Black Diamond Aspect Climbing Harness **FAILURE** warning long post

Wayne wrote: Did the same. And we both got a response that the original contact was poorly handled by them and that someone from BD is getting back to the OP. Sounds like they may be doing a more serious look at the complaint.

That sounds more like BD to me. I've never had their customer service be anything less than spectacular. And for what it's worth, I have hundreds of days in an aspect harness (it's what I work in) without any slippage issues.

speed buckles = quickly and easily done, quickly and easily undone.

Never trusted em.

bump

DOH! I've also experienced the Momentum leg loops loosening even though properly double backed. Didn't happen on older models, only the new one (last year). First time it happened, it almost came undone before I noticed the problem. Now I keep 5+ inches of tail and check them every pitch. Not sure why I assumed it was my fault or not that big a deal.....Looks like it's going back.

I think making gear issues, public, quickly is the best way to keep other climbers safe. The Internet, forums and blogs, is the place to do that.

No climbing company is going to have the reach or desire to have us talking about and inspecting their gear, in a critcial manner, this quickly.

Thanks for the heads up.

Never had an issue with my dead bird speed buckles or petzl ones

Public forums are the bet for getting quick action or you may just get the standard bored employee line like the op initially got

Especially if its a potential safety issue

So where's the video that's been promised? RNclimber made it clear that the problem was easily repeatable and yet we still don't have proof.

John Wilder wrote: Thankfully BD has been notified and is investigating this particular issue and if there is a safety issue for a batch of the Aspect harnesses, they'll recall them and fix/replace them quickly.

That comment is pure speculation on your part.
No one knows what BD will decide or how long it will take them to decide. And heaven knows we would never see a "caution please check your buckles".

BD's "official policy on the internet" has been, don't make a public comment...but "come to us first".

If that was the first action taken by the OP no one here would have had a clue to look let alone inspect their own harness for a falty buckle.

Better to have some knowledge and be safe than no knowledge and a failure.

"just contacted Black Diamond and spoke with someone from Warranty...."return it to REI to get a new Harness"...He re-assured me that their harness have been tested vigorously and that it only fails when not properly used."

May be or may be not. You want to bet on that?

just an fyi- i emailed BD and got a response with-in an hour and they stated they wanted to get this quickly resolved. so i guess i'll wait and see what happens.

sorry didn't get to the video- dang margaritas ;)

I have a BD Focus with speed buckles, and the leg loops definitely loosen if I don't have enough webbing to slip under the belt loop style thingie. Thankfully the main webbing around my waist does not loosen, but over the course of a days climbing I have to tighten my leg loops a few times.

I don't think I'll buy a harness with speed buckles again.

You can easily get any speed buckle to slip (i just tried it with a BD, arcteryx and petzl) by pulling on it from an acute angle. From the obtuse angle, where it should be loaded if properly sized, it won't slip when yarded on slowly or jerked. So I could see how an improperly sized harness (too big), that was loaded by holding a leader fall, could be pulled into an orientation that would cause buckle slippage. The harness should be cinched down snuggly, not worn loosely around the hips, like I see so many skittle-thugs doing these days.

Tico wrote:You can easily get any speed buckle to slip (i just tried it with a BD, arcteryx and petzl) by pulling on it from an acute angle...

the BD slips MUCH more easily than the Petzl.

Angela Dembik wrote:just an fyi- i emailed BD and got a response with-in an hour and they stated they wanted to get this quickly resolved. so i guess i'll wait and see what happens. sorry didn't get to the video- dang margaritas ;)

Well, unless you're still drunk from last night, you should be able to get to the video today right? It would certainly go a long way towards convincing us other Aspect owners (myself included) that there is in fact a problem.

Tico is getting at what I'm trying to figure out; is this a defect, or a harness that wasn't fitting properly to begin with?

Honestly, I can't tell what is going on from the pictures. A harness exploding off of someone; you got me on that, I've yet to see it other than a cable tyrol with a hot loading heli evac and a single piton anchor with teddy bear.

Darren Mabe wrote: the BD slips MUCH more easily than the Petzl.

I agree, and I kind of like this since I add and remove layers frequently with the harness on. If i was concerned about the buckle slipping (and I'm not, because my harness is sized correctly and worn snug), i'd toss an overhand on the tail of the webbing. But that would make the aforementioned adjustments annoying.

Mark Nelson wrote:.. a cable tyrol with a hot loading heli evac and a single piton anchor with teddy bear.

YOURE....NOT....GONNA...DIE.

Stormeh wrote: Well, unless you're still drunk from last night, you should be able to get to the video today right? It would certainly go a long way towards convincing us other Aspect owners (myself included) that there is in fact a problem.

you cant really tell in a video.

Darren Mabe wrote: you cant really tell in a video.

You won't be able to tell that a harness is coming completely undone in a video? I beg to differ.

Stormeh wrote: You won't be able to tell that a harness is coming completely undone in a video? I beg to differ.

good point! ;)

Tico wrote: I agree, and I kind of like this since I add and remove layers frequently with the harness on. If i was concerned about the buckle slipping (and I'm not, because my harness is sized correctly and worn snug), i'd toss an overhand on the tail of the webbing. But that would make the aforementioned adjustments annoying.

hardcore! i use fixed leg loops.
:)

Everyone should get a Misty Mountain Harness......BEST HARNESSES EVER.....Tried and True.

Love my yates astroman. That thing is not going to slip and come undone!