Harnesses

Harnesses

A harness is used for attaching a rope to a person. The majority of harnesses used in climbing are worn around the pelvis, although other types may be seen occasionally, such as chest and full body versions.

Different types of climbing warrant particular features for harnesses. Sport climbers typically use minimalistic harnesses, some with sewn-on gear loops. Alpine climbers will choose lightweight harnesses, perhaps with detachable leg loops. Big wall climbers prefer lots of padding. There are also full body harnesses for children, whose pelvis bones are not wide enough to be safely held inverted by a sit harness. Some climbers use full body harnesses when there is a chance of inverting, or when carrying a heavy bag. There are also chest harnesses, which are used only in combination with a sit harness; this combination provides the same advantages as a full body harness. However, test results from UIAA show that chest harnesses can put more impact on the neck than sit harnesses, making them slightly more dangerous to use.

Apart from these harnesses, there are also caving and canyoning harnesses, which all serve different purposes. For example, a caving harness is made of tough waterproof and unpadded material, with dual attatchment points. Releasing the carabiner from these attatchment points would loosen the harness quickly.

Canyoning harnesses are somewhat like climbing harnesses, often without the padding, but with a seat protector, making it more comfortable to rappel. These usually have a single attatchment point of Dyneema.