May I add my recommendation of a foot stirrup...

Mark Marshall suggested this to me one day when we were flying at Tamatieberg (Volksrust) and I was complaining that my back started hurting after about 20mins flying time, due to an earlier vertebrae injury.

He showed me how he had connected his stirrup and convinced me how much it rested both your legs and back whilst flying.  The next day I rigged one up, and although it did take two hours hanging in the harness from a tree (on purpose of course!), the effort was not only worth it (in reducing fatigue), but has other, more important benefits;

1.)  Getting into your harness is a snap.  You're attached to your stirrup by a bungee and a simple flick of your ankle puts the stirrup right under your foot for the support you need to either fall into (after take-off) or out of your seat (for landing).

2.)  Gentle turns are accomplished simply by pushing harder on the leg in the direction you want to turn - sort of like a light aircraft's rudder pedals.  This process also automatically makes you tighten up the inner (turn direction) butt cheek which results in spontaneous weight shift to that side.

3.)  With the speed bar also attached to the stirrup (be careful here - this mechanism took me three months to perfect), emergency acceleration is just a knee bend away and always in the same place for instant location.  Especially useful for high wind take-offs where you need to keep looking where you're going and keep both hands on the toggles.

4.)  Makes for very relaxed flying with your knee at a slight bend for optimum comfort but once straightened, it pushes you hard into the harness backrest which dampens out all turbulence and feels totally solid - my favourite use for it!

Regards and relaxed, solid flying to all.

Brad Kruger