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Gear and kids

Original Post
Rframe · · Post Falls, ID · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 55

Hi, I'm new to the forum and to climbing. I've long had a curiosity about climbing but have only recently started. My kids and I have been climbing indoors for a month and having a lot of fun. It just so happens we have a pretty nice crag about 10 minutes from my house with a dozen or more routes with permanent anchors/bolts and the chains for most are easily accessible from the top, so we will be able to top rope a lot before I need to worry about leading or buying much in the way of anchoring gear.

I'm just starting to look at some gear, but with three kids age 7-10 I'm wondering what the harness options I should consider. Ideally I'd like them to share one, to keep costs lower. In the gym we use a very basic Black Diamond Vario one-size-fits all that works from tiny kids to big adults but is basic and has no gear loops and a single tie in loop. Should we just pick up one of those or should we look at a kid-specific design, or other considerations?

Thanks for your opinions.

AJWM Maracek · · New Paltz, NY · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 71

C.A.M.P. Harlequin Harness. Cheap. Pretty comfy. Super adjustable. Definitely have the smallest kid try it on to make sure it fits.

ems.com/product/index.jsp?p…

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

Regardless of which harness you get or use, remember that it must fit snugly over their hips. If they invert, the fit needs to prevent them from sliding out of their harness.

mark felber · · Wheat Ridge, CO · Joined Jul 2005 · Points: 41

Petzl recommmends a full body harness for children under 10 because of the lack of well defined hips at that age. Children under 12 also tend to be top heavy, which is one more reason for a full body harness. Here's one of their offerings: petzl.com/us/outdoor/vertic… .They make a smaller one ( petzl.com/us/outdoor/vertic…) for smaller kids.

If you're just going to be toproping, a harness without gear loops would be fine after they outgrow the full body harness. If the kids start leading when they're older they can get their own harness and gear. 7-10 strikes me as a bit early for kids to start leading, or even belaying you while you lead.

Rframe · · Post Falls, ID · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 55

Thanks for the thoughts and product suggestions so far.

To clarify, I do not anticipate them leading nor belaying until older. My oldest son (the 10-year-old) has an interest in learning to belay but I told him I'd like him to wait until older. Even in a several years I'll outweigh him so much I'd have to build some ground anchors and would probably use an auto-assist belay device, but we'll cross that bridge if/when we get there. In the meantime I'd belay them on top rope and when I climb an adult friend will belay me.

I seem to read some varying info on the center of gravity issue, some saying below 5 they should be full-body and after 5 they should be in a sit harness. While Petzl seems to extend that age up a bit. At the gym when they wear the Vario I routinely pick the kids up by the tie in loop and flip them around to make sure it's tight as their final harness test (and they think it's fun, so.. there's that too). So far they seem very secure.

Em Cos · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 5

It's not really about age, there are some adults whose body shape would require a full-body harness. The real question is when inverted, will their hips keep them in the harness? If the answer is no, regardless of age, they need a full-body harness or a chest harness in combination with a sit-harness. Finding an adjustable harness that will work for multiple kids or continue to work for them as they grow is great, but don't sacrifice proper fit for it. Harnesses are cheaper than ER visits.

Moritz B. · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 185

The Fraggle is currently the only padded full body harness on the market. They sell them at REI. rei.com/product/847509/edel…

nolongpork · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 15

My daughter is six and still wears a full body harness. Even thought her climbing skills are quite good it is the best choice for her. I have also let other children try the harness and they all have said they like it much better.

Kids are top heavy so moving the tie in point up off the waist is so much better. If you doubt it try lifting your kid up by the belay loop/tie in of a regular harness with your fingers and see if they tip back. Then try a full body harness and see the difference, and after a year of climbing in and out of the gym my daughter still loves the "harness check".

Goodman Sachs · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 315

I would have to agree with the full body harness. With your kids why not buy the more safe of the two options. There are a lot of companies that make varying styles of full body harnesses.

Full body harnesses are way more comfortable if hanging as well.

SmartRockClimbing · · Oceano, CA · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 10

Full body harnesses can be great for kids. If I don't have one available, I will use a sling to make an upper body harness for them.

Pieter
SmartRockClimbing.com

Jim Clark · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 5

And you can almost always find used full body kid harnesses for dirt cheap that are basically brand new.

NickMartel · · Tucson, Arizona · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 1,332

To play devils advocate on the full body harness idea... The full body harnesses take much longer to adjust the size, when it is one person using the body harness it is more a fit it once and forget it thing. However, if your plan is to have all the kids share the harness it may get tedious spending 5 min changing the fit each time the kids switch who is climbing. Just one more thing to consider.

Goodman Sachs · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 315

Another thing to consider is just buying a nice seat harness and separate chest harness. You could also learn how to tie a nice chest harness out of webbing that works really well too.

Matt Roberts · · Columbus, OH · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 85

CAMP makes really nice kids harnesses. I also quite like the BD Whiz Kid and the Mammut harnesses, too. As was said earlier, make sure they fit well on the smallest kid. As for the full-body, you can add a sling to make your kids harness into a full body. This may overcome some resistance you might get from the 10yo.

PERSONALLY, my boys started climbing at 7 & 9 and never had full body harnesses indoors or outdoors. I always made sure that their harnesses fit very well and were cinched down. I'm not saying that you should follow my lead, I'm just sharing my choices. Depending on the maturity, and your level, by 11, my kids lead belayed me just fine outdoors. They were anchored in always, and using a Gri-Gri, and had learned to lead belay indoors at age 8 & 10, so had lots of experience. To clarify: they weren't lead belaying me on my hardest climbs that I expected to fall, but I did fall some & they caught me. With a couple years of experience, I figured that they had to be better belayers than many guides put up with.

Have fun!

Rframe · · Post Falls, ID · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 55

Thanks for all the info and suggestions. We have been out climbing and the kids are sharing a BD Whiz Kid sit harness. With it snugged properly I've flipped them around in various ways and have found no top-heavy tendencies nor any way to force them to slip out, so I think we're in good shape. They love climbing outdoors and cannot wait for the next outing.

No, we didn't top rope through the rappel rings. I clipped redundant slings with lockers for the top rope.

BD Whiz Kid 1

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Beginning Climbers
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