UKC

Question for the girls (and boys, go for it too if you like!)- what climbing harness do you use?! I'm in need of a new one, and am having fit issues.... =( Currently using a medium DMM renegade, which is too big round the waist, and fits just about ok on the legs. The small renegade doesn't fit my legs at all. The Puma just doesn't fit around the waist, I cannot imagine being on a hanging belay in it for long! Their Viper doesn't fit either, but I haven't tried the Maverick.

The new BD Primrose, the one with the slidey bit on the leg loops, the size small I have to have it done up as tight as it will go, but the legs fit ok. The XS fits better around the waist, but the legs do not fit me as the leg loops cannot be undone! The Xenos in a size small, again the waistband is done up as tightly as possible but the leg loops are ok.

Petzl Calidris, the back band is way too wide for me and digs in.

Wild Country ones, I can never seem to get the waistband centered properly, and again I have leg loop issues.

Anyone got any advice? I've always been told (by my instructor from way back when, when I was a kid and also shop staff) that you should have 2 inches of tail left over on the waistband and leg loops after doing the buckles up, and 2 inches left so you can tighten it further if you need to. Does this still stand? It has been suggested to me that I'd be better off with a traditional style buckle harness as they don't creep (I have found that my renegade does need tightening a little when I've been lobbing off things repeatedly in weird positions!), what do you guys think?

Ta muchly for any advice/opinions/jokes about me having thunder thighs....

Gemma =)

In reply to Gemma:

Have you tried the WC syncro? An all-rounder much like the renegade, and with a double buckle waist so no problems centering. The small is a bit tighter round the waist than your medium DMM (I'm 28", it wouldn't really go any smaller than that), and the leg loops are pretty adjustable.

In reply to Gemma: I don't know of a harness that would meet your needs but I think you just need to go to a shop and try on all the harnesses they have until you find one that fits well.
If it helps I use a wild country something-or-other with elastic in the leg loops which might fit you better, but I'm a skinny(ish) guy tree trunks for legs

In reply to Gemma: Why not just buy a small DMM Renegade and swap your current leg loops over? The waistbelts and leg loops are interchangeable on the Renegade - and all other DMM, WC, BD and Petzl harness I've looked at recently.

I might even have a spare Renegade still sitting around I'd be happy to sell, if you do want to try that.

Equally, contact DMM or WC direct and see if they are willing to sell you a harness with small waistbelt but medium legs. If all else fails, buy two harnesses and try to sell the other 'one' to someone with skinny legs and a fat belly [although I can't help on that as I'm skinny with even skinnier legs.]

In reply to Gemma: Have you tried something like the Black Diamond Bod Harness? http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-gb/shop/climb/harnesses/bod-harness
Totally different style of leg loops than any of the other harnesses mentioned
Bradley

In reply to Bradders: The Bod is at least a 20 year old design (I bought my first one in 1992). They're OK, but they aren't light anymore in comparison to modern designs and harness design has moved on a lot since then.

In reply to The Ex-Engineer:

the legs loops are often sewn in (with non structural retaining tabs) so you'd need to cut that. Thats the case on the petzl hirondus where i am a med leg and large waist (actually
its the gear loop placements on the waist that are a pain!)

In reply to Gemma:

I've similar thunder thighs and found the right harness in the female Arcteryx R280 (?) It seems that they are a bit more likely to get offered on sale too. I would recommend trying before buying. (It has fixed leg loops too, but I never end up adjusting mine anyway, so they are more annoying than not having them at all, which I find great.)

In reply to Gemma:

Personally, I'm a fan of Metolius harnesses, particularly their safe-tech ones. Not so much because everything is full strength at the same weight as other harnesses, but because they have an adjustable rise (ie the distance between legs and waist). Add to that, the leg loops are adjsutable.

The one thing to watch is that there is no overlap between sizes - naturally, i sit exactly on a dividing line - currently my harness fits well in winter and is loose in shorts and T shirt. Its smaller predecessor was the opposite.....