BD solution for big walling

I don't intend on doing a5 in this thing, a2 at most and mostly free. Regarding gear loops, I'm coming from a bd ozone and I'm happy with the size of them, are the gear loops on the solution really as tiny as I've heard?
Should I get honlove's version? 

The Solution would kind of suck for a big wall. If you're getting a new harness, go for the Misty Mountain Cadillac

Sam Rumelwrote: go for the Misty Mountain Cadillac

Lol no

that guy named sebwrote:

Lol no

Yes

that guy named sebwrote:

Lol no

Ok.

Seb seems like a real jerk face. What’s up with that guy?

If you want the style of the solution, get the solution guide instead.  Way more durable.  

The solution is pretty comfortable, but it's not great for carrying lots of gear. While I haven't big walled in it, I have rap bolted a few routes in it and after a while it starts to get super uncomfortable due to having a bunch of weight hanging from it. Sitting in it isn't so bad, and honestly, is more or less equivalently comfortable to my MM Cadillac harness.

The gear loops on the solution are small. They make a Solution Guide which has slightly larger gear loops in the front. With a standard solution, I'd guess you could have a single rack of cams and a handful of draws on each side and be maxed out. Also, like I said, the thing starts to get less comfortable with a lot of weight hanging from it.

Jak MeHoffwrote: Seb seems like a real jerk face. What’s up with that guy?

let me go through exactly why "lol no" 

1. I'm a brit as it says right next to my name so getting a small U.S companies harness would be a huge pain
2. Yates make a better big wall harness
3. As I said in my post I'm mostly free climbing in this harness so no thank you to a bulky misty
4.  If I wanted a big wall harness I'd be asking about big wall harnesses
5.  I was walking home from the crag and didn't want to write all this up
6. I didn't write this in the original post because it's not really relevant to the question, I will be doing quite a bit of alpine in this harness, I'm not walking around glaciers in a misty harness. 

Double Jwrote: If you want the style of the solution, get the solution guide instead.  Way more durable.  

Except where it actually matters, the tie in points. I shredded the tie in points of a solution guide in like two months. BD said it must have been defective and gave me a new one, and the same thing happened. I've been climbing in a normal solution now and the tie in points are way beefier and last longer. Why they would make the rest of the harness more durable but slim down the load-bearing part of the harness is totally beyond me. The solution guide is garbage.

For bigwalling it's important to determine whether you're using a portaledge or not. If you're using a portaledge then you'll just flag it it and have it at every belay and so the harness comfort is irrelevant. Freeclimbing harnesses suck a bit if you're following or leading a long pitch of mostly aid but in your case that won't be a concern. If you're not going to have a portaledge then almost all freeclimbing harnesses will suck for a hanging belay but again if it's mostly freeclimbing then it won't be any different really from a long multipitch. You'll need to get your leg hauling on point though so you're not hauling from the harness.

I use a BD Solution harness as my primary harness and haven't had an issue with the size of the gear loops. I regularly carry a full double rack with 9 carabiners on each front loop (0.1 through #3). Does it get a little bit busy? Yes. Has it been an issue for me? No. I've aided, free climbed, hauled, jugged, and slept in that harness with no problems.

You might be able to find a more comfortable harness for big walls, but if you end up with the Solution, I highly doubt it would be the thing that stops you.

Double Jwrote: If you want the style of the solution, get the solution guide instead.  Way more durable.  

Not only is the Solution Guide more durable but it also has a 5th gear loop and larger front gear loops. 

I've put over 100 pitches (with plenty of granite and sandstone OW/chimney) on mine and it still looks brand new...not sure what the hell the other guy's doing to shred his tie in points. 

Tyler Swrote:

not sure what the hell the other guy's doing to shred his tie in points. 

Taking lots of whips, I wanted this as my sport climbing harness so maybe not the guide. :/

that guy named sebwrote:

Taking lots of whips, I wanted this as my sport climbing harness so maybe not the guide. :/

I had the OG regular solution for a few years and finally wore through the piece of elastic that holds the leg loops in place. While not load bearing, I figured it couldn't hurt to upgrade/get a new one since my tape fixes weren't holding and it was kind of annoying having the leg loops move around.

As a replacement I bought the Solution guide (mostly for the bigger gear loops), and I've been using it for a handful of months now. The belay loop is diferent and the tie in points were covered in an outer layer/material on the original solution, but not on the guide. I do a shitload of whipping and I really don't think that's it. I'm primarily a sport climber. I did wear through the outer material/layer on the original solution. 

Wearing the guide without a shirt is more uncomfortable than my original because they changed the inner mesh/lining on and it's rougher on my skin. Also, the new guide has some exposed webbing on the leg loops where the old solution has the webbing covered by the outer material, which i liked. I don't think it'll be an issue, but I did wear through that outer material on my old solution so we'll see how the webbing on the guide leg loops holds up.

All in all, I'd agree - the guide is a step forward and a step back at the same time for a solid step sideways. If it wasn't for the larger front loops I'd probably get the standard solution. 

Tyler Swrote:

I've put over 100 pitches (with plenty of granite and sandstone OW/chimney) on mine and it still looks brand new...not sure what the hell the other guy's doing to shred his tie in points. 

Yeah I will admit that I did a lot of sport climbing in the Guide, but my point remains, why would they intentionally slim down the tie in points while beefing up the rest of the harness? Makes no sense to me, as they clearly weren't trying to make an ultralight harness.

I probably have at least 400 pitches of sport/trad (mostly on granite) on my solution Honnold edition, the belay loop looks a bit fuzzy but the hard points look brand new, I retried it due to excessive wear on the leg loops, and them not being adjustable for alpine climbing with bigger pants. I have no idea how a guy shredded the hard points. I have a Technician RECCO right now and it seems even more bullet proof after probably 100 pitches

I wear the solution inside and solution guide outside and i wouldn’t be able to tell them apart for weight or feel while climbing. The guide is totally fine for sport. If a couple grams are an issue, you must be the seb who is on the bleeding edge of our sport, in which case bravo for trolling us poor and huddled masses

Shout out for the singing rock Dome harness.

7 gear loops, two waist buckles (one double back, one quick lock), two belay loops, less than half the price of a Cadillac.  

Since this has popped up I thought I'd give an update, I went for a solution guide harness in the end(after my edelrid died). Very happy, seems to shrug off offwidths and chimneys fairly well though I am noticing some fuzz on the top loop that I never experienced after years of abuse with my edelrid or previous bd harness, will 3d print a piece to cover it at some point and continue with a harness that I am otherwise really happy with. Plenty of room on the gear loops for a double rack. Very comfy and has so far shrugged off all the offwidths I have hit it with. It has also proven to work great for walking around and doing winter stuff as I use petzl ice clippers. 

 Sadly i have had limited opportunities since getting it for anything big and did all my large-ish stuff in my short lived edelrid harness. 

My only criticism might be I'd like a larger rear gear loop and I'd like it located at the top of the harness instead of at the bottom near my other loops. And a entirely personal problem but layers add a lot of inches to my waist so a small is less than ideal for winter and I may need to get a winter specific harness. Can't have everything I suppose...