Beginner Climbing Gear Guide Part 1: Harnesses


You went to the gym and climbed a few times so now you want your own gear. I bet you're wondering what gear to get though and how broke you will be after. It is honestly not bad if you know what you are getting yourself into.

Let's start with basic gear for indoor climbing:
  1. Harness
  2. Climbing shoes
  3. Belay Device
Each section will be covered thoroughly in a three part series. This first part of the series as you probably already guessed by the title will cover harnesses.


Harness
Comfortable harness= Awesome climb days!

 The harness is the staple in rock climbing, more than any other piece of equipment.

We've come a long way since the Swiss Seat,
aka the Rope Harness

Your harness does not need to cost you an arm and a leg. You need those for climbing. Inexpensive is good enough as long as you are getting a harness that is designed for rock climbing.


Alpine Harness: Black Diamond Couloir 
Chest Harness: 3M Strata
There are alpine harnesses and full body harnesses out there. They are not for optimal rock climbing although they will work. 
Alpine harnesses do not last longer than a regular harness they break faster and usually are cheaper! 


You want something well padded for comfort; as a beginner you will be sitting a lot in it and taking a few more falls. Trust me, you want that extra piece of padding when gravity does its thing.

Another feature to look out for besides good padding is the type of buckle on the waist loop. Get one that you don't have to double back. In other words, get a quick fastening buckle. Fortunately, ones that you need to double back are not popular so your gear shop may not even carry it. 


 Left: Badly closed single loop
buckle

Right: Double backed buckle
properly closed

Bottom: Properly closed quick
fastening buckle
 
Quick fastening buckle

You want a harness can hugs above your hips and feels like wearing pants. Aim for a symmetrical fit see the picture below. The trick I use when I'm showing people how mine fits is simple:

  1.  Tighten the harness over your hips
  2. Put your hand through the waist-belt
  3. Try to bring it out as a fist. If it doesn't come out easily, it's a good fit! 

    4. For the female climbers out there, note there are harnesses designed for the female body that you might find fit you better. 


Symmetrical fit = belay loop is positioned 
in the centre of the body

My recommendations for starter harness:
  1. CAMP Energy 
    • Well padded
  2. Eldrid Zack 
    • Well padded & more breathable than the Camp
  3. Petzl Corax  
    • A great all-round harness
    • Decent for ice climbing
    • Pricey 
  4. Black Diamond Aspect
    • Another great all-rounder
    • Great for ice climbing
    • Most expensive
To summarize what to look for in a harness:
  • Well padded
  • Symmetrical fit
  • Quick fastening waist buckle 
  • Inexpensive; no need to get a Cadillac

Closing remarks

A good harness doesn't need to cost too much money.

 ALWAYS READ THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS WHEN BUYING ANY PIECE OF GEAR; YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Here you will find the Outdoor Gear Lab article on 2015's best harnesses and here the overall best buy, updated in September 2017. We covered the Corax in our page here. Let us know if you want more details.

See you soon with Part 2 coming up: Harnesses

Climb on!

Comments

  1. Linda DavignonOctober 14, 2017 at 10:49 AM

    It was clear and easy to follow for a beginner. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KNOctober 26, 2017 at 12:02 PM

    to determine if you have a symetrical fit you need to look at the gear loops. the belay loop will pretty much end up where it is supposed to be regardless if the harness fits well or not. so your harness where you are wearing batman boxers, that harness does not fit you as well as the next harness

    ReplyDelete

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