Favorite Harnesses Currently?

Mark NH wrote:

I’ve been using the Cuesta Adjust for ice climbing the last couple months. I like the construction and fit. Plus the ice clipper locations work great. I have no problem racking the gear I need. Probably my all time favorite ice harness (used Hyrundos most recently, Corax and Arc’teryx 395). 

I would second this. Used it for a bit of ice and dry tooling this winter and now it's become my primary rock harness because the fit is darn comfy.

I agree that the gear loops do feel a little small but when it comes down to it I'm never unable to rack things as I normally would.

I bought a Metolius Safetech (their short-lived "trad" version) some years back. It's the least dialed harness I've ever used and has scared me off Metolius harnesses for life.

I've used the Misty Mountain Cadillac for the last five years and it's fine/good. Doesn't quite meet the hype I'd read about, I don't think, but no gripes except maybe weight + bulk. Not ideal for backcountry but doable, and it's stood up to wear and tear well imo.

My next will be a BD - always loved the humble Momentum. 

For ref, 99% of my climbing is long days in Yosemite and the Sierra, lots of wide and chimneys and thrutching. Comfort is never one of my criteria bc no hanging belay is comfortable for me, ever, even in the Yates big wall models.

I like my new Blue Ice Halo.  It is basically a 365a but lighter.  Gear loops are not quite as good as the 365 but they are good enough for a double rack.  The fact that the rear leg loop "tensioners?" are replaceable is a huge bonus.  Those getting eaten through have been the cause of multiple replacements for 365/395s.

Not sure about arcteryx's new harnesses but they look unimpressive on paper.  The c-quence was designed by a person with tree trunk legs....  Whatever engineering team they used to have working on their harnesses must have quit..... 

Anyone else like Mammut harnesses? They're much more comfortable to me than BD or Petzl's offerings, and BD's gear loops seem to have gotten smaller over time. I went through a yearlong process of replacing my old harness and resold ~3 different models (BD Solution Guide, Petzl Adjama, and Edelrid Moe) before settling down on a Mammut.

The Comfort Fast Adjust is their most recent model and it's great - it's basically what I wish my old BD harness was like. Lighter than the solution guide and more comfy to move+hang in, 4 good (semi-stiff, spacious, forward canted) primary gear loops, a rear gear loop and haul loop, adjustable leg loops, etc. The Togir 2.0 is also nice and is a little lighter but the back 2 gear loops are flexible which I could see some people not liking. I figure the only reason they're not popular is because nobody stocks them in the US. 

Small gear loops has to be the #1 complaint on harnesses overall, and I've never heard anyone complain gear loops are too big. Why is this? Are the pro climbers testing these harnesses for companies only using single racks? Do they ever get tested by average climbers who carry a lot of gear?

James C wrote:

Small gear loops has to be the #1 complaint on harnesses overall, and I've never heard anyone complain gear loops are too big. Why is this? Are the pro climbers testing these harnesses for companies only using single racks? Do they ever get tested by average climbers who carry a lot of gear?

I wouldn't be surprised if most harnesses never have quickdraws attached. I.E., most harnesses are bought for use solely/primarily in a gym. It does still seem like an oversight by manufacturers, but let's not forget the all of the "harness buying market."

Michael D wrote:

I wouldn't be surprised if most harnesses never have quickdraws attached. I.E., most harnesses are bought for use solely/primarily in a gym. It does still seem like an oversight by manufacturers, but let's not forget the all of the "harness buying market."

Sigh. Let's be more friendly to middle-aged men climbing plastic with 3 belay devices, two prussics, a cordelette, and a Tibloc. I've long thought we should have a fan page for these specimens. These days, they may be our best advocates for gear loops.

It's true that the largest percentage of people who buy harnesses don't need a lot of gear loop space..  but does it actually hurt anything to have big gear loops? Why not make them all big as a standard, even for gym climbers?? 

Ira OMC wrote:

It's true that the largest percentage of people who buy harnesses don't need a lot of gear loop space..  but does it actually hurt anything to have big gear loops? Why not make them all big as a standard, even for gym climbers?? 

I'm not a harness designer but I imagine that:

* smaller loops discourage overloading (which could lead to catastrophic equipment loss and customer dissatisfaction)

* smaller loops keep the things on the front loops visible even in overhanging terrain

* smaller loops allow for ice clipper slots to be placed more ergonomically

FWIW, I have a dedicated sport harness with just two huge loops and it is awesome when I am racking only draws but when I do the occasional sport multipitch (for which I rack various additional items) it is noticeably inferior.

MattH wrote:

Anyone else like Mammut harnesses? They're much more comfortable to me than BD or Petzl's offerings, and BD's gear loops seem to have gotten smaller over time. I went through a yearlong process of replacing my old harness and resold ~3 different models (BD Solution Guide, Petzl Adjama, and Edelrid Moe) before settling down on a Mammut.

The Comfort Fast Adjust is their most recent model and it's great - it's basically what I wish my old BD harness was like. Lighter than the solution guide and more comfy to move+hang in, 4 good (semi-stiff, spacious, forward canted) primary gear loops, a rear gear loop and haul loop, adjustable leg loops, etc. The Togir 2.0 is also nice and is a little lighter but the back 2 gear loops are flexible which I could see some people not liking. I figure the only reason they're not popular is because nobody stocks them in the US. 

