Choosing a new harness
You’ll be glad to hear that this is a much easier job than choosing new shoes! People often tell me that they’d like to buy a beginner’s harness - well, there’s no such thing. A beginner will hit the floor in just the same way as an expert, so the harness must do the same job.
What is the point of a harness?
Clearly job number one is safety: to stop you from falling to the ground. Some will say “climbing is surely dangerous?!” but we all know that climbing is really safe - falling is much more dangerous! So the harness needs to fit you safely. It’s not about comfort (I’ll come to that) but it must be the right size - it must fit the proportions of your body as per the manufacturer’s instructions in order to be safe and reliable if (or when!) you fall (or momentarily forget to climb!)
Jim’s harness packed with winter gear, Orion Face Direct, Ben Nevis
The first top tip is therefore to go to a proper climbing shop to try a few harnesses on and learn the manufacturer’s safety guidelines from the shop staff, rather than trying to work it out for yourself by buying online without trying on (surely a daft idea). This article is intended to give you a head start.
Rack
The second point of a harness is to carry your rack of gear. The waist belt should have at least four gear loops to clip your quickdraws, cams and all the expensive stuff that you never use and don’t need (speaking for myself here!) Make sure the harness belt has enough gear loops to suit your needs. Some have five or more - these might be good for trad climbers or multi-pitch days where a bigger rack might be needed. Though four is fine for most of us, most of the time.
The author on The Black Streak, Torridon
Comfort?
The final main point to consider is probably comfort. Not as important as you might think - in fact price, colour or ease of adjustment might even be higher on the list than comfort. When you think about it, if you can move freely in the harness when climbing (and you should if you’ve noted my first point about fit) then comfort isn’t much of an issue. If you forget to climb and start falling, then the fact that you’re still alive should be enough to take your mind off a little discomfort around your soft spots!! The only occasion that I have to deeply consider the comfort of a harness is when I’m fixed into a hanging belay in an awkward spot on a long multi-pitch route. Perhaps a long ice climb or trad route with lots of annoying time-consuming belays. That’s when the finer points of a harness really come under scrutiny.
A lonely abseil on The Sorcerer, Ghost River Valley, Canada
Care
Once you’ve bought your harness please look after it. It will save your life many times over as long as you protect it. Don’t store it in a damp place. Make sure you dry it out fully after use and store away from direct sunlight, extreme cold or hot temperatures, and chemicals! Don’t sling it in the car boot if you had an old car battery in there recently (it happens!) or used the boot for carrying old paint or fuel cans to the tip (you know who you are!). And so to the bullet points..
Size - make sure it fits your body shape safely and securely. Good shop staff will help here.
Gear loops - are there enough for you? Four should be fine. Don’t worry about fancy features for ice climbers unless you’re a fancy ice climber.
Price - £60/£65 (ish) should get you enough gear loops and comfort to suit. Cheaper might not be quite as comfy - more expensive might look and feel more luxurious but won’t make much difference.
Shop - a real one if possible (with good staff), not an online pretend one.
Second hand? - Arrggghhh! NEVER. And don’t lend it out willy-nilly either. Treat it as carefully as you treat your own delicate life. You can forget eBay, or some bloke down the climbing wall.
Ease of adjustment - make sure you can put it on and take it off without it doing your head in. This is where trying a few on for comparison is a good idea.
And finally… comfort - a good shop will have a hang point for you to dangle like a fool in public. Comparing harnesses will tell you a bit about the overall comfort but don’t over-scrutinise. A sit-harness will never be as comfy as sitting in an arm chair, but it shouldn’t trap anything delicate or dig annoyingly into your bony parts. Full disclosure… I work for Rock On at Mile End Climbing Wall (a proper shop with proper climbers for staff) so come to see me and I’ll dangle you from the ceiling!
