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The Outside Harness Range
Which Harness for me?
Though there are 'do everything' harnesses out there they make many compromises. Some harnesses will be equipped with many large gear loops for big wall climbing. Some harnesses will be very lightweight and minimalist making them extremely easy to climb in but very uncomfortable to sit in. You might need to buy a harness slightly larger to account for the clothing you might wear in winter. Which you choose depends on what you think you are going to be using the harness for most.
What are harnesses made from?
Harnesses are made from plastic, foam, aluminium/steel and most importantly Nylon. The parts of the harness that bear the load and keep you alive are made from the Nylon and aluminium/steel. The buckle is an integral part of the harness in conjunction with the Nylon webbing but is far less prone to wear.
Heat - Be careful with stoves, where you put your harness in your car, open fires, etc
Acid/Alkaline Substances - Car batteries are highly acidic, household cleaning products are highly alkaline.
Repeated high impact falls - though the nylon looks unaffected it can be seriously weakened.
UV Light - The most important and potent degrader of nylon. If you are taking your harness out regularly, all year round then this is the type of degradation that you should pay the most attention to
Is weight important in a harness?
There is no point in carrying extra weight if you don’t have to and more padding does not necessarily equal more comfort. The new Arcteryx range of harnesses has very little padding but is thought by many to be amongst the most comfortable out there.
Belay Loop/Or Not?
Belay loops generally come as standard these days however there are still some harnesses like the Black Diamond Bod that do not have one. No belay loop means you can drop your trousers without having to undo you waist loop (but at the same time you will have to be untied). It's also easier to put the harness on over big boots and crampons as you do not have to step into the harness leg loops. However belay loops allow you to clip multiple biners into your harness without the risk of dangerous cross loading. This is an issue when you are not tied in and are using a biner to connect the leg and waist loops together on harness without a belay loop.
How many gear loops do I need?
What kind of climbing are you going to be doing and how do you like your gear to be racked? There are harnesses available with up to 12 gear loops these days. Most still have four however. Think about how you rack your gear, what the shape of the gear loop will mean for you when climbing or whether you want two really big gear loops or four that are all the same. Make sure that the gear loops are not so thin it will catch in the nose hook of a biner. This can become very annoying as you try and clip and unclip things from your harness as well as increasing the likelihood that you will drop something.
Buckles - Double back or not?
There are no unsafe buckles. All companies test stringently. The argument for automatically locking buckles is to do with climber error and double back buckles. It was not that the buckles failed, just that people forgot to double them back. When doubled back they are bomb proof. The 'one pull and they are locked' buckles avoid this by not needing to be doubled back. They are also much more convenient.
The life span for soft goods that are kept in the box and never used is 5 years. When you use your harness regularly, fall off in it, use it in strong sunlight, then it will need to be retired sooner. Furry harnesses need replacing.
What do rear risers do?
Without rear risers your leg loops would drop down behind you knees. They are not load bearing but play an important part in harness comfort. Bad rear risers are ones which come undone when you don’t want them to either on their own or when you happen to be chimneying. Being able to do them up and undo them easily makes going to the toilet much more pleasant (ladies take note).
What's a haul loop?
Not much use in the UK. Made to trail a haul line if you are big wall climbing. Anything you clip to it (haul line, belay device, karabiner to attach chalk bag) will be over the base of the spine which makes some people uneasy. Very occasionally it can be more practical to clip into the rear of your harness than the front but this is rare.
Ice Clippers?
A great idea. They make racking up ice screws much easier. Be warned however about the way you attach them to your harness. Some harnesses have a sheath that you attach it to. Some are attached using what is in effect a thick rubber band. Whichever type you are looking at, imagine how expensive and worrying it would be if you lost all your ice screws 400m up, mid route.
Price?
As with all outdoor gear you get what you pay for. More expensive harnesses will be better designed, made from lighter materials and will be to a limited extent more comfortable.
Young children do not have developed hips and are top heavy in the body. This can lead to either tipping over backwards or slipping out of a sit harness if they go upside down. For this reason full body harnesses are a good idea as the tie in point is higher and the child can not fall out of the harness.
What Size?/How to Fit?
It doesn't matter how much you love a harnesses design and features, if it doesn't fit you then it's not worth anything. Try and ignore price, colour and the gender the harness was designed for if it fits you.
Too Small - not enough webbing passed through buckle to allow for safety margin, loss of blood to the legs due to tight leg loops, gear loops that are behind your back.
Too Big - You might fall out of it, it could be pulled down over your hips with rope drag, leg loops could move and crush the crown jewels when you fall off.
Waist belt - when free hanging this should just support your back and not take much of your body weight.
Leg loops - these should take most of your body weight when free hanging, need to be snug, yet should be able to accommodate more clothing if it gets cold.
The Rise (bit of the harness that connects the leg loops and the belay loop) - Too long and you'll put too much weight on your leg loops and tip backwards. Too short and it will have you doubled over when standing and be very uncomfortable.
Women's models - Generally have larger leg loops and rise than a men's harness.
Padding - this does not always mean that the harness will be more comfortable and it will weigh more.
Clothing - Wear the clothes that you are going to climb in when trying the harness (like bringing the socks that you'll be wearing when you try on a pair of boots).
When free hanging - you should not tip over backwards nor be slumped onto the rope in front of you.
Do I need to hang for hours in a harness to test how comfortable it is?
No. All harnesses are going to get uncomfortable after about 5 minutes free hanging in them. You are looking for general comfort and how the harness fits and allows you to move and climb.
What's special about harnesses for group use?
Group harnesses need to be simple, foolproof and be able to accommodate a range of body shapes and sizes. The DMM alpine harness is a classic example. It has a handle to tie into or clip into and multi coloured buckles to ease putting on the harness.
Image © 2008A_32 Heidi Wirtz, The North Face, Photo - Tim Kemple, Czech Repbublic