I really like the Mammut Sender. One of the few harnesses with fixed leg loops that fits my tree trunk legs. But I went through 3 of them in a year. The plastic that protects the lower tie in point cracks and then the tie in point wears out prematurely. Other than that, I love them. Comfy, big front gear loops, and light enough to not be too hot in the summer

I picked up an Ocun Webee Bigwall harness after realizing that my Metolius harness just wasn't comfortable for hanging belays. I spent 4ish days on a big wall and was the only one without kidney or leg pain. No bruising or anything. It's like magic. It's not super heavy or bulky. It's phenomenal. Not a "lightweight sport harness" though.

Jesse Scarborough wrote:

I picked up an Ocun Webee Bigwall harness after realizing that my Metolius harness just wasn't comfortable for hanging belays. I spent 4ish days on a big wall and was the only one without kidney or leg pain. No bruising or anything. It's like magic. It's not super heavy or bulky. It's phenomenal. Not a "lightweight sport harness" though.

My wife picked up the Neon 3 after having bruising issues with her petzl and old BD harness. I think she tried 4 or 5 harnesses on in stores and decided to jump on Ocun without trying it because they are hard to find in the Midwest and she has had no issues with it and absolutely loves wearing it. I think I may replace my Metolius with a 4-buckle Ocun harness in a year or two.

MattH wrote:

Anyone else like Mammut harnesses? They're much more comfortable to me than BD or Petzl's offerings, and BD's gear loops seem to have gotten smaller over time. I went through a yearlong process of replacing my old harness and resold ~3 different models (BD Solution Guide, Petzl Adjama, and Edelrid Moe) before settling down on a Mammut.

The Comfort Fast Adjust is their most recent model and it's great - it's basically what I wish my old BD harness was like. Lighter than the solution guide and more comfy to move+hang in, 4 good (semi-stiff, spacious, forward canted) primary gear loops, a rear gear loop and haul loop, adjustable leg loops, etc. The Togir 2.0 is also nice and is a little lighter but the back 2 gear loops are flexible which I could see some people not liking. I figure the only reason they're not popular is because nobody stocks them in the US. 

I went through 2 of the BD momentum dual speed (I think now called the "4s") since I need that double-buckle adjust for my tree trunk legs but smaller waist. This time I got a Mammut Ophir 4 slide and I like it a lot more, seems more burly and comfortable with better gear loops but I think the regular Mammut 4 slide (not the ophir) is a more fair comparison to the momentum. We'll see if it survives longer than the BD for mostly trad climbing, including thrutching in chimneys and offwidth, but so far I like it even more. 

I thought that the Arc’teryx FL 365 was the best harness out there, and it got discontinued. The AR 395 has the same features and general fit, but I prefer fixed legs and in particular the way the AR395 legs are constructed are a bit pinchy for me.

The BD Solution Guide was also a near perfect trad climbing harness (just didn’t have ice clippers), and of course that got discontinued. The Technician has the exact same gear loops (plus ice clippers) as the Solution Guide (trust me, I have both and have measured/compared them), but is slightly less comfortable to hang in. The main difference gear loop wise for the Solution Guide/Technician compared to the rest of the BD “standard climbing” harness lineup (Solution/Zone/Momentum) is that the front gear loops are a bit wider, but not hugely so - about a centimeter, or 2 carabiners worth. And of course they have a rear gear loop, which the Zone has but not the regular Solution or Momentum.

Anyway, I generally like BD harnesses due to their comfort, relative affordability, and I like the design of the gear loops, although I agree they are a bit on the small side. I’m currently using the Zone harness and have been overall impressed. It’s super lightweight, nice for alpine climbs, and quite versatile. Not quite as comfortable as the Solution/Solution Guide due to the narrower legs and waist tho. I can fit a double rack pretty easily, and if I ever carry more of certain sizes I generally clip the extra cam to the same size cam’s racking carabiner rather than the gear loop.  The rear gear loop helps to stash belay gear or shoes/water etc.

My only beef with Petzl harnesses and many other fabric gear loops is that they can wear out quickly if you are scrapping around. But there are certainly other good harnesses out there. In the end, they all work, harnesses all wear out at some point, so get what you find comfortable and fits you and your preferred objectives. Just inspect routinely for wear and retire if you have any doubts - your life is worth more than the $60-120 bucks or so.

So I bought the Ocun Webee after trying one on at Arapiles. Super comfy for me, no issues with the rise, nicely ventilated. Feels as comfy in extended weighted belays as the old Petzl Calidris.

7 gear loops, the front 2 are a little further back than petzl loops, but also less likely to flop gear over my thigh. The 2 high side-rear loops are actually useful for short stuff: knife, microtrax, extra lockers etc.

Cons: a bit tight at the tie-in points, huge lumbar height may collide with a pack, a bit bulky in a pack (but surprisingly light).

John Pitcairn wrote:

So I bought the Ocun Webee 

Are you talking about the Webee big wall or Webee Quattro? The Webee only has 4 gear loops.

I’m surprised no one mentioned the Petzl Aquila. Seems like a good one for trad

Finn Lanvers wrote:

Are you talking about the Webee big wall or Webee Quattro? The Webee only has 4 gear loops.

The big wall, 7 loops.

FWIW, I added gear loops to my Momentum Harness, just tie a thin cord and , voila, you have 2 extra gear loops! I think one can do this with most harnesses.

John R wrote:

FWIW, I added gear loops to my Momentum Harness, just tie a thin cord and , voila, you have 2 extra gear loops! I think one can do this with most harnesses.

Bonus redneck points for not melting the end of the cord.