Climbing Harnesses

Subpages
Sport Climbing Harnesses
Trad Climbing Harnesses
Alpine Climbing Harnesses

Harness

Your Harness MUST Fit!  Go to REI or a climbing store and try on several different harnesses.  DO NOT Trust the size on the Harness.  They all fit differently.  A Scout may be able to use a Size Small in one harness and a Size Large in another.

Any harness used must meet one of the following standards

• Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA 105) 

• European Committee for Standardization (EN12277)

Beginner Harness Recommendations

• Camp Energy CR 3 (men's) & Camp Nova (women's)

  • Best Budget

• Men's Black Diamond Momentum & Women's Momentum

  • Budget Harness

• Petzl Adjama (men's) & Petzl Luna (women's)

  • Great gym harness

  • Great for Sport and Trad

  • This is a very versatile harness that will work on more advanced climbs

What You Really Need

• Harness that is it good shape and less than 10 years old

• Must fit

• You don't need something fancy or expensive

Harness Notes

Age of Harness

Harnesses need to be in good shape and be less than 10 years old.  Avoid using "vintage" gear. 

If buckles or webbing is worn, consider retiring your harness; it's probably weaker than you think. 

Example of DoubleBack Buckle 

Harness Buckles

There are two main types of buckles used on climbing harnesses. 

• 1 Piece Manual Doubleback

• 2 Piece Quick Adjust

Of these two types of buckle types (and there are others), the 2 Piece Quick Adjust is more common and climbers have become more familiar with this design.

The 1 Piece Manual Doubleback is less commonly seen and many climbers may not be familiar with it.  It requires that your weave your strap back through the buckle to lock it.  Not performing this step can result in a major injury.

When selecting harnesses, avoid use of 1 Piece Manual Doubleback.  Use is NOT intuitive and many newer climbers don't know how to use them.  If you have a 1 Piece Manual Doubleback, the climb leads MUST be familiar with this design.   

Sport Harness

• Designed for indoor gyms

• Quick and easy waistbelt buckle

• Often lacks gear loops

• Minimal or NO leg adjustability

See our Sport Climbing Harnesses Page 

Traditional Harness

• Designed for outside walls and more exciting climbing where more climbing gear is needed

• Adjustable leg loops

  • Allows you to wear more layers

  • Allows you to remove leg loops if you have to poop

• 4+ Gear Loops

  • Allows you to hang carabiners, cams, nuts, and chocks

• Haul Loop

  • To carry up extra rope

• Padding

  • Allows you to hang for longer periods

    • Hanging belays

    • Multipitch climbing

• See our Trad Climbing Harnesses Page 

Alpine/Mountain Harness

• Lightweight option to minimize weight on bigger expeditions where you carry a lot of gear

• Fully adjustable waistbelt and leg loops to allow for layering of clothing

• 4 or less loops

  • Minimize loops interfering with backpack

• Thin material

  • Wear with backpack

  • More packable

  • Light

• Minimal or NO Belay Loop

  • Plan to belay and rappel with waistbelt and leg loop

• Haul Loop

  • To carry up extra rope

See our Alpine Climbing Harnesses Page 

Specialty Harnesses

• Designed for climbing niches

• Canyoneering

• Competition

• Big Wall

• Rescue