UKC

Hi,

Does anyone know what material harnesses are made out of? Especially the name of the fabric that is guaranteed to hold weight. I know it sounds silly but I was thinking of making a harness myself - I already have a 'proper' one but I had an idea for a harness that is also a pair of shorts so you can wear it around and not worry about putting it on/taking it off at the wall.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll actually make one, but I'd like to know where I might find the material, if anyone has any ideas?

In reply to Patrik333: THere's probably a very good reason something like this doesn't exist currently. I really can't think what the reason might be....

In reply to Patrik333:

There's one already produced, not sure who by though. I'd buy one rather than make one

In reply to xplorer:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/news.php?id=4733

In reply to Patrik333:

Ridiculous idea, it'll never catch on.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/news.php?id=4733
(Actually, have you seen the price of those - really not going to catch on!)

Merely worry about panicking floor-walkers thinking you've forgotten your harness and tied into your trollies by mistake? (After which, I'd have thought even the less risk-averse climbing wall managements aren't going to be too keen on folk using home-made harnesses.)

In true UCK style, you'll notice I've made absolutely no attempt to actually answer your question. Sorry about that, haven't a clue. Interesting project, best of luck with it.

In reply to Patrik333: The material you can see on a harness is probably a high denier nylon of some sort but I think they get there strength from the nylon webbing the runs through the fabric, just a guess!

In reply to Patrik333:

Sort of reinforced shorts?? Could try leather pants like they have in Austria.

In reply to Dave Perry:

Don't they come with a bib & brace making a full body harness. Great for glacier travel.

In reply to Patrik333:

Have looked at the mammut shorts. Its still just a harness inside the trousers, the garment doesnt take and weight.
I think theres room for something more integrated with a slim arcteryx type harness used, or the edge technology petzl have. Mammut are just the first step on the way (tho rescue gear has had integrated harness designs for years).

Not sure what the material is, but id be looking into thread/stitching equally.

In reply to Patrik333:

Cheers, after oyur help and searching, I found a site that sells webbing per 50m roll... not sure I'd need 50m of it though...

Also, yeah, I'm still not sure I'll actually go through and try and make something - this idea was kinda on a whim one time.

Tie up a Swami belt.

In reply to adam11:

A 120cm sling makes a perfectly adequate sit harness for abseiling. Wouldn't particularly want to take a leader fall with one though. 24mm nylon is more comfortable than 6 or 8mm dyneema.

In reply to Patrik333: The bartack stitching involved in modern sling and harness construction is extremely precise (usually computer controlled with specialist sewing machines and, I have been told, cooled needles) resulting in extremely high ratings for impact force. While historically a homemade harness would have been a reasonable proposition a modern harness can be expected to take a very large number of leader falls over it's lifetime due to the popularity of indoor and sport climbing.

Further the disclaimers you sign at the wall will include reference to use of appropriate equipment which means CE rated.

Finally you wouldn't be the only person you would be endangering in the event of a failure as the loads exerted when a belayer holds a fall can come close to the loads experienced by the leader depending on the exact situation (in a theoretical environment where there is no friction on the runners between leader and climber the forces would be completely equal as I understand it).