Harness
A waist belt with leg loops, either sewn or tied from nylon webbing, which allows a climber to be comfortably and safely tied to a rope. A harness keeps a climber’s weight on his waist and hips when he falls, lowers, rappels, or hangs. Harnesses are much safer than climbing with the rope tied directly around the climber’s waist. It’s best to buy a tested and approved commercially made harness rather than making one yourself from webbing. Harness are put on by slipping your legs through the leg loops, then securing the waist strap by passing it through a metal buckle and then back through again. Most modern harnesses are padded and have adjustable leg loops to accommodate wearing bulky winter clothes. Harnesses should fit snugly but not tight.
