The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
1143.2014.1
Troll waist belt
16/07/2014
Hermione Cooper
16/07/2014
Belt with plastic loops and metal buckle.
nylon webbing
90(l) x 8(w) cms
1
On label "TROLL MADE IN ENGLAND" "FABRIQUE EN ANGLETERRE L"
cream, maroon,black
Troll
England
In the early days of mountaineering when the more adventurous types started to venture off the beaten track onto the steep, open faces of the mountain, they thought it was prudent to use ropes, and once a few pals had disappeared down the odd crevasse when crosssing a glacier, roping up was thought to be a very good idea. Initially, folk just tied the rope around their waist using a bowline to secure it, but it soon became apparent that a single rope around the middle was not very comfortable in the event of a fall so wrapping several strands of rope around the middle to form a 'waistband' became the norm for several decades.
It wasn't until the 1960's, when the production of nylon webbing got into full swing, that manufacturers started producing purpose made waist belts specifically designed to absorb the shock of a fall. Leg loops and full body harnesses were to follow fairly soon after.
Troll Equipment were one of the first companies to market the new waist belts from nylon webbing and we have a nice example here in the collection which we reckon dates from the 1970's. Interestingly, the locking buckle system used to secure the belt had been used on military parachutes since the 1940's.
Donated by Bill Newton
16/07/2014
16/07/2014
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007
16/07/2014