins sometime in the 1930’s in southeastern France when Fernand Petzl was introduced to caving and inspired him to create new tools for exploring the unknown caves. His products were first marketed in 1968; two years later the birth of what we all have come to know and love, PETZL! A couple years later, their company headquarters was established at the foot of the Dent de Crolles in France, an American subsidiary in Salt Lake City, Utah and multiple European subsidiaries. The Petzl company is family owned to date and continues to share the same mission statement; to create innovative tools with superior performance. All of their products are invented and developed at their headquarters!

Petzl Sequoia & Sequoia SRT

Older Sequoia

New Sequoia

The original Petzl Sequoia was introduced to the arborist market in December of 2008. At the time, most harnesses shared were big, bulky and had heavy oversized buckles. Currently, we are on the third generation Sequoia which was revamped in 2019 with the added release of the Sequoia SRT. Before touch base on the differences, we’ll cover the features that BOTH versions share. Both harnesses:

• Designed for use in the tree care industry.
  
• Five dedicated accessory tool holder slots.
  
• Nine equipment loops that have a protective sheath.
  
• Leg loops are equipped with their Fast LT Plus buckles, which can be easily opened while wearing gloves, but the buckle system limits the risk of opening unwantedly.
  
• Two retainers for a carabiner to hold a chainsaw or handsaw, which I feel like most don’t know this feature even exists on the harness.
  
• A bosun seat can be added. On the forward D ring, there is a small pin slot where the seat is locked onto.
  
• Padding design is wide, semi-rigid, contoured and foam lined to increase the comfort on those long climbs.
  
• Side D Rings will move as the climber follows the lanyard to provide correct orientation.
  
  

Bridges

Right out of the bag, a 45cm, or medium, bridge comes standard on either version. A shorter (40cm) version and longer (50cm) version is available depending on your climbing style. But get this, an adjustable bridge is available for these harnesses, and it has been available for a hot minute now. So, other harnesses that are coming out with an adjustable bridge option, are late to the game! Attachment is different. On the forward D rings, a black spacer and screw combo holds the bridge in place from falling out, to replace or add a second bridge is extremely simple! Follow these steps:

1. Remove screws.
   
2. Pullout the black spacer.
   
3. Add bridge to the second bridge slot on the forward D ring.
   
4. Re-insert black spacer.
   
5. Re-install screw. Here is something to remember, the red O-ring must be present on the screw and the manufacturer recommends using a torque wrench and tightening to 2,5 Nm.
   
   

The adjustable bridge attaches differently, not through the designated attachment slots but rather onto the forward D ring itself. The Petzl Adjustable Bridge comes with an adjustment rope clamp and double sewn eyes on the bridge itself, eliminating the need for a stopper knot. The rope clamp and one sewn eye attach to one forward and the other sewn eye attaches at the opposite forward D. There is a trade-off in my eyes; premium retail space is now cluttered and potentially obsolete for positioning.

Petzl Sequoia SRT

Now comes the frequently asked question: “Is the SRT version only for that climbing technique”? The answer: NO. While yes, the Sequoia SRT is specifically designed for SRT ascent, it can still be used with traditional tree climbing techniques. This version has a soft D, which is an additional ventral attachment point, where your climbing system can connect to in order to keep a nice and tight system during the ascent. But that isn’t the only reason why it’s there; located on the back of the Sequoia SRT harness is an aluminum buckle that is compatible with Petzl’s Top Harness (Croll or no croll); the Top Harness’ webbing, loops through the buckle and reconnects to the front side, at the soft D via carabiner. Having a Top Harness is a game changer, especially if you’re someone that primarily deals with removals and attaches ground saws to the harness.

The other difference is located at the waist belt. This Sequoia version loses the buckle at the waist belt and is traded for a webbing cinch at the waist. I know, ugh, a cinch waist belt! But don’t discredit the cinch, it actually adjusts tighter, and it doesn’t loosen up as compared to other harnesses.

Remember, either Sequoia is compatible with moving rope systems and/or stationary rope systems but when choosing between the two, this should only have a small percentage in the deciding factor. The majority deciding factors should come down to whether you would like to integrate a Top Harness to help distribute weight and keep the harness from sliding down at the hip. Or, if you are looking for a harness that cinches down tight at the waist, the Petzl Sequoia might be what you need.