Misty Mountain sizing (vs Petzl)

Hi all,

I'm thinking of getting a MM harness to supplement my Petzl Sitta (my only harness right now) but am not sure how the listed sizes compare. I like the MM because I've never really heard anything bad about it and the idea of getting burly leg loops with a more reasonably sized belt appeals to me.

Questions: 

How would a large Sitta compare to a large Cadillac? 

Is there a way to turn down the upturned gear loops? I don't think I like the idea of having my gear loops like that.

How is having such a wide waist belt/leg loops? Do you find the bulkiness annoying? Does it interfere with layers? What are potential issues?

Thanks!

The Cadillac is absolutely the best harnesses on the planet!

Misty sizing is not 1:1 compared to other brands. I mistakenly got a S and sized up to M. Measure your waist and check the misty sizing chart. Allow an extra inch or two for extra layers if you climb in cold weather.

The upturned gear loops hang down under the weight of your gear. They are also staggered. Easier to find what you need in a pinch, especially when your racking lots of gear. Give it a try, you'll never want another harness.

MM Sizing is pretty much to-the numbers (i.e. by tape measure) as opposed to a lot of other companies that use "vanity sizing".  

The Cadillac sizing is (from MM): 

Extra Small: (24" – 26"), Small: (26" – 29"), Medium: (29" – 32"), Large: (32" – 35"), Extra Large: (35" – 38"), Extra Extra Large: (38" – 41"), XXX-Large: (41" – 45")

I have a Cadillac and a Summit, and I love them both. Really good stuff.

If you're looking to monkey around with the gear loop configuration, it's best to call them. They do all kinds of little mods like that (gear loops, belay loops, etc.)

(828) 963-6688

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST

Al Pine wrote:

The Cadillac is absolutely the best harnesses on the planet!

Misty sizing is not 1:1 compared to other brands. I mistakenly got a S and sized up to M. Measure your waist and check the misty sizing chart. Allow an extra inch or two for extra layers if you climb in cold weather.

The upturned gear loops hang down under the weight of your gear. They are also staggered. Easier to find what you need in a pinch, especially when your racking lots of gear. Give it a try, you'll never want another harness.

Yeah, +1 for the upturned gear loops. Once you load 'em up, they fall right into place.

Sorry if this somewhat hijacks the thread, but for those with MM harnesses: do any of you rack gates out, and are those types of gear loops annoying for you?

Drew Nevius wrote:

Sorry if this somewhat hijacks the thread, but for those with MM harnesses: do any of you rack gates out, and are those types of gear loops annoying for you?

Not sure I understand. What does the gear loop have to do with whether you rack gate in or gate out?  

FrankPS wrote:

Not sure I understand. What does the gear loop have to do with whether you rack gate in or gate out?  

I think he is referring to the way gear loops are oriented when not loaded. 

To answer your question, while I do not have a MM harness I have a Metolius one that has similar gear loops, once your weight them with anything of significant weight (IE a cam or big biner), they hang right down and you can rack anyway you wish. 

stolo wrote:

I think he is referring to the way gear loops are oriented when not loaded. 

To answer your question, while I do not have a MM harness I have a Metolius one that has similar gear loops, once your weight them with anything of significant weight (IE a cam or big biner), they hang right down and you can rack anyway you wish. 

This is also true of MM's loops. I rack gate-out and have never had problems.

Misty has a size chart on their website that is spot on. If you measure carefully you will be good to go. They also give you the option of customizing different sized waist and leg loops if needed.

I think they currently have a 25% off sale on their site as well.

FrankPS wrote:

Not sure I understand. What does the gear loop have to do with whether you rack gate in or gate out?  

Sorry - I was referring to the fact that they’re nylon in tubing, rather than more molded or rigid shapes like many bd harnesses

FWIW I found the Sitta sizing to be quite different than other Petzl harnesses.  For the Sitta, the large (the biggest size they offer) fits me perfectly while my medium Sama is also a perfect fit (Sama goes up to XL)

Drew Nevius wrote:

Sorry - I was referring to the fact that they’re nylon in tubing, rather than more molded or rigid shapes like many bd harnesses

I have a Cadillac and a couple BD harnesses and I notice no difference when racking other than having way, way more room on the Cadillac. Because MM has the option of two buckles, it keeps the gear loops perfectly centered and not lopsided like a single buckle harness that is cinched down or loose. It's absurdly comfortable to hang in and doesn't bruise my hips when having it on all day doing multi-pitch with a double rack hanging off of it like a thinner harness will. The sizing offers more room than they advertise - for example, when they say 29-32", they mean if you have a 32" waist with a base layer, R1, and softshell on top tucked under the harness - it'll all fit.

The only downside of the Cadillac is bulk, so I prefer a cheap BD when cragging or doing single pitches where I'm not dragging a double rack along.

I rack gates out on my back loops and gates in on my front loops (I'm skinny so the front loops sit further forward) and I've never had a problem getting gear off in either direction on any carabiner from tiny Nano 22s to big ass lockers.