Your Climbing Harness

Your climbing harness is not just a piece of equipment but it becomes part of you when you’re climbing. It’s intimately bound to you around your waist and upper legs. It’s also essential for your climbing safety since you tie the rope directly into it, usually using the figure-8 follow-through knot. Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting a series of articles about harnesses—what they are; how they evolved; why they’re important; how to decide what kind you should purchase; how to find the best and most comfortable fit; what features are important; and then I’ll be reviewing a handful of harnesses that I think are great values.

Here’s the first installment Your Climbing Harness where you can read about the evolution of the harness, the first harnesses, and what’s the best harness for you.

Photo above: Ian cranks Reve de Papillion (5.13a) in a lightweight sport harness at Buoux, France.
Photograph © Stewart M. Green