Best all round Trad Harness

What is the best harness?

I went from the Caddy to the Arcteryx R-320 and haven't regretted it. If I was going to be hanging in it for a very long amount of time the Caddy is a bit more comfortable, but for trad and all-around the R-320 is the bomb. I thought I would miss the 6 loops, but I don't, the Arcteryx has huge gear loops.

Arc Teryx Targa was the best ever(*). Sadly, they quit making them and I won't shell out $125 for a harness.

(*) price considered.

what about the metolius safetech? Anybody have any experience with them?

johnL wrote: The only thing in their line equivalent is the Sama. My Sama at one year old looks worse than my Jump did when I retired it a 6 years old. So much for brand loyalty.

another vote for the Sama. if you dont mind replacing them every 7-10 months.

the older Petzls didnt have haul loop.

Ian F. wrote:Okay, so I have lost Misty Mountian Cadillac, and now in the market for a new harness for traditional routes. I loved the Cadi. It seemed to be the perfect blend, not to bulky and combersome, and with six gear loops and a solid waste belt I was able to organize lots of gear effectively, without the feel of being weighted down. Not to mention the comfort it provided for hanging belays. So, Is the Cadi the best route to go, or is there a better all round hardness out there? Thoughts!

had a cadillac a long time ago. great for a aid/wall harness. too bulky for free routes, IMO. but if you bring up a bunch of shit, you will have plenty of places to clip it to.

as with everything else, if you go for something that is "all around", it will be ok at everything, but not excel at anything....

just like shoes. own several harnesses depending on what you do...

Tparis wrote:what about the metolius safetech? Anybody have any experience with them?

I have the Safetech and really like it. It's comfortable all day and can carry a good amount of gear, It also has a full strength haul loop. I've been using it for a couple of years for trad climbing. I do find it a little on the clumsy side for sport tho, for that I use a Petzl Sama.

johnL wrote: I always thought the Petzl Jump was the best harness ever. Stiff downward facing gear loops, fixed leg loop, comfy. Simple and perfect.

Agreed those were good features, but I liked the A.T. gearloops better, and I couldn't wear the Petzel- my legs were too big for the leg-to-waist proportion. I had a 29" waist at the time and a trail-runners legs.
Certain other harnesses rise too high when hanging and dig into the ribs. I do a lot of hanging in belays since I like multi-pitch and like to get to the end of the rope or near it on lead.

Ian F. wrote:Yeah $135 is steep for a harness, but I have only heard good things about the R-320. The major set back for me though is Adjustable leg loops. They are a must for me. I never know what I will be wearing or, how big or small my thighs will be in 5 years. I like to know my harness will always be practical, long lasting.

Look at the Targa- the leg loops were "flexible" but not adjustable- I despise the loop-tacked-on-to the centerpeice design- it sits terribly and is not very well fit. A.T. had that tear-drop design that was flexible- that's the reason why it fit me.

What size are you? Waist? legs?

johnL wrote:That was a vote against, not for, the Sama. We don't all drive Audi's you know.

lmao. what can i say, guidebook sales are good. and it does get twice the mpg as my van...

but i still think the sama is the best harness out there. even if its disposable (every harness i have owned last about the same amount of time, so maybe its just me). and if you have chicken legs like mine.

EDIT: ok. done editing.

WildCountry Elite Synchro.

Walter Macalma wrote:WildCountry Elite Synchro.

+1

The Wild Country is very, very good. 7 loops, infinitely adjustable, comfortable. Like most good trad harnesses, it is a bit bulky (the back of the waistbelt is like .5" thick, ferchrissakes), but what can you do. Recommended.

Wild Country Synchro is great and it allows you to carry anything you want from gear (of course) to shoes and water on your harness. I've had one for over 2 years and love it.

Ian F. wrote: Had the same problem with my Jump, I ended up giving it to my buddy whom was smaller. My thighs just kept getting bigger. Which is still the case. I do a lot of hiking with packs, trail running, and biking, so they are thick. Waste size ranges - depending on clothing EDIT: 34" to 38". Legs- seem to be holding steady but depending on clothing 18" to 20" would be a fairly acurate guess, based on the string I just used.

Arc Teryx made the Verro as well. Same thing as the Targa, but with adjustable legs

Yates Astroman harness is quite nice. Simple design, five gear loops, about $115. It's the best harness I've owned

Ian F. wrote:How about the Black Diamond Big Gun. Any experience with this.

I was looking at the big gun, but it is really a big wall/aid harness, not a free climbing trad harness. I ended up with the BD Focus SA, which is the next step down in terms of cushiness and bulk.

I've been very pleased with it for about the past 8 months. I use it for everything from the gym to aid. It is definetly much more comfortable than the momentum I had before. I don't worry about hanging in it. I just got off two days of hanging belays and aid without a complaint (though I had a seat for the belays, which I now think is mandatory for any harness). For free climbing though, it is perfectly comfortable for belays.

My only complaint is that the speed buckles don't allow you to drop a leg loop to pee and makes getting it on over layers tricky because you can't fully open it up like standard buckles. BD makes a Focus without speed buckles, though. Also, if you try to carry a fully rack on the loops, it might get crowded. I usually carry draws/nuts/everything else on the harness and rack cams on a sling, and that works very well.

Cheers
Evan

Tony, FWIW I had a Targa for a while and I think the R-320 fits the same. They use the same teardrop leg loops on the R-320 as they did on the Targa (with the little elastic). Yes, it's expensive, but not much more than other harnesses being compared to here (Misty Caddy).

Metolius Safe Tech Deluxe!

My Yates Astroman is getting close to retirement. I really like it. It's comfy and has six usefull gear loops. The only bad thing I can say about it is that stupid upside down seventh gear loop up front on it's right side. Upside down gear loop? What a stupid idea...
I might get a new one but the DMM Renegade harness has caught my attention. It seems lighter than the Astroman, comfy enough, a little cheaper and has seven usefull gear loops. It might be worth checking out.