In college, I took a road trip across the country with three buddies. My friend Jack’s parents lent us their 1980s-era Volvo, which didn’t even have power steering or AC. We set forth with weed in our lungs and Kerouac in our hearts, and hit up the usual iconic spots, with a giant Rand McNally map book as our guide.
As the most psyched (and really only) climber in the group, I only cared about reaching one place: Yosemite.
At long last, after many misadventures and near arrests, we arrived in the Valley, and of course my mind was sufficiently blown having never before seen anything like “this”—picture my hand gesturing dramatically toward El Cap.
I convinced my friends to join me on a multi-pitch 5.8, and being the only person who knew how to place gear or lead, I, who was also a full-on Gumby, nevertheless “guided” my three stoner friends up the wall.
At the second pitch anchor, I belayed Al who barely escaped falling several times on the slab. I happen to look down and see that his harness wasn’t double-backed. In fact it was barely even threaded once.
“Al, what the fuck! Your harness isn’t double-backed, you idiot!” I screeched, in my uptight northeastern way.
Al, a Nicaraguan from Chattanooga, responded with, “What’s the big deal, man? Just chill out!”
Al’s inability to take responsibility always infuriated me, and represented a consistent theme in our relationship. At some point before our four-year college tenure ended, I would punch Al right in the face, but that’s another story.
Of course this story would never have happened today because the concept of “double-backing” is obsolete now that harness manufacturers have “Al proofed” their designs. Now all harnesses come pre double-backed.
And thanks to other innovations, they’re all lighter, better, stronger, and more comfortable than ever before.
Here’s what what you really need to know about climbing harnesses.
Climbing Harness Categories
For the most part, it’s a safe bet to ignore most categories, which are false descriptions of how harnesses ought be used. There is no such thing as a “sport climbing harness” or a “trad climbing harness,” a “beginner harness” or an “expert harness.” Harnesses are largely just harnesses, regardless of how hard you climb or whether you’re clipping bolts or placing cams.
The exception are ice climbing and alpine climbing harnesses, which are distinct from rock climbing harnesses. Ice climbing harnesses feature a little slot to add an “ice clipper” (a special plastic carabiner used for easy racking of ice screws). Also there are alpine/glacier harnesses, which are super light and minimal webbing rigs that really aren’t meant for hang-dogging or normal rock climbing.
Adjustable leg loops
Are you an adjustable leg loop kind of person? I’m not, as my thigh size doesn’t change no matter how much corner stemming I do. There is also never a situation in which I think, “Hm, maybe today I’ll wear three pairs of pants.”
At best, I would adjust my leg loops once to dial in the fit, and then figure out a way to live with the indignity of having superfluous metal and nylon bits on my thighs every time I go climbing. Wouldn’t it be better to just find a harness whose fixed leg loops fit?
Sadly I’m in the minority on this point, and adjustable leg loop harnesses are super popular and sell far better than fixed leg loops.
I suppose if you’re an ice climber and want the ability to take a harness off before, say, removing your crampons or something like that, perhaps having adjustable leg loops could come in handy. Or you could just take your crampons off first.
Gear Loops
Some designers like to remove gear loops to make their harnesses fit into a category of “sport climbing” or “competition” harness, but I wouldn’t ever buy a harness with fewer than four gear loops.
If you like to rack trad gear on your harness as opposed to using a gear sling, consider things like the placement of the gear loops (if they are more toward the front or back) as well as how stiff/rigid they are (stiffer can be easier to clip gear to).
That said, the position of gear loops can also depend on whether you have the right size harness.
Haul loops
The haul loop is piece of sewn webbing on the back of your harness that beginners assume is the spot meant for a chalk bag to be clipped via locking carabiner.
What is the haul loop? What would one “haul” with this loop? There is literally no good answer to this question. Listen to me: you don’t need a haul loop; I don’t know why companies continue to make harnesses with haul loops; don’t try to haul anything with this so called “haul loop.” Ignore the haul loop.
Belay loop
The belay loop is standard. Some are made of nylon, while some are made from spectra. Each material has slightly different properties that could be argued about in online forums, but the bottom line is that they’re all safe, and rated to catch thousands of pounds of force that you’ll almost certainly never have to experience in your day-to-day belaying duties.
Some people like to back up their belay loops with a secondary piece of cord tied to their harness. Why are they doing this? It’s unclear. If you’re really concerned about your belay loop potentially failing, you’re probably not using your harness properly, or your harness is old enough that it needs to be replaced. (See below.) Metolius makes a harness with two belay loops for those folks who like this sense of redundancy, but it’s honestly not necessary and just adds more clutter to an already cluttered-up spot on your harness.
Other considerations
Mammut harnesses feature a molded piece of plastic guarding the lower tie-in point from the friction and abrasion sustained by the rope and also the belay loops rubbing against this tie-in point. This is actually a great idea, and does offer protection at a spot where a harness can fail—and has failed in one very notable and infamous accident. It can give your harness a bit more life and longevity, but honestly, my opinion is it’s a good idea to replace your harness frequently anyway. In other words, ideally you wouldn’t have a harness so long as to even reach the point where this kind of wear and tear is a concern.
Padding is another thing to consider. I would say that more padding doesn’t automatically mean more comfort, and in fact so of the more minimal designs I find to be just as if not more comfortable than the padded out harnesses. If you like to climb without a shirt in hot weather, the padding/material can make a difference and be less abrasive on your skin.
Women’s specific harnesses have a longer “rise”—the distance between the leg loops and belt—to account for women’s hip shapes.
Also, think about colors, which aren’t just aesthetic. Some companies make their belay loops a different color so that they’re easier to identify.
When to replace
I suggest replacing your harness every year to every two years at most, depending on how much you climb. There are terrible stories of climbers pushing their harnesses to far and paying the ultimate price. They’re just not that expensive, and there is no reason not to have a harness that’s in good if not great condition.
And one final safety point: don’t ever keep a daisy chain or PAS perma girth hitched to your belay loop.
Great article and mirrors my thoughts exactly. Just bought a minimal black diamond harness, nice and light.