hiking bench

The North American masters site webmaster has drawings which used to be on his website. Perhaps they still are there.
Dick Tillman's books have drawings and directions for hiking benches. The North American Office used to stock Tillman's books and may still have a copy.

Meanwhile? Sit on a stool and lean back while you are using your computer.
 
Hi,
SAILFIT has a Hiking Bench called the Quadzilla(TM). It was developed by Kurt Taulbee who has campaigned in the laser and teaches laser sailing along with myself who teaches fitness for the laser. You can check it out at www.sailfit.com. If you have any questions in your search for a bench just let us know and we'd be happy to help you.
 
the easiest and cheapest way to get a hiking bench, is go measure your laser, and build one. Its not hard, and took me only a couple of hours. I lost my measurements, but make sure to measure deck width, cockpit depth, the height of the hiking strap, and the distance from the deck to the hiking strap. I will try to take some pics of mine later.
 
I built mine from the plans in Dick Tillman's book (ISBN 0-07-135788-2) with a couple modifications. First, there's a board at the very "outboard" end that will hit your back if you lean back too far. In my design I turned it 90 degrees so it lays flat on the floor, and notched the 48" peices to fit. I also rounded the top corners of the long peices at that same joint. If you look at the diagram it should make sense. Secondly, I shortened the outboard vertical peices, the legs, by about an inch and a quarter to mimic the angle of a Laser sailing flat. I built the seat separately and mounted it with one bolt in each of the inboard legs so the seat lifts like a lid, and put removable pegs in the outboard legs that will fit into two different holes; a lower one to get the angle (which makes for a much harder workout) and the higher one to sit the seat level, which makes for an easier workout or a nice flat surface to put a beer while I'm watching TV. Finally, I made the whole thing out of 1x4 red oak and stained and varnished it. When I'm not working out it makes a damn handsome coffee table! I can post pictures if you want, but it's midnight and I'm going to bed.

Jim
 
jim anderson said:
When I'm not working out it makes a damn handsome coffee table! I can post pictures if you want, but it's midnight and I'm going to bed.Jim

I would love to see pictures. It sounds interesting, (attractive too!) and I'd like to "see" the dimensions. I use the bench on my pilates machine along with the footstrap, but I'm not sure I'm placing it in the best position.

Merrily
 
The problem is to simulate the same position that we have on the
laser. It must use the same strap in order to simulate the
flexibility: no bench that I have seen has these characteristics.
 
Federico Schneider said:
The problem is to simulate the same position that we have on the laser. It must use the same strap in order to simulate the
flexibility: no bench that I have seen has these characteristics.
Hi Frederico,
You may wanna have this sort of "hiking bench"... :)

http://www.virtualsailing.com.au/2003news.htm

Thats the one the LooserLu would like to have. Maybe some of our TLF-friends at the south side (at Melbourne) of the globe can say something to that vehicle.

Hope this helps & arrividerci
LooserLu
 
Wavedancer said:
...but it looks like this 'rig' may be more expensive than a complete Laser
Yes, true.

But, wouldn't it be a nice winter-project for the Laserites here in the TLF-hood, that are automotive-enineers/-technicians and the electronic-hardware/-software specialists? Unluckily, I'm only a civil-engineer and knows all about designing and constructing in heavy-steel/-concrete materials... :eek:)

I think, it is also a nice project for the college students at a technical-course.

One protoype-simulator like that on that Australian-website, I think, is really very expensive. But, if produced on a line like our loved boatie, it is maybe available (from the costs) for a professional Laserfleet (on national-team level).

Like with the simple vehilces the pro-bikers use (they put their bike in a sort of small sawhorse with the aftwards-tyre) I can imagine a selfmade vehicle, where an old club-Laserhull (perhaps with a broken/unrepairable maststep) can be fixed in and some old e-engines from damaged cloth-driers and some antishock pads from the dump for cars and an old pentium1-pc plus some software can joined togehter in such a project.
Whats your opinion?
Cheers
LooserLu
 
Harken used to make a hiking bench that had basically the part of a cockpit you sit on and the part where your feet go and a real strap and you can ajust the angle and things of it. my sailing center has one but it is really old.
 
Listen go out find yourself a really old cheap laser, cut the cockpit out of it, bolt it down and brace it, then you have the best hiking bench money can buy.
 
hydroslyder said:
Listen go out find yourself a really old cheap laser, cut the cockpit out of it, bolt it down and brace it, then you have the best hiking bench money can buy.

As of this morning (12/2), there was a (broken maststep) Laser for sale on E-Bay.
 
This is my hiking bench.

I built it last winter by measuring off my laser. The dimensions should be pretty good, and it has a rounded edge on the deck, much like the laser. The hiking strap is an extra one for my boat. I also have a rope pulling on a bungee on a purchase system, acting like a mainsheet. If I want to tack, all I have to do is unclip the hook, and put it onto the other end of the hiking strap.
 

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Following up on my November 30th post, here are the pictures. It is basically the same as the one in Tillman's book, with three changes. One: the board at the very "outboard" end is turned 90 degrees so it doesn't hit your back if you lean back too far, and I rounded the top corners of the long peices at that same joint. Two: the seat is adjustable by using a stationary pin on the inboard side, and a removable pin on the outboard side, so you can lower the outboard side by one inch, mimicking the angle of a Laser deck. When it's flat it is an easier workout, or you can use it as a table. Three: I cut a curve in to the board beneath the strap to make more room for my heels. The whole thing is made out of 1x4 red oak so it's really, really strong. The one thing I would do differently, and I might still add it to this one, would be to add a vertical piece of wood on the edge of the seat where the cockpit wall would be, and put a grabrail on it like the boat has. It would be helpful in pulling back up after a good hike.
 

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Federico Schneider said:
The problem is to simulate the same position that we have on the
laser. It must use the same strap in order to simulate the
flexibility: no bench that I have seen has these characteristics.

The strap on my bench (above) does feel different than my boat in terms of the flexibility and feel, but the raging, aching burn that I get in my legs and abs is pretty much the same.
 
I have just launched what many are saying is the best hiking bench ever designed. The Hike Pro really simulates sailing due to its unique rocking design. As you hike back it rocks back to mimic flattening your boat. If you relax it rocks back up! It has double mainsheets to work out the arms as you practice and also can be collapsed in 15 seconds for quick storage under a bed of couch after the work out. It has a padded seat to simulate using hiking pads. Current greats such as 2012 Laser North American Champion Chris Barnard, Steve Hunt, multi world and other champion, writer for Sailing World "ask the experts" and coach of the reveered Point Loma High School sailing team and many others are using it.
 
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From scratch here are some plans
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~deadrock/deadrock/laser_02.htm

For precut parts that you assemble
http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d9000/e7319.asp

You can also search the old email list archives.

The important measurments are to get the deck width the same as the actual deck (16.5") and the relation of the strap to the deck (height and distance in from the deck) IIRC, height is down 5" and in 10"

>>
The link for my modified Tillman hiking bench (modified so that you can fold it and hang it up) is no longer at the link quoted above. The current address is:
http://www.deadrock.co.uk/laser/bench01.htm

The hiking bench in the photos is still going strong; wish the same could be said for the builder. The dark-haired kid in the photos has just started at Oxford Uni. Time flies . . . .
Deadrock
 

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