Men's Harnesses Harnesses are essential for rock climbing, mountaineering, abseiling, via ferrata and ski touring – for most mountain sports. We have a large range in stock for you to try in our shop, it’s the best way to be sure you have the right model. This guide explains what to look for in a harness. Harnesses vary greatly but they all share common features. For recreational climbing almost all harnesses are seat harnesses, apart from some full body harnesses for kids. All harnesses have a waist belt that can be securely closed, leg loops, belay loop, tie-in loop and gear loops.
Waist Belt and Leg Loops These are designed to provide support, freedom of movement and comfort. A well designed harness will spread weight across the whole surface area of both the waist belt and leg loops. Most waist belts now use auto-locking buckles that are easy and quick to use. (older models use a “double-back” system where one passes the tape back through the buckle). Leg loops can have a fixed size, or be adjustable. Adjustable legs loops are handy for alpine and winter climbing since they can cope with changes in clothing. Fixed leg loops are often used for sport climbing since they’re lighter and more compact. Some harnesses have adjustable rear risers that connect each leg loop to the back of the waist belt. The length of these can be adjusted to optimize the shape and feel of the harness.
Belay Loop A reinforced webbing loop that vertically connects the leg loops to the waist belt, the belay loop is used when belaying a partner and allows the carabiner and belay plate to align correctly.
Tie in Loops When tying the rope to the harness using a bowline or figure of 8 knot, it’s safer to pass the rope through the lower and upper tie in holes so that the rope is attached independently to both the waist belt and leg loops. It’s a safer method than tying directly to the belay loop and distributes the load more evenly.
Gear Loops These loops of plastic or stiffened cord are positioned at the sides and back of the harness to carry your gear – quickdraws, carabiners, cams and other protection you’ll need on the route. Harnesses for all-round use typically have four slings while some sport harnesses only have two. Gear loops are designed to carry gear, do not use them as belay points!!!
Ice Screw Attachment Slots Use these to attach Black Diamond’s Ice Clipper, Petzl’s Caritool or similar to hold ice screws and other gear if your gear loops are not sufficient.
Haul Loop A small attachment loop of webbing at the back of the harness, these are designed to let you trail a rope behind you as you climb, without getting in the way. Like gear loops, haul loops are not designed for heavy loads or to be used as an attachment point. It’s a good place to attach your chalk bag!!
Harnesses are available for specific types of climbing. Choose a harness that fits best with your style of climbing or mountain activity.
Sport Harnesses These lightweight minimalist harnesses are used for sport routes, gym training, and competition climbing where light weight and free movement is the priority. With thin waist belts and narrow leg loops, sport harnesses have just enough padding for falls and belaying. To save weight yet offer some degree of adjustment and increased comfort some sport harnesses have elasticated leg loops. Sport harnesses typically have two gear loops and a thin belay loop.
All Round Harnesses These are the work horses of the harness world. Medium weight with comfortably wide waist belt and adjustable leg loops. Suitable for beginners to experienced climbers and a good choice for all kinds of climbing. Many have detachable leg loops so you can answer’s nature’s call without removing the whole harness, plus four gear loops for racking your gear.
Winter Harnesses Regular harnesses made with open cell foam can freeze up in winter. Winter-specific harnesses are made using a closed cell foam that does not absorb water, so are not affected by low temperatures. These foams are less breathable so less comfortable in the summer. Winter harnesses have at least four gear loops, adjustable leg loops to cope with lots of clothing layers and slots for Ice Clippers or Caritools. Alpine / Ski Touring Harnesses These lightweight minimalist harnesses are designed for mountaineering and ski touring. Adjustable so that they can cope with the changes in clothing seen in the mountains when climbing or skiing, these are stripped down harnesses with a thin waist belt and leg loops. Leg loops can be quickly released so that the harness can be taken on and off easily even when using crampons or skis. These are often made from water-repellent nylon so that they can cope with wet, cold and snowy conditions.
Full Body Harnesses These combine a seat harness with a chest harness which are connected to each other. These normally offer a choice of attachment points. Full body harnesses are mainly used for industrial remote access or mountain rescue situations, but are a good choice for small children starting out climbing.
Harness Sizing Many models are available in several sizes. Choose as size that will let you tighten further the waist belt in the future rather than the smallest size that fits
ranges from 45 to 142