Research and Development: gunslinger suspension

It was time to try something completely new. 

SoundsFun and I wandered to the dungeon in the basement with a copy of Complete Shibari Volume 2: Sky. After flipping through the book for a while we decided on the Box Tie suspension harness and the Gunslinger Hip Harness.

The wraps of the chest harness went on easily.  The shoulder straps were a bit more difficult.  Photos in the book sometimes have the feel of the "spot the differences" games from childhood (except with more breasts).

The Gunslinger Hip Harness is performed as a simple set of frictions connected by a vine.  The first of the frictions has a free bight.  This could safely be used as part of a lift.  But there's a note "You can lock the loop by wrapping with vines in step 7", but this is not pictured.  My intuition is that for safety this loop must be locked in.  To that end I substitute with a more traditional first friction, lock in the bight, and hide the extra ropes underneath the wraps of the vines.

I tied a simple two column tie around the wrists.

I tied a square lashing around the crossed ankles. I'm really liking the more natural positions that come from square lashings. The large number of wraps makes this comfortable. The frappings allow security without the wrapping being too tight.

I decided to try out the carabiner chain strategy of managing the lines.

The lift was performed using the winch. SoundsFun described the suspension as comfortable.

The open legs made me wonder.  I put my hands above my head and squeezed my torso between his legs.  My shoulders are a bit wider than my waist.  I was just out of reach of the winch controls.  And I was stuck.

While it was embarassing, there was an easy way out.  Unfortunately it would involve minor rope burn for both of us.  (I also could have untied chunks of the suspension)

My suggestions to soundsFun that he think wide thoughts brought back pleasant memories of a scene with another guy, and his full-body laughs did not improve matters.

I raised my hands above my head and, with slight twist, lowered myself away from him. I learn from my mistakes, and this wasn't too bad. (it is important to me that I own my failures as well as my successes.  part of this is being open and honest about them.  the boys involved have all been willing to play with me again.)

It was good bondage and good experience.

(p.s. Other suspensions don't suffer from this particular problem.)