UKC

Dear Collective,

Sun's out in Scotland so I'll be heading for the rock soon...need a new rock harness for trad rock climbing. Climb around E2/3...won't be using it for anything else (already have a winter harness I like)...budget not an issue...
So, what would you recommend ? And why ?
ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Comfort obviously but loop positions are impt to me and Wild Country always works best IMO.

5 loops (2 at each side, 1 at back) is far superior to 4 loop models with 2 on sides and 2 on rear/back IMO.

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Arcteryx R300. It took me a long time to talk myself into spending so much but when this one's done I'll buy another. So light, compact and comfy you don't know you have it on. I tied on 2 more gear loops at the back and it's complete. Look no further.

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Black Diamond Chaos. Not cheapest but comfortable light and good ample gear loops, non adjustable leg loops avoids faff of unnecessary buckles

In reply to Martin Bennett:


Either that or the ladies version, depending on fit. Ladies are also a bit cheaper late in season too in larger sizes. Hahmm.

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

There are loads out there, some fit me better than others. The dmm renegade worked best in the end

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

I'm pretty happy with my Edelrid Orion. Reasonably light, and very comfortable.

In reply to Martin Bennett:

Another vote for the R300! Great harness, super comfy and light. I would recommend turning the front 2 gear loops around as it tends to push your rack to the front a little.

In reply to saffy:

Indeed, and perhaps adding a 5th loop at the back (some rubber tubing, and a bit of cord).

The LT275 might also be an option. Pretty much the same harness, just lighter weight.

Skylotec Pure seems pretty much a copy of the R300, just a tad cheaper from Germany.


As my own R300 is wearing down, I'm trying Ocun Ego as a replacement. Seems about the same, 'cept a tad thicker swami belt and also the gear loops feel a tad smaller. Will DIY 5th loop at the back and see how it goes. If the Ego seems good, might also become my winter harness (DIY ice-clipper slots).

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

I'm a bit unconvinced about recommending spending 50 to 100 quid on a harness and then suggesting people DIY bits to it. Not sure why Arcteryx and BD can't just see that lots of Brits and probably lots of other people around the world like five (or even seven) gear loops and make a version of the otherwise great harnesses with the extra loop?

Personally after using the original DMM Renegade for five years, I'm now equally happy with the new version. http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.fi/2013/10/dmm-renegade-harness-review.ht...

In reply to TobyA:

It's got tubing inside fabric on the gearloops: the plastic over types tend not to wear through as easily, imho...

In reply to TobyA:


Horses for cources...

Though I've used my R300 quite a bit, I actually haven't retrofitted anything on it. And seemed to serve my well, from Lofoten to local crags to alpine stuff, like Gran Capucin.

Oh, and indeed the Renegade can be a stellar harness, but to me it seems that the front loops are too far ahead, so not really usable. But I think your size affects this, I'm on the limit between S and M, it would prolly be completely different if I were on the L to XL size.

In reply to HeMa:

I have to agree - as someone with a S harness, who COULD go to M but would find it a loose waist belt (and this puts me at pretty average size - 6ft, 85kg) - the front loops are so far forwards that anything racked on them falls infront of me. As such, it's only very short quickdraws that ever find their way there.

In reply to HeMa:

I have just got a shiny new Renegade 2 harness to replace my Renegade 1 (won a harness in a competition). The old Renegade was great, but I did notice the gear loops being in the 'hang stuff in front of my legs' position. This was partly because I was in a medium harness which was only just small enough for me (so the waist band was very close to the belay loop) and partly because the gear loops sloped forwards.

On my new Renegade although I haven't had a chance to load them up yet it looks like the gear loops will load stuff to the side of my legs (almost 90 degrees from where stuff used to go). This is partly because I am now in the right size harness (S), and partly because the front gear loops on the Renegade now slope backwards.

When you have seven gear loops, there is only a limited amount of space...

Other than the change in gear loop style from plastic-over to plastic-inside (we shall see how durable that turns out to be) the new Renegade seems almost the same but with minor improvements.

Edit - in reply to Neuromancer, I think moving to a medium harness would make things worse - since the floating waistband bits end up closer to your belay loop (since there is more material to wrap around you but the size of your waist has not changed).

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Anything BD or Edelrid, as they both have stiff moulded gear loops (as opposed to floppy cord through plastic tubing) which makes going for and returning gear in a hurry much easier, and less likely to snag clothing with the krab nose.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Maybe I need an XS? who knows. I don't like changing gear, it scares me.